My name is Tereza Renzová and since January 2021 I am gradually resuming my research activities in the team headed by Dr. Lukáš Čajánek at the Department of Histology and Embryology, where I finished my PhD during my 2,5 years long maternity leave. The “Career Restart” grant would help me to again fully devote myself to the research, as it is clear, that especially the life sciences evolve rapidly, and the experimental approaches demand full time engagement. I believe that re-joining the team of Dr. Čajánek gives me a perfect opportunity to become an independent researcher. My short-term plans reflect the projects pending in the lab. One of the essential questions in the lab and also in the cilia field is how does a human cell control formation of its “antenna”, the primary cilium, at the molecular level? To tackle this question, I propose to study protein Tau tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2), one of the key regulators in the cilium assembly pathway, in terms of means of regulation of its activity. I will have a broad portfolio of methodologies at my disposal, including some of the state-of-the-art approaches such as expansion microscopy and high-speed time-lapse imaging of primary cilia. I expect the project will reveal novel details of TTBK2 action during the cilia assembly initiation, highly relevant for describing the pathology of many human developmental disorders (together called ciliopathies) and give me an opportunity for creation both Czech and international collaborations in this research field.

Sustainable Development Goals

Masaryk University is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to improve the conditions and quality of life on our planet by 2030.