Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics

Windows of the living cell universe wide-opened.

Degree programme objectives

The program is product of fusion of former independent Molecular and Cellular Biology with General and Molecular Genetics. We propose the fusion to reflect modern holistic approaches dominating in both fields that converge them to close proximity and bringing benefits to both of them. The aim of the program is providing excellent scientific education in the field of molecular and cell biology and genetics. The graduates thus should be proficient to accomplish research of living phenomena on molecular, cellular, tissue or organismal levels. To achieve this aim, students are systematically guided to advance their theoretical knowledge in the field and master practical skills in applications of modern methods of molecular and cellular biology, genetics and other related fields. The key themes include study of genes and genomes and their expression in microorganisms, plants, animals and humans. Special attention is paid to their relations to pathological conditions. Research performed on microorganisms is focused preferentially on molecular diagnosis and genomics of selected pathogenic and clinically significant bacterial strains and their interactions with bacteriophages. Research of plants is concentrated mainly on genes of model plants and plants used in agriculture. In animals and humans, research is focused on genetical structure of populations, molecular diagnosis of prenatal and postnatal pathogenic situations, genetics of tumors, study of signalling processes connected with deregulation of proliferation, differentiation and programmed cell death in tumor cells and detection of genetical factors associated with certain polygenic diseases. Students are free to perform independent research in well-equipped laboratories and experienced supervisors are nominated to guide them in this effort. Students are continuously confronted with progress in the field by discussions in regular laboratory meetings, institutional seminars or conferences. Students successfully presenting their results in conferences or written articles can be awarded by special scholarships for excellent representation of the Deparmtent of Experimental Biology and following activities:

1. Successfull presentation record resulting from reaching aims of Ph.D. thesis projects, such as:

- papers in international journals or chapters in monographies, considering ranking of the journal (IF, Q), placings of the student among co-authors, number of co-authors, proportion of the student efforts on the published results.

- presentation of the results on conferencies, considering placings of the student amnog co-authors, number of co-authors, proportion of the student efforts on the published results and the type of the conference (international or domestic).

The scholarship can be used for partial covering of travel/accomodation expenses or conference fees.

The essential condition for awarding the scholarship is correct affiliation of the presentations (both papers and conference abstracts) to the Deparment of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University.

2. Participation in teaching younger students of Master programmes how to perform experimental methods and interprete the results obtained.

3. Participation in grant projects. Long-lasting participation and significant contribution to accomplishing the projects aims can be awarded by getting part-time job or contract for certain period.

Study plans

Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics

full-time, single-subject

Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics

combined, single-subject

Admission Procedures
International applicants for doctoral study (Czech and Slovak Republics applicants NOT included)
Submission deadline until midnight 15/12/2024

Information on entrance examinations designed for this degree programme
Admission procedure
The admission interview is usually in an online form and consists of two parts:
1) Expert interview – the committee examines the applicant's professional competence and motivation on the basis of his/her CV, motivation letter and letter of recommendation, submitted by the applicant together with the application form. During the interview candidates present their PhD research project including methodology, and expected outputs in the presence of the supervisor. The committee also evaluates the candidate's knowledge of molecular and cell biology and genetics, with an emphasis on the area of planned research and his/her ability to put the findings into a general context (maximum 100 points),
2) Language part – the committee evaluates the candidate's ability to present and discuss his/her previous/current scientific (diploma) work and the concept of the planned PhD research in English. (max. 100 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
To be admitted, a candidate must obtain a total of 70 out of 100 points in the expert knowledge part and 60 out of 100 points in the language part.
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.

Studies

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Objectives
The program is product of fusion of former independent Molecular and Cellular Biology with General and Molecular Genetics. We propose the fusion to reflect modern holistic approaches dominating in both fields that converge them to close proximity and bringing benefits to both of them. The aim of the program is providing excellent scientific education in the field of molecular and cell biology and genetics. The graduates thus should be proficient to accomplish research of living phenomena on molecular, cellular, tissue or organismal levels. To achieve this aim, students are systematically guided to advance their theoretical knowledge in the field and master practical skills in applications of modern methods of molecular and cellular biology, genetics and other related fields. The key themes include study of genes and genomes and their expression in microorganisms, plants, animals and humans. Special attention is paid to their relations to pathological conditions. Research performed on microorganisms is focused preferentially on molecular diagnosis and genomics of selected pathogenic and clinically significant bacterial strains and their interactions with bacteriophages. Research of plants is concentrated mainly on genes of model plants and plants used in agriculture. In animals and humans, research is focused on genetical structure of populations, molecular diagnosis of prenatal and postnatal pathogenic situations, genetics of tumors, study of signalling processes connected with deregulation of proliferation, differentiation and programmed cell death in tumor cells and detection of genetical factors associated with certain polygenic diseases. Students are free to perform independent research in well-equipped laboratories and experienced supervisors are nominated to guide them in this effort. Students are continuously confronted with progress in the field by discussions in regular laboratory meetings, institutional seminars or conferences. Students successfully presenting their results in conferences or written articles can be awarded by special scholarships for excellent representation of the Deparmtent of Experimental Biology and following activities:
1. Successfull presentation record resulting from reaching aims of Ph.D. thesis projects, such as:
- papers in international journals or chapters in monographies, considering ranking of the journal (IF, Q), placings of the student among co-authors, number of co-authors, proportion of the student efforts on the published results.
- presentation of the results on conferencies, considering placings of the student amnog co-authors, number of co-authors, proportion of the student efforts on the published results and the type of the conference (international or domestic).
The scholarship can be used for partial covering of travel/accomodation expenses or conference fees.
The essential condition for awarding the scholarship is correct affiliation of the presentations (both papers and conference abstracts) to the Deparment of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University.
2. Participation in teaching younger students of Master programmes how to perform experimental methods and interprete the results obtained.
3. Participation in grant projects. Long-lasting participation and significant contribution to accomplishing the projects aims can be awarded by getting part-time job or contract for certain period.
Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:
- perform independet recherche and experimental research in the fields of molecular biology, cell biology and genetics and interprete it rigorously
- write a mansucript of original research article and review article for foreign scientific journal
- present results of own work in the form of poster and lecture in scientific conference
- be well oriented with the field, including the ethical aspects and follow its trends
- actively participate in expert discussions within the field
- communicate and discuss in English
- immediately accept the position of postdoctoral position in any top foreign laboratory without necessity of other methodical, theoretical and language improvement
- supervise pregradual and high-school students
- draft research project and create competitive grant application
Occupational Profiles of Graduates
Graduates find positions in various research institutes, universities, hospitals and other medical facilities and laboratories oriented to virology, microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology, pathology, etc. They are ready to perform independent research, draft scientific projects, create grant applications, design experimental work itself, interprete results rigorously and present them in oral as well as written forms. They are also educated to act as teachers. Graduates from this program are sought-after by employers and many of them currently work on positions of leading researchers, university teachers, top managers and directors in various research and education institutions in Brno, Prague, Ostrava, České Budějovice, Olomouc, etc. Many graduates leaves for postdoctoral stays abroad, especially to west-european countries, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia. They often become highly-appreciated members of research teams there.
Practical Training
The students who are interested in applied research can collaborate with companies as Repromeda (assisted reproduction), MB Pharma (devising phage preparations) or to participate in grant projects funded by TACR leading to applied outcomes. We aim to further support contractual research with applied potential, search for suitable partners and provide them with option to collaborate with students interested in this kind of research.
Goals of Theses
Student has to make a choice which of the two forms of the PhD. thesis described below he/she prefers and indicate it in the application form for the PhD. thesis defense:
A) Full-text PhD. thesis
- contains comprehensive description of the PhD. thesis theme
- obligatorily contains chapters entitled Introduction, State of Art, Aims, Material and Methods , Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Literature (Results and Discussion chapters cannot be joined together)
- research articles are not part of PhD. thesis, but list of these publications has to be included in the thesis book
- all presented experimental data have to be described in the Results chapter
- the PhD. thesis book is required to contain at least 80 pages of text (not including the list of literature) with standard formatting: Times New Roman 12b. or equivalent, 1.5 spacing
B) Commented publications
- comprehensive collection of at least three original research articles with declared autorship of student and with content overlapping the theme of PhD. thesis; the review articles can also be part of the collection, but these articles cannot be included in the limit of three 3 papers
- obligatorily contains chapters entitled Introduction, State of art, Aims, Results and discussion, Conclusion, Literature (results and discussion parts are obligatorily joined to one chapter aiming to present the results obtained in context of published results – references to specific paper have to be added also to the results themselves)
- the chapter Material and Methods is not required, since it should be described sufficiently in the commented papers
- only published articles or manuscripts accepted to publication with letter of acceptance can be included
- student has to indicate the extent of his/her authorship (in percent) effort for each commented publication and submit on independent confirmation of percentual authorship efforts for all authors signed by his/her supervisor and corresponding author
- the list of his/her papers and presentations at conferences
- the PhD. thesis book of this type is required to contain about 30-40 pages of text (not including the list of literature and the supplement of papers ) with standard formatting: Times New Roman 12b. or equivalent,1.5 spacing.

To submit the PhD. thesis to defense, the student has to show that at least part of the results obtained was published (or accepted for publication) in international renowned scientific journal with impact factor, that is ranked above the field median, where the student is the first author. Alternatively, two articles (at least one of them with the first authorship) in scientific journals with impact factor exceeding 1 regardless the field median have to be published minimally. If multiple authors participate in the articles submitted as a part of Ph.D thesis, proportion of the student effort has to be declared in each of them. The paper in international renowned journal cannot be substituted by any other forms of presentation, such as abstracts, presentation in conferences, congresses, etc.