Department of Chemical Biology (DCB) was established in 2021 and is an interdisciplinary department whose members focus primarily on chemical biology, the synthesis and isolation of new derivatives of natural compounds, the study of their biological effects, and the applicability of these derivatives in plant treatment, as well as in interactions with human cells (e.g., in cosmetics and medicine).
Members of the department regularly publish in prestigious scientific journals and are also inventors of numerous patents in the Czech Republic and worldwide.
In collaboration with both domestic and international institutions, further studies on the biological properties of these derivatives are being conducted, including the assessment of antioxidant, anti-senescence, antimicrobial, and antiviral activity.
The department is dedicated to comprehensive plant chemical biology, particularly the regulation of plant growth and protection against biotic and abiotic stress, which is especially relevant in the context of ongoing climate change. Members of the department are part of leading research grant teams funded by the OP JAK program or the TA CR Centre of Excellence.
The department plays a significant role in both theoretical and practical teaching within the study programs Experimental Biology and Experimental Plant Biology, as well as other related biology- and chemistry-oriented programs, at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.