Department history
Biochemistry is one of the oldest disciplines at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. The first biochemical institute was established in 1948 as part of the Chemistry department under prof. Vladimír Morávek, the first Czech professor of biochemistry. The institute was formally constituted in 1950, and on 1 September 1962, under doc. Ladislav Skurský (pictured far right), it separated from the Department of Organic Chemistry to become an independent Department of Biochemistry. Since 2006, the unit has borne its current name, the Department of Biochemistry.
Over the years, the department has been led by prof. Vladimír Morávek, doc. Ladislav Skurský, prof. Lumír Macholán, prof. Vladimír Dadák, doc. Petr Zbořil, prof. Vladimír Mikeš, doc. Martin Mandl, doc. Petr Skládal and, since 2025, doc. Jan Lochman.
doc. Mgr. Jan Lochman, Ph.D.
The current director since 2025. Guarantor of the bachelor's degree programme Biochemistry and the head of the Molecular pathology research group.
doc. RNDr. Petr Skládal, CSc.
Director from 2019 to 2025. Head of the Biosensors group; works on electrochemical methods, AFM and biosensors.
doc. Ing. Martin Mandl, CSc.
Director from 2007 to 2019. Researching chemolithotrophic microorganisms and bioleaching. Guarantor of the Biotechnology programme.
prof. RNDr. Vladimír Mikeš, CSc.
Director from 1997 to 2007. Worked on fungi as plant pathogens and researched nitrogen metabolism in microorganisms.
doc. RNDr. Petr Zbořil, CSc.
Director from 1990 to 1997. Worked with Keilin-Hartree heart muscle mitochondria preparation.
prof. RNDr. Vladimír Dadák, DrSc.
Director from 1973 to 1990. Researched natural antibiotics, respiration decouplers, ATP production, oxidative phosphorylation and coumarin derivative ostruthin.
prof. RNDr. Lumír Macholán, DrSc.
Acting director from 1968 to 1969. Worked on amino-keto acid synthesis and enzyme kinetics of diamine oxidase. Researched biogenesis of alkaloids. Also published in entomology.
prof. RNDr. Ladislav Skurský, CSc.
Director from 1962 to 1973. Worked on amino-keto acid synthesis, derivatives of ornithine and lysine. Researched alkaloid synthesis and alcoholdehydrogenase.
prof. RNDr. et PhMr. Vladimír Morávek
The founder of the Department of Biochemistry and the first Czech professor of biochemistry. Director from 1950 to 1962. Researched serum composition changes as indicators of neoplasia.
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2026
Michaela Dzurov Krafčíková joins and founds the Biomolecular Structure in Cellular Communication research group.
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2021
Our first foreign assistant professor Hans-Heiner Gorris.
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2020
The Biotechnology follow-up master's degree program opened
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2019
The department gained two new assistant professors Kateřina Dadáková, and Zdeněk Farka.
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2012–2014
Network BiochemNet for cooperation in biomedical research was established.
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2007
The department moves into its new building C05 at University Campus Bohunice.
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1988
Martin Mandl leaves Bratislava and joins the department with research into chemolithotrophic microorganisms.
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1981
Igor Kučera joins the department.
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1974
The department gains another scientist, Vladimír Mikeš.
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1964
Petr Zbořil joins the department as assistant professor.
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1962
The department separates from the Department of Organic chemistry and becomes a standalone institution under the directorship of Ladislav Skurský on 1st of September 1962.
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1952–1954
Ladislav Skurský, Vladimír Dadák and Lumír Macholán join the department.
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1950
The Department of Biochemistry is formally founded by prof. Vladimír Morávek.