Molecular Physiology
The Molecular Physiology group comprises two laboratories: the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Molecular Psychiatry, which studies the pathogenesis of multifactorial human diseases with regard to their molecular basis and the possibility of predicting their development, and the DNA Diagnostics Laboratory, which develops diagnostic methods for the detection of viral and bacterial agents relevant to human and veterinary medicine.
prof. RNDr. Omar Šerý, Ph.D.
Group leader
Prof. Šerý obtained scientific degrees in animal physiology and developmental biology, and in animal physiology. He was appointed Professor in 2017 in the field of Genetics and Molecular Biology. He has been active at the Faculty of Science, MUNI since 1998. In 2000, he founded the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Molecular Psychiatry, which he leads, and later also founded the DNA Diagnostics Laboratory at the Faculty of Science, MU. He completed research stays abroad in France (1999 and 2000) and Australia (2016). Prof. Šerý conducts research in neuroscience, particularly on the molecular basis of psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, ADHD, alcoholism and schizophrenia. He also studies the negative effects of environmental factors (stress, nanoparticles, etc.) on model organisms, develops diagnostic methods for detecting bacterial and viral agents, and works in human and veterinary microbiology.
Research topics
Our laboratory addresses a broad range of interconnected research topics underpinned by a common methodological foundation based on DNA diagnostics. We collaborate with a wide variety of institutions, including hospitals, institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, universities and private companies.
One of the main pillars of our laboratory is research into the molecular basis of multifactorial diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, age-related macular degeneration, coeliac disease, tooth agenesis and others. In studying these and other diseases, we investigate various genes that may increase the risk of a given disease and contribute to its development. The pathogenesis of some diseases, such as psychiatric disorders, develops over many years before the disease itself manifests. Knowledge gained from studying genes involved in the pathogenesis of a particular disease helps us better understand its pathophysiology and may be used to predict its development and to develop specific therapeutic approaches.
Molecular genetic approaches used in research on hereditary diseases are also applied in our laboratory to archaeogenetics (analysis of human and animal skeletal remains), forensic genetics (identification of individuals, including the preparation of expert reports for court proceedings), and medical and veterinary microbiology (diseases transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, urogenital tract infections, respiratory infections, zoonoses, etc.). In the latter area, our aim is not only to develop detection methods and subsequently identify pathogenic agents in human and veterinary samples, but also, for example, to study the distribution of pathogens in the host organism, their interaction with cells, susceptibility to antimicrobial agents (synthetic and natural), and their occurrence in the external environment (water, air). Knowledge obtained by combining these approaches can be used for rapid and targeted pathogen detection and may help reduce viral/bacterial load in the environment or enable timely and effective treatment.
Methodological approaches
- Basic molecular biology techniques (DNA/RNA isolation, PCR, qPCR, RT-qPCR, western blot)
- MOL-PCR and MAGPIX analysis
- Sequencing and fragment analysis, preparation of NGS libraries
- Microscopy techniques (fluorescence and electron microscopy)
- Microbiological approaches (cultivation, determination of susceptibility to antimicrobial agents)
Group members
- Mgr. Radka Dziedzinská, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Petr Králík, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Petra Vašíčková, Ph.D.
- Doc. Mgr. Tomáš Zeman, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Markéta Raclavská
Doctoral students: Kessler, Markéta, Mgr., Kamila Vrzalová, Ing.
International and domestic collaboration
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Australia (Prof. Balcar)
- Faculté des Sciences de la Vie, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France (Prof. Khan)
- Medizinischen Universität Graz, Austria (Prof. Goswami)
- Department of Neurology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital (Prof. Hort)
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital (Prof. Sheardová)
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Masaryk University Brno and St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno (MUDr. Vojtíšek)
Recent publications
A pilot study: Exploring the influence of COVID-19 on cardiovascular physiology and retinal microcirculation
SALOŇ Adam, NESHEV Ruslan, TERAŽ Jak,a ŠIMUNIČ Boštjan, PESKAR Manca, MARUŠIČ Uroš, PIŠOT Saša, ŠLOSAR Luka, GASPARINI Mladen, PIŠOT Rado, DE BOEVER Patrick, SCHMID-ZALAUDEK Karin, STEUBER Bianca, FREDRIKSEN Per Morten, NKEH-CHUNGAG Benedicta Ngwenchi, SOURIJ Harald, ŠERÝ Omar, GOSWAMI Nandu
Microvascular Research, year: 2023, volume: 150, issue: November
Association between polymorphism rs2421943 of the insulin-degrading enzyme and schizophrenia: Preliminary report
AMBROZOVÁ Laura, ZEMAN Tomáš, JANOUT Vladimír, JANOUTOVÁ Jana, LOCHMAN Jan, ŠERÝ Omar
Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis, year: 2023, volume: 37, issue: 13-14
Killing two birds with one stone: How exercise combats obesity through calorie burning and inhibited high-fat food cravings
ŠERÝ Omar
ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, year: 2023, volume: 2023, issue: 4
Retinal venular vessel diameters are smaller during ten days of bed rest
SALON Adam, CIFTCI Goektug Mert, ZUBAC Damir, SIMUNIC Bostjan, PISOT Rado, NARICI Marco, FREDRIKSEN Per Morten, NKEH-CHUNGAG Benedicta Ngwenchi, SOURIJ Harald, ŠERÝ Omar, SCHMID-ZALAUDEK Karin, STEUBER Bianca, PATRICK De Boever, GOSWAMI Nandu
Nature Scientific Reports, year: 2023, volume: 13, issue: 1
Substantial decrease in SARS-CoV-2 RNA after fixation of cadavers intended for anatomical dissection
VYMAZALOVÁ Kateřina, ŠERÝ Omar, KRÁLÍK Petr, DZIEDZINSKÁ Radka, MUSILOVÁ Zuzana, FRIŠHONS Jan, VOJTÍŠEK Tomáš, JOUKAL Marek
Anatomical Science International, year: 2023, volume: 98, issue: 3
A list of all publications is available on the MUNI website.