Characteristics and objectives of the study

Genomics and proteomics are interdisciplinary fields of science dealing with the study and analysis of two important functional components of biological systems - the genome, or all genetic information of a given system, and the proteome, or the set of proteins that are formed according to this information. They make use of the knowledge of biochemistry, molecular and systems biology, but also bioanalytical chemistry or other scientific disciplines. Genomics and proteomics go far beyond the fields of molecular biology, genetics and biochemistry, and therefore in-depth knowledge of other - non-biological - disciplines, especially chemistry and physics, is also very important, e.g. in the application of instrumental bioanalytical methods. Genomics and proteomics develops methods and procedures for the analysis of genomes and proteomes of various organisms, tissues, including conditions (regulation, pathology). It thus reaches into all areas of molecular and systems biology.

The specialization in Genomics and Proteomics in the Master's degree programme in Biochemistry has been developed primarily in view of the rapidly increasing amount of information and the need to combine interdisciplinary approaches in the study of living systems in the post-genomic era. In particular, we consider the approaches used by contemporary biochemistry, analytical and structural chemistry as the basis for this interdisciplinarity in the study of biological systems.

The Genomics and Proteomics specialization is therefore primarily intended for graduate students in undergraduate biochemistry, applied biochemistry, biophysics and chemistry. However, it is also open to graduates of other undergraduate programmes and specialisations who successfully pass the entrance examination. The study is focused on mastering the chemical and biological, as well as physical principles of bioanalytical procedures and methods with the aim of educating professionals who will be able to creatively apply their knowledge in bioanalytical practice to solve tasks they have not encountered during their studies.

Graduate profile

The student of the specialization will gain knowledge of genomics and proteomics and will take away information about the basic principles of the organization of genomes of various organisms, mechanisms of genetic coding, the regulation of the transfer of coded information to the resulting phenotype at various levels and the functional significance of these regulations in the development of model organisms and humans. A strong emphasis will be placed on a thorough understanding of the methods and principles of genomic and proteomic analyses (both laboratory and bioinformatic). In addition, the student will gain knowledge of elementary and advanced instrumentation (especially mass spectrometry, separation principles and methods, analysis of high throughput DNA and RNA sequences, gene expression analysis), and advanced microscopic, histological, molecular and biophysical techniques.

The aim of the specialisation in Genomics and Proteomics is to prepare experts capable of navigating the relatively broad scope of these two closely related disciplines and to enable them to use their methodological training in applications such as bioanalysis (forensic, criminal, clinical), bioinformatics, biotechnology, breeding, and other branches of applied research and development, as well as in basic research.

The acquired skills will include the design and optimization of analytical procedures for processing biological material, evaluation of the obtained data, their interpretation and presentation of results, as well as the ability to adaptively apply the acquired knowledge and skills to solve specific tasks, the ability to work with primary and secondary sources of scientific information, postulate and test hypotheses and independently plan relevant sub-scientific experiments.

Teaching will be provided by internationally renowned experts who are actively involved in scientific work and who publish in prestigious international journals. This will guarantee the timeliness of the lectures and practical exercises, which will provide students with information on the current state of scientific knowledge and technological innovations in individual areas of genomics and proteomics.

Methodological and knowledge equipment of graduates of the specialization in Genomics and Proteomics is precisely the direction in modern education, which was called for at the end of the last century by the top scientists of the then biology and whose foresight in demanding interdisciplinarity in the education of young scientists is only now being fully appreciated. It is justified to believe that this method of education will guarantee the formation of professional and intellectual background of graduates of the specialization Genomics and Proteomics, which they will be able to apply both in further scientific work and in practical application in the current, technologically highly demanding fields.

Follow-up for further study

Graduates should have the knowledge and skills to go directly into practice (e.g. precision agriculture and breeding, forensic laboratories, molecular diagnostics, food quality control, drug development, etc.) as well as for further study within doctoral programmes, especially the Genomics and Proteomics programme and the Biochemistry programme.