Once again, the traditional meeting of biochemists and molecular biologists took place in Brno. The conference included, of course, a section of youth where PhD students are refining their data presentation skills.
For the twenty-third time, the regular Meeting of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists took place in Brno on November 12–13, 2024. The conference was held in the conference facilities of the Continental Hotel and was attended by more than a hundred scientists and students from Czech and Slovak institutions. Organized in cooperation with the National Centre for Biomolecular Research, the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University, and the Czech Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the conference provides a unique platform for anyone interested in biochemistry and molecular biology. Participants have the opportunity to meet, share their knowledge, and discuss current topics, new methods, or technologies in the field.
The conference is also an excellent opportunity for students, PhD candidates, and young researchers to present their projects and receive valuable feedback from more experienced colleagues. As part of the so-called Young Section, students are required to present their contributions in English and can participate in a competition for the best presentation. The quality of student contributions is so high that the evaluation committee often struggles to select only the top three. The jury primarily assessed the ability of young researchers to convey the key aspects of their research, explain why their topic is meaningful, and justify its importance. This year, four presenters advanced to the final decision, and the committee ultimately ranked them as follows:
First place was awarded to Kristýna Lipovská from the Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, for her lecture titled “Testing components of the CRISPR/Cas system for genetic manipulation of thermophilic bacteria of the genus Caldimonas”. Second place went to Martin Kopecký from the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, for his talk “Sensitive detection of low‐abundance biomarkers with upconversion‐based dot blot immunoassay”. Third place was secured by Praveenkumar Rengaraj from the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) at Masaryk University, with his presentation “Tackling the molecular function of human RNA demethylase ALKBH5”. An honorable mention and the symbolic “potato medal” (fourth place) was awarded to Sepideh Mohammadi Koubjari from the same institution for her presentation “Targeting cMyc mRNA 3‘UTR with small molecules: a novel approach to modulate RNA‐protein interactions and expression”.
The Meeting of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (BMB) also included moderated poster sessions, expertly led by Assoc. Prof. Petr Beneš, Dr. Lenka Malinovská, and Dr. Josef Houser. Poster authors were tasked with briefly presenting (ideally within 1-2 minutes) their research, followed by a lively discussion and audience questions. All conference participants had the opportunity to vote for the best-presented and most interesting posters. The audience was most captivated by Martina Rievajová from the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, with her poster “Novel C‐type lectin from Ixodes ricinus: a three‐domain mystery”, which featured crocheted red blood cells and a tick. Second place went to Tereza Buráňová from the National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, MU, for her poster “Solving the mysteries of novel two‐domain lectins”. The third place was awarded to Pavel Špaček from the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, MU, for his contribution “Conjugates of photon‐upconversion nanoparticles with antibodies for immunochemical detection of tumor biomarkers”.
Additional authors recognized for their outstanding posters (without specific ranking) included:
A special award for an excellent poster presentation and courage was given to high school student Mikuláš Ladin from Gymnázium Nad Štolou in Prague. He presented research conducted at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry with his project titled “How is the pho15 gene transcribed in pathogenic yeasts Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis?”.
In conclusion, we would like to thank all participants of the 24th Meeting of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists for their inspiring contributions and for fostering the friendly and stimulating atmosphere that accompanies this event. A special thanks also go to the evaluation committee for their thorough and diligent work, the staff of the Continental Hotel for their hospitality and support in ensuring the smooth running of the conference, and last but not least, to all partners and companies whose support made this large-scale event possible.
On behalf of the organizers, we would like to invite you to the next edition of this already traditional event. The upcoming 24th Meeting of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists will once again be held at the Continental Hotel in Brno on November 11–12, 2025.
Further details about both the past and upcoming conferences can be found on the BMB Meeting website.
An amendment to the Higher Education Act improves conditions for doctoral studies. The main changes concern the income and status of doctoral students. Luděk Bláha, Vice Dean for Doctoral Studies at SCI MUNI, describes how our Faculty is preparing for the changes.
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