About

Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences

The Institute of Microbiology of the CAS represents the largest scientific body extensively exploring life cycles, molecular mechanisms and regulatory systems of various microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, fungi and algae) as well as mammalian cell lines with respect to basic research questions as well as their prospective practical exploitation in medicine and industry.
The main research interests of our Institute represent cellular and molecular microbiology, genetics and physiology of microorganisms and their resistance to antibiotics, production of microbial metabolites and their biotransformation, and grading up production strains by genetic modifications etc.
Another main research direction is embodied by soil ecology, ecotoxicology and microbial degradation of organic pollutants in the natural environment. An immunological section of the Institute then studies the importance of microorganisms in phylogenetic and ontogenetic acquisition of immunity as well as during the onset of autoimmune diseases and, last but not least, it is also focused on immunotherapies of oncogenic diseases.
Institute of Microbiology of the CAS has an internationally recognized collection of basidiomycetes and its own biotechnological unit, which is mainly used to monitor microbiological and biotechnological processes at a semi-operational scale.
IM CAS has three satellite working units outside of Prague; the first of which is in Trebon (research on phototrophic microorganisms) the second is in Novy Hradek (gnotobiology) and third is in Nove Hrady (Center for Nanobiology and Structural Biology).
Despite the fact that the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS is preferentially focused on the basic research, many of its outputs find or will find practical use in pharmaceutical as well as biotechnological industry as documented by a genuine interest of a number of private companies in our scientific work.