
Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences / BIOCEV
General description
IPHY is leading research institution in the field of normal and pathological physiology (located in the BIOCEV). The main activity of IPHYS is scientific research in physiology, namely in the study of molecular, cellular and systemic mechanisms of physiological functions and in the fields of neurophysiology and cardiovascular physiology. IPHYS is a holder of the European HR Excellence in Research Award.
Key Research Facilities, Infrastructure and Equipment
- Equipment for expression of recombinant proteins in E. coli (orbital shakers, centrifuges, sonicators, autoclaves, coldrooms, fridges and freezers)
- DNA manipulations and engineering of expression construcuts
- Protein purification (FPLC systems with columns for affinity, ionexchange, hydrophobic and size-exclusion chromatography
- X-ray crystallography (crystallization robot ArtRobbins Gryphon dropsetter, Formulatrix RI 1000 crystallisation hotel, Bruker D8 Venture diffractometer)
- Electron microscopy for preliminary sample screening (Jeol JEM 2100), mass spectrometry for HDX and crosslinking experiments (Bruker Daltonics 15TSolarix XR FT-ICR mass spectrometer)
- Genomic core for semi high throughput DNA isolation
- Cryo-electron microscopes with capacity of high-resolution data collection
- UV-VIS spectrophotometers, steady-state fluorescence spectrophotometer, DLS and a real-time PCR LightCycler 480 II (Roche Applied Science) for the protein stability measurements using DSF
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.
Your future supervisors

Veronika Obšilová

Veronika Obšilová
I obtained my Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Charles University. Then I worked as a researcher at the Analytical Dept. of the Research Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. In 2005 I received my PhD in Medical Biophysics at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. Then I worked at the Institute of Physiology, where I built my own research group focusing on protein structure and function. Since 2010, I have been the Head of the Laboratory at the Institute of Physiology, located in the detached workplace BIOCEV in Vestec. I supervise PhD students in three PhD programs at Charles University. Six PhD students have successfully defended their PhDs under my supervision. Together with T. Obšil from the Faculty of Science, Charles Univ., we collaborate on projects based on a joint laboratory.

Jiří Paleček

Jiří Paleček
I graduated from the Medical Faculty at Charles University in Prague. In my work, I concentrate on research of pain mechanisms and therapy at the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. My interest in pain research started at the University of Texas Medical Branch, USA during my stay as a visiting scientist in the years 1990-93 and 1999-2002. I am the head of the Department of Pain research at the Institute of Physiology CAS from 2002 (originally Functional morphology). The major interest of my research is to study the influence of synaptic transmission modulation at the spinal cord level on the development of pathological pain states. The goal is to find new therapeutic options for pain treatment without the unwanted side effects. The focus of my group is on the role of TRPV1 receptors and pathological neuroinflammatory changes. We use mainly electrophysiological, optogenetic, immunohistochemical and behavioral methods.

Tomáš Obšil

Tomáš Obšil
I received my MSc and PhD degrees in Physical Chemistry from Charles University in 1998. I then spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow in Fred Dyda’s group at NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA, focusing on the structural biology of 14-3-3 protein complexes. Subsequently, I returned to the Faculty of Science, Charles University, where I established the laboratory of Biophysical chemistry of protein complexes. I was appointed Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2007 and Full Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2014. Since 2018 I am the Head of the Dept. of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Charles Univ. I am the coordinator of the Physical chemistry PhD program and lecturer at the Faculty of Science, Charles Univ. I have nine successfully defended PhD students.