NCBR (National Centre for Biomolecular Research)

The National Centre for Biomolecular Research (NCBR) is a department at the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University in Brno. Our research centre is located in the modern premises of the University Campus Bohunice, with the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and the Faculty of Medicine. This unique synergy and state-of-the-art equipment allows us to conduct cutting-edge research in the fields of bio-omics and structural biology. Our research integrates experimental techniques with computer simulations and bioinformatic analyses. At the Centre, we support talented students at all levels of study (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral), including mentoring secondary school students in Students` Professional Activity (SPA) projects.

Upcoming events

8 Jan 2025

DDT Yewubnesh Seifu Wendimu

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

You are very welcome to the defense of dizertation thesis of our collegue Yewubnesh Seifu Wendimu, DSP Life Sciences. Topic of her thesis is Biochemical and structural insights into PIN-mediated auxin transport

21–23 Jan 2025

Gaudeamus Praha 2025

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Like every year, we will participate in the European Fair for Post-Secondary and Lifelong Learning. You will find us on 21-23 January 2025 at PVA EXPO Prague. Come and talk to us about study opportunities at MUNI. We will be happy to answer all your questions!

25 Jan 2025

Open Day at the Faculty of Science MUNI

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

The Faculty of Science of Masaryk University cordially invites those interested in studying in the academic year 2025/2026 to an open day, which will take place on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

6 Feb 2025

From the lives of women scientists

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

An informal and friendly meeting organized under the auspices of the IUPAC Global Women's Breakfast. This meeting is one of many that take place around the world to promote equal opportunities.

13 Mar 2025

Illuminating The Beginning Of Life (Seminar Series, Mendel lectures)- Melinda Schuh

5:00 PM

Melina Schuh is a Director at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, Germany, where she leads the Department of Meiosis.

3 Apr 2025

Gaining Insight Into Pre-mRNA Splicing By The Spliceosome (Seminar Series, Mendel lectures)- REINHARD LÜHRMANN

5:00 PM

Reinhard Lührmann has led pioneering studies to determine the composition, function and architecture of the spliceosome, the mega-Dalton RNP machine that catalyses pre-mRNA splicing. His work has, over several decades, revealed how the main building blocks of the spliceosome, the snRNPs, together with numerous auxiliary factors, assemble dynamically onto a nascent pre-mRNA molecule to generate a catalytically active machine. A major concept that emerged from this work is that the spliceosome's RNP structure undergoes continual remodelling during the splicing cycle, with dramatic exchanges of proteins occurring at multiple intermediate assembly stages of the splicing process. Lührmann’s discoveries in the field of pre‐mRNA splicing have provided foundational knowledge for understanding both splicing regulation, a process that is essential for human cellular function, and the mis-regulation of splicing, which contributes to numerous human diseases.

24 Apr 2025

The Enemy Within - How Does The Immune System Sense DNA As A Danger Signal? (Seminar Series, Mendel lectures)- ZHIJIAN ‘JAMES’ CHEN

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Zhijian ‘‘James’’ Chen is an Investigator of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He is also Director of Inflammation Research Center and George L. MacGregor Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science at UT Southwestern. Prior to moving to Dallas, Chen was a senior scientist at ProScript Inc. where he helped discover the proteasome inhibitor VELCADE, a medicine used for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

15 May 2025

Centrophilic Retrotransposons in Eukaryotic Genomes (Seminar Series, Mendel lectures]- IAN HANDERSON

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Centromeres are critical for cell division, loading CENH3/CENPA histone variant nucleosomes, directing kinetochore formation, and allowing chromosome segregation. Despite their conserved function, centromere size and structure are diverse across species, termed the ‘centromere paradox’. However, the mechanisms of centromeric sequence change, and the evolutionary drivers are unclear. We have assembled the Arabidopsis thaliana pancentromere, which has revealed extreme intraspecies diversity, where the satellite repeats have undergone extensive recombination and concerted evolution.

News

17 Dec

Masaryk University awarded its best scientists

On 11 December, 37 scientists or research groups received the MUNI Scientist Award for outstanding achievements, publications in prestigious journals or publishing houses and outstanding research results.

The aim of the award, given by the internal Grant Agency of Masaryk University (GAMU), is to strengthen the motivation of the university's scientists and to spread the university's reputation in the scientific community and in the public. The award ceremony was attended by 43 researchers and teams in person in the atrium of the CEITEC MU Institute.

26 Nov

Our colleague Martina Pokorná left us after a long and difficult illness.

Our colleague Martina Pokorná left us after a long and difficult illness. Our graduate, who worked at CEITEC MU since 2012 in the role of Deputy Director for Administration and then briefly as Deputy Director for Human Resources. Martina has contributed to the close cooperation between the Faculty of Science and CEITEC MU.

7 Nov

Award for Excellence in Doctoral Studies

On 7 November 2024, Ondřej Schindler from the Structural Bioinformatics group received the Masaryk University Vice-Rector's Award for Excellence in Doctoral Studies.

22 Oct

Night of Scientists 2024 attracted visitors on the theme of Transformations

The transformations taking place in science and mathematics attracted more than 4,500 visitors. More than 200 enthusiastic naturalists, scientists, teachers and students set up a total of 62 stations at both MUNI SCI campuses on 27 September 2024.

TIP

24 Sep

New Bachelor's degree programme Bioinformatics

Masaryk University has accredited a new study programme Bioinformatics in cooperation between the Faculty of Informatics and the Faculty of Science.

26 Jul

Intensive Summer School: Multiscale Modelling Methods

The National Centre for Biomolecular Research, in collaboration with CEITEC and the Centre for International Cooperation, organized the second year of the intensive two-week summer school, focusing on edge computer simulation techniques at various scales from atomic to coarse-grained simulations covering topics from supramolecular chemistry towards structural biology. The course was attended by 15 students, twelve from abroad and three selected from Masaryk University.

25 Jul

The DAREG project is completed

Our colleagues Tomáš Raček, Tomáš Svoboda and Adrián Rošinec recently completed a project named „Portálové řešení pro správu a zpracování life-science datových sad a jejich metadat ukládaných v systému Onedata“.

TIP

18 Jun

Rector Bareš handed over habilitation certificates to new associate professors

New Associate Professors from Masaryk University and other research institutions and universities received their appointment decrees. Among them were also scientists working at the Faculty of Science, namely Petra Procházková Schrumpfová, who conducts her research in the Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics led by Prof. Jiří Fajkus, and is strongly involved in teaching and supervising of students at NCBR. Congratulations!