Czech Science Foundation

Standard grant projects - 33 projects

Junior grants - 10 projects

Lead Agency grant projects - 2 projects

EXPRO projects - 4 projects


The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) is an independent public organisation supporting basic research throughout all scientific fields from public funds. GACR is the only institution in the Czech Republic, which provides public funding exclusively for basic research projects. Since its establishment in 1993, GACR has provided financial support for both experienced as well as young and early-stage researchers.

EXPRO

EXPRO

4 projects

Projects with start in 2018

Projects with start in 2018

13 projects

Projects with start in 2019

Projects with start in 2019

21 projects

Projects with start in 2020

Projects with start in 2020

11 projects

The goal of EXPRO projects is to create favourable circumstances for development of excellent research, to set the standards of excellent science, to help to overcome barriers limiting the success rate of ERC project proposals, and to provide an opportunity to obtain valuable knowledge and experience for those interested in submitting highly prestigious European grant projects.

The Tender Document is to be found here.


Structural study of enterovirus replication in situ   

  • Principal Investigator: Mgr. Pavel Plevka, Ph.D.
  • Project number: 19-25982X
  • Project type:  Czech Science Foundation, EXPRO
  • Implementation period: 1. 1. 2019 – 31. 12. 2023
  • Budget: 49 984 000 CZK

Project description:

Viruses from the genus Enterovirus, including coxsackieviruses and rhinoviruses, cause billions of infections every year. However, no anti-enterovirus treatments are available. We aim to structurally characterize enterovirus replication in situ to enable the identification of macromolecular interactions that could be targeted by therapeutics. We will use focused ion beam milling and cryo-electron tomography to determine: (1) how enteroviruses deliver their genomes into the cell cytoplasm; (2) whether enterovirus replication “factories” in infected cells contain the multi-subunit complexes of RNA-polymerases that were observed in vitro; and (3) whether enterovirus capsids assemble around genomes or if the genomes are packaged into capsids. To facilitate the cryo-electron tomography studies we will develop: (1) patterned grids to enable automation of the focused ion beam milling of cell sections; and (2) a method to embed macromolecules in rod-shaped vitreous ice to allow the recording of more complete tomographic data than is possible with currently used slab-shaped samples.


STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY – NEXT GENERATION: from isolated molecules to cells, from cells to tissues

  • Principal Investigator:  doc. Mgr. Lukáš Trantírek, Ph.D.
  • Project number:  19-26041X
  • Project type: Czech Science Foundation, EXPRO
  • Implementation period: 1. 1. 2019 – 31. 12. 2023
  • Budget: 37 921 000 CZK 

Project description:

Our comprehension of biological mechanisms as well as our capacity to exploit this knowledge for devising of novel bio-materials, molecular devices and/or effective therapeutics, critically depends on a detail knowledge of fundamental principles that governs structure, stability and interactions of biomolecules in living cells. Historically, for methodological reasons, biological processes are either investigated at low resolution in biologically relevant systems (organisms, tissues) or at high-resolution on biomolecules isolated from their native cellular environment. Although recent methodological developments have allowed gaining high-resolution insight into structure and interactions of biomolecules in intact cells, this insight remains limited to prokaryotic organisms and mammalian cells either cryogenically frozen or living cells cultured in asynchronous populations. Influence of natively fluctuating composition of intracellular environment, as a result of propagation of the cell cycle or organization of cells into tissues, on biomolecules’ structure/function remains elusive.



Molecular and functional analysis of casein kinase 1 biology

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Project description:

The aim of this project is to fill several major gaps in our understanding of casein kinase 1 (CK1) mediated cellular functions. CK1 acts as a component of several developmental pathways such as Wnt, Hedgehog or Yap/Taz that are important drivers of tumorigenesis. In this grant proposal we want to understand how CK1 gets activated and mediates the Wnt signalling pathway, a key signalling machinery dependent on CK1. Further, we will identify unique protein targets of individual CK1 isoforms in developmental signalling pathways, and analyse the biological consequences of the selective inhibition of CK1 isoforms in the context of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a disease with the proven sensitivity to CK1 inhibition. We will take advantage of the state-of-the-art integrated structural biology, RNA Sequencing and global proteomic analyses in combination with standard cell physiology techniques. This work will provide mechanistic insight into the role of CK1 isoforms and will pave the avenue for the use of isoform-specific CK1 inhibitors in the treatment of cancer.



Biogenesis and evolution of telomerase in plants


Project description:

Telomere biology belongs to hot research topics due to its attractive links to cell ageing and immortality, genome stability, and pathogenesis of severe human diseases including cancer. Our research in plants contributed to this field, among other things, with the observations of: i) reversible regulation of telomerase activity and its coupling with cell proliferation; ii) evolutionary changes in plant telomere DNAs. Mechanisms underlying these phenomena, however, have not been known. The answer is presumably hidden in the most important telomere factor – the telomerase. Recently we identified templating telomerase RNA subunits across land plant phylogeny, which not only explains the observed evolutionary switches between diverse telomere repeats but allows us – in association with known catalytic telomerase subunits and other associated proteins – to address a problem of telomerase biogenesis in plants. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to characterise distinct steps in telomerase assembly, with the focus on the presumed scaffolding role of telomerase RNA in this process.



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Project numberProject titlePrincipal investigator at CEITEC MU
18-26981SGenetic investigations towards molecular mechanism underlying strigolactone action in rootsMgr. Jiří Friml, Dr.
18-04197YCharacterization of dynamical regions in RNA polymerase from Bacillus subtilisMgr. Pavel Kadeřávek, Ph.D.
18-20134SInterphase chromosome organization and early meiotic chromosome pairing in Brassicaceae speciesprof. Mgr. Martin Lysák, Ph.D., DSc.
18-12774SPlasma polymers deposited on nanofibrous membranes for vascular tissue engineeringdoc. Mgr. Lenka Zajíčková, Ph.D.
18-08153SMolecular basis of Staufen-mediated 3´UTR functionMgr. PharmDr. Peter Lukavsky, Dr.rer.nat.
18-05421SDevelopment of paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy for supramolecular systemsprof. RNDr. Radek Marek, Ph.D.
18-17810SStructural characterization of replication of Staphylococcus aureus phage in vivoMgr. Pavel Plevka, Ph.D.
18-11397SMolecular architecture of ADAR - RNA complexesdoc. Mgr. Richard Štefl, Ph.D.
18-21791SBack and Forth: Striking the balance between self and other goals in negotiationDaniel Joel Shaw, Ph.D., M.Sc.
18-07027SInvolvement of telomerase in the cell interactomedoc. Mgr. Miloslava Fojtová, CSc.
18-02448SThe role of translation initiation factors in transcripts sequestration and activation in the male germline of angiosperm plantsMgr. David Potěšil, Ph.D.
18-07384SFrom conformation to biological functions of HP1 proteinMgr. Gabriela Lochmanová, Ph.D.
18-01710SGroup interactions of azole pesticides and their effects on essential enzymesdoc. RNDr. Miroslav Fojta, CSc.






















The Tender Document is to be found here.

Project number

Project titlePrincipal investigator at CEITEC MU
19-29701LDissecting the Role of HDAC1 in T cell Lymphomaprof. RNDr. Zbyněk Zdráhal, Dr.
19-23108YThe impact of ethylene-cytokinin signaling crosstalk to Arabidopsis growthMgr. Markéta Žďárská, Ph.D.
19-11880YChromatin environment induced by genotoxic agentsMgr. Martina Dvořáčková, Ph.D.
19-16273YROS-Induced Drug Release Based on Interactions of FerrocenylboronatesMgr. Karel Lacina, Ph.D.
19-23424YImmunogenetics in the Next Generation Sequencing era: Deciphering the pathogenetic mechanisms in lymphoproliferative disordersVasileios Bikos, PhD.
19-10976YSeed-agnostic miRNA binding site classificationPanagiotis Alexiou, PhD.
19-21829SCharacterization of the molecular mechanisms of the human adenosine demethylasesdoc. Mgr. Štěpánka Vaňáčová, Ph.D.
19-24753SStructure and function of hormone-regulated dirigent proteins in Arabidopsis thalianadoc. RNDr. Jan Hejátko, Ph.D.
19-16963SA mouse genetic model to study the control of interferon and inflammationLiam Keegan, PhD.
19-07487SThe polyploid past versus diploid present: evolution and diversification of the southern African HeliophilaRNDr. Terezie Mandáková, Ph.D.
19-08646SMolecular portraits of major morphological components of colon tumorsprof. RNDr. Ondřej Slabý, Ph.D.
19-20873SDriver mutations in cancer genome of Nothobranchius furzeri: from tumor biology to concept of experimental model of spontaneous carcinogenesisprof. RNDr. Ondřej Slabý, Ph.D.
1-11931SThe role of miRNA in development of glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling after early-life seizuresprof. MUDr. Milan Brázdil, Ph.D.
19-15737SAlternative mechanisms of deregulation of the p53 pathway in chronic lymphocytic leukemiaprof. RNDr. Šárka Pospíšilová, Ph.D.
19-12956SPivotal aspects of mycobacterial transcription: The promoter-recognizing subunit of RNAP, SigA, and its interactions with a newly identified factorprof. Mgr. Lukáš Žídek, Ph.D.
19-03442SRibosomal RNA genes - travellers in time and the genomesRNDr. Terezie Mandáková, Ph.D.
19-03488SWorking from a distance: engineering allosteric control on PDZ3 domain selectivity from ZO-1Konstantinos Tripsianes, Ph.D.
19-05200SUnraveling the thermoregulation of seed development in Brassica napusHelene Roberte Boisivon, Ph.D.
19-06632SHow hybridisation and allopolyploidisation affect the diversity in three Brassicaceae tribesprof. Mgr. Martin Lysák, Ph.D., DSc.
19-11299SThe role of transposable element activity in hematological malignaciesIlgar Mamedov, PhD.
19-21961SChemical modulation of Ku activity and its use in genome editingMgr. Jaroslav Fulneček, CSc.































The Tender Document is to be found here.

Project number

Project titlePrincipal investigator at CEITEC MU
20-20860YUnravelling novel intracellular trafficking regulators involved in plant stress responseMarta Zwiewka, B.A., M.Sc., Ph.D.
20-16013YSimultaneous gene transcription and translationMgr. Gabriel Demo, Ph.D.
20-03187SStudy of electrochemical and adsorption processes on nanostructured sp2 and sp3 carbon surfaces in relation to their physico-chemical characteristicsMgr. Hana Pivoňková, Ph.D.
20-12669SInteractions defining physiological functions of Microtubule Associated Protein 2c at atomic resolutionprof. Mgr. Lukáš Žídek, Ph.D.
20-20152SProtein Affinity and Selectivity to Cellular Membranesdoc. RNDr. Robert Vácha, PhD.
20-21581YThe study of the mechanism of suppression of transcription-borne DNA damage by RECQL5βMgr. Marek Šebesta, Ph.D.
20-19617SThe molecular mechanisms of noncanonical 3´terminal RNA tailing and its role in the metabolism of coding and noncoding RNAsdoc. Mgr. Štěpánka Vaňáčová, Ph.D.
20-03419YPost-polyploid genome evolution in Microlepidieae species (Brassicaceae)Xinyi Guo, PhD.
20-18889SMolecular and functional characterization of colorectal cancer derived-exosomes and exosomal long non-coding RNAsMgr. Petra Vychytilová, Ph.D.
20-11101SElucidating the role of the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 in novel biological pathways and determine its posttranslational regulationprof. Mary Anne O´Connell, PhD.
20-05789LCharacterization of intrinsically disordered proteinsRNDr. Mgr. Jozef Hritz, Ph.D.


















The Tender Document is to be found here.


Jana Slouková Ing. Jana Slouková Project Administrator
Phone: +420 54949 5614
E-mail: jana.sloukova@ceitec.muni.cz
Office:
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