
Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
General description
The IAPG is a multidisciplinary research institution that provides a dynamic environment with internationally recognised research in evolutionary, molecular, developmental and tumour biology. The Institute’s teams have contributed significantly to elucidating the nature of diseases of the nervous system and cancer, understanding the response of animals to past and future global warming, and exploring the basis and significance of non-Mendelian evolution. Research on animal models of human disease aims to identify new biomarkers and validate therapeutic methods.
Key Research Facilities, Infrastructure and Equipment
- Laminar flow boxes and cell incubators, centrifuges for cell and protein analyses, preparation and fluorescence microscope, equipment for protein and DNA electrophoresis and bacterial cloning, equipment for automatic cell imaging, nucleoporation, luminometry and protein purification, cryogenic storage facility, darkroom, ultracentrifuge, confocal microscope
- State-of-the-art facility for DNA and RNA research (including the PyroMark pyrosequencing platform, a DNA sequences, an automated epMotion pipetting system, computers with software for data processing and various types of data analysis, etc.)
- State-of-the-art genomic and transcriptomic approaches, protein analysis, and computational modelling.
- Infrastructure for imaging of mammalian germ cells and embryos, animal’s house.
Contact person
Contact us to know more about our location and work environment. Please use the main contact for questions related to administrative matters. Please contact the supervisors/group leaders of respective research groups regarding feasibility of your research proposal with regard to the research group activities.

Supervisors

Petr Vodička

Petr Vodička
I am the Head of the Laboratory of Applied Proteome Analysis at the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. I received PhD in Developmental Biology from Charles University in Prague, working on minipig neural stem cells and their use in research of CNS cell therapies. Later I participated in creation of a minipig transgenic model of heritable neurodegeneration, Huntington’s disease. During my postdoctoral stay at MGH/Harvard Medical School, USA (2012-2016) I focused on the role of autophagy pathway in Huntington’s disease pathogenesis. The role of proteostasis in neurodegenerative diseases remains the main research focus of my group, using the range of models from in vitro human stem cell cultures to transgenic mice and minipigs.
About the position
The Postdoctoral fellow will join the neuroproteomics group studying pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing mainly on Huntington’s disease, as well as mechanisms of neural differentiation. The model systems include in vitro cellular models (human HD induced pluripotent and neural stem cells) and various animal models, from HD mice models to unique transgenic and knock-in minipig HD models. All the key research infrastructure needed for this research is available at the institute, including LC-MS/MS systems for mass spectrometry-based proteomics, Luminex 200 for multiplex immunoassays, BD FACSAria cell sorter, Leica Stellaris and Leica SP5 confocal microscopes, and other common equipment for cell culture, biochemistry and molecular biology.
The fellow may also liaise with international collaborators in Europe and US, both in academic and private sector through international secondments.
Given the main focus of our research group, the expected outputs of the fellowship are high-level scientific publications.
The ideal candidate will have a background in neuroscience, proteomics, or bioinformatics. Experience in working with mouse models, stem cell cultures or data analysis in R is a plus.
We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic applicants, capable of working both independently and as a part of the team, with good written and oral communication skills in English.

Karel Janko

Karel Janko
I earned my PhD in Charles’ University in Prague in 2004. Ever since I conducted the research on evolution and development of organisms with asexual reproduction and/or increased ploidy levels. To achieve these goals, my laboratory (Laboratory of Non-Mendelian Evolution) employs interdisciplinary approaches combining methods of developmental biology, field zoology as well as genomics and transcriptomics.
Our international team focuses on the role of asexuality and polyploidy on the establishment of reproductive isolation mechanisms between species. In particular, we aim to understand the mechanistic links between speciation, hybrid sterility and clonal reproduction, using vertebrates as a model.

Petr Kotlík

Petr Kotlík
I completed my dissertation at the University of Montpellier in France and earned my PhD from the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris. As a postdoctoral fellow, I conducted research at the University of York in the UK, and more recently as a visiting scholar at Cornell University and the University of Oklahoma in the USA. I founded and I am the head of the Laboratory of Molecular Ecology at IAPG CAS. The lab’s international team seeks to determine the genomic and mechanistic basis of physiological traits that enable animal species to cope with climate change. Current research focuses include resistance to oxidative stress and the cross-adaptation between heat and hypoxia, as well as modeling current and future gene-climate relationships.
About the position
The Postdoctoral fellow will join the research team studying animal responses to climate change, with the ultimate goal of using information about past adaptive responses of species to predict how they might cope with climate change in the future.
Research areas include (1) identifying postglacial population history and genetic adaptations in response to climate change using large SNP datasets and genomic data, (2) identifying how differential resistance to oxidative stress mediated by hemoglobin and other physiological systems contributes to adaptation to different environmental conditions, and (3) using predictive models of future climate to assess the importance of past adaptations for future resilience. The research project will be guided by the interests of the applicant.
The available research infrastructure will allow these questions to be studied from multiple perspectives and at multiple levels, including biogeography/phylogeography, population genomics, gene-environment association, gene expression, and protein structure and function.
Dr. Kotlík’s laboratory collaborates with scientists in Europe and the U.S., and the postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity for a secondment period at a partner institution.
The ideal candidate will have a solid publication track record in peer-reviewed journals and a background in population/landscape genetics/genomics or physiology/oxidative stress biology.
We are looking for an individual who is enthusiastic, highly motivated, and willing to work both independently and as part of a team.
The location of the Institute allows living in the historic town of Mělník or in Prague.
We expect applicants of any nationality to have good written and oral communication skills in English.
Fellows

Lison Zunino

Lison Zunino
I completed my PhD in Montpellier, France, at the Genetic Improvement and Adaptation of Mediterranean and Tropical Plants (AGAP) Institute and the Diversity-Adaptation-Development of Plants Unit (UMR DIADE), where I focused on the local adaptation of wild olive trees to climate. During my PhD, I attended a congress in Prague in 2022, where I got a taste of Czech Republic science and culture, which made me want to learn more about both. The MERIT fellowship in the Czech Republic is an excellent opportunity for that, and it is my first research project since my PhD and my first experience working in a laboratory abroad.
I aim to specialize in studying how organisms adapt to global change through genomics. The Laboratory of Molecular Ecology within the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics was an ideal fit for addressing this issue.
The MERIT fellowship allows me to gain expertise in evolution and adaptation by collaborating with different field specialists. The research project aligns with ongoing research themes in the Czech Republic and contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolutionary processes of global change.
This project is significant as it could lead to the development of new methods for studying biodiversity conservation and crop species adaptation in the face of global change, both in the Czech Republic and Europe.

Vladimir Trifonov

Vladimir Trifonov
I have participated in various international projects and conducted research in several laboratories in Brazil, South Africa, China, and across Western Europe. Every experience has significantly helped me create a network of collaborations and broaden my knowledge and expertise in different fields of genetics.
The project with which I applied for a MERIT fellowship contributes further to my understanding of the evolution of polyploid fish genomes, a topic I have been involved in for the past 10 years. The results obtained from this study may have significant implications for comprehending sex determination in crucial polyploid agricultural fish species. By gaining a deeper understanding of the sex-determination mechanisms and genetic aspects of polyploid organisms, we can enhance fisheries management and conservation efforts, leading to more sustainable practices and the protection of valuable species.
The opportunity to work on this project will be a crucial step in my career, as the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a leading institution in polyploid genomics. Upon completion of the project, I plan to pursue the establishment of my own research group and apply for grant proposals to continue my scientific endeavors.