Microbiology

Admission procedure
Student must show very good knowledge of general microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry related to the theme of the PhD thesis. Student submits a brief project proposal of PhD thesis in which specifies the topic, designates possible problems and proposes the experimental procedure. Good knowledge of the English language is essential, which will allow the student to not only read scientific literature, but also to talk and write about their scientific research.
The entrance examination is organized as an oral discussion when the committee evaluates and assigns points for the applicant’s expertise and abilities for scientific work (0-100 points) and skills in the English language (0-90 points).

More information about admission process for international applicants in general can be found in the section Admission Process.

Date of the entrance exam
The applicants will receive information about the entrance exam by e-mail usually at least 10 days before the exam.
Please, always check your e-mails, including spam folders.

Conditions of admission
Minimum requirements for successful examination are 85 points for scientific part and 60 points for language part of the entrance examination.
Successful applicants are informed of their acceptance by e-mail and subsequently receive an invitation to the enrolment.

Programme capacity
The capacity of a given programme is not fixed; students are admitted based on a decision by the Doctoral Board after assessing their aptitude for study and motivation.

The programme’s goal is to develop students into top specialists in microbiology of prokaryotic and eucaryotic cells developed within the Department of Experimental Biology at Faculty of Science, MU. Graduates should be ready to take on further scientific careers in academic institutions, but also for possible employment in health care or veterinary facilities, in food, chemical or pharmaceutical industry and in biotechnology companies with own research facilities, and as specialist lecturers.

The program actively supports its graduates in pursuing their scientific careers even further by encouraging long-term stays in post-graduate positions abroad.

The individual laboratories of the Microbiology programme cover the following research areas in which doctoral students are also trained:

Taxonomy and diversity of microorganisms

- Antibiotic rezistance of prokaryotes

- Food-safety and fast proof of pathogens

- Emerging viral infections

- Polyphasic classification of prokaryotes

- Synthetic biology

- Methanogenic archaea

The link between programmes are shared technologies, joint workshops, specialized seminars and conferences. Students are motivated by the high professional quality of research in a competitive, yet collaboration-friendly environment. Performance of individual students is recognized not only financially, but also, for example, by participating at prestigious conferences.

Absolvent je po úspěšném ukončení studia schopen:

• understand theories, concepts, and methods that represent current trends  of the microbiology at the international level;
• immediately hold a postdoctoral post at a top microbiological laboratory without the need for additional methodological training;
• independently design and conduct research at all stages and present research outcomes at international conferences;;
• prepare scientific articles and publish them in international scientific journals;
• prepare competitive grant applications.

Graduates of a doctoral degree program Microbiology are qualified to work especially in research institutes and departmental workplaces or as university lecturers. The level of obtained knowledges and experiences gives adequate guaranty for high adaptability of graduates in various fields of microbiology. They are authorized to conduct independent scientific and research activities in basic and applied research. In the most general sense, they are considered qualified for any kind of scientific work in microbiology, that is dealing with conceptual issues, participating in and managing scientific research activities, and teaching.

The student is responsible for at least one stay abroad in microbiology laboratory in minimal duration of one month during the study programme.

Dissertation thesis is submitted in print and electrinic version, written in Czech or English language (in case that thesis was practised in abroad and supervisor agree with English version). The complex of published articles or in-print articles is favoured style of dissertation thesis. The second option is manuscript undivided into separate articles.

Dissertation thesis as complex of articles must contains at least three articles supplemented with introduction (approx. 10 - 20 pages) and results with conclusion (approx. 10 - 20 pages without references) summarizing data from articles and compare outcome of study with present knowledges. The applicant must prove, in this part, own expert knowledge and deep skills in mentioned field. Dissertation thesis must contains Introduction, General knowledge, Aims of study, Results and discussion, Conclusion, References. The applicant must clearly specify own contribution and percentage in each of article mentioned in thesis and realized with coauthors.

Dissertation thesis in form of manuscript (30 - 40 pages of text excluding articles and references). must be supplemented with published articles in conformity with rules issued by professional committee.