PhD students

MSc, Bsc (Hons) Peter Špaček

plantpeter@mail.muni.cz

I come from the picturesque spa town Piešťany in western Slovakia. For my Bachelor's with Honours, I left for the prestigious University of Glasgow in Scotland. My thesis there investigated the molecular basis for a prospective leishmaniasis vaccine, earning me a degree in Medical Microbiology with the focus on parasitology. I've focused heavily on drug development and design.

I followed that up with my Master's at the University of Vienna, Austria, adapting the live-FISH method for rare soil bacteria in an effort to optimize pharmacognostic pipelines. There, I was supervised by Dr. B. Kralova, whose research I've worked on as a technician for 2 years, eventually I followed it to Brno. Here, my PhD at the Pharmaceutical faculty of Masaryk University explores the diversity of secondary metabolites produced by antarctic extremophiles. Particularly, my focus is the extraction and identification of pharmaceutically relevant bioactive compounds, such as antibiotics, antifungals, anti-cancer compounds etc.

Excluding science, I cultivate 37 other hobbies. My most favourite being supermacro nature photography and analog medium format photography, hiking and bushcraft (I basically live in the forest), audiophilia, guitar, growing my massive collection of endangered cacti, orchids, and other plants, as well as various collections, to name a few. I'm interested in almost any topic I come across, whether it's high philosophy or today's weather. My favourite motto would be: "Order is not the absence of chaos, but mastery within it"

Mgr. Katarína Brugošová

xbrugoso@mendelu.cz

I come from a small snowy city in the heart of Slovakia. Driven by my keen interest in oral pathogenic bacteria, I dedicated my bachelor's thesis to analyzing horizontal gene transfer among periodontitic bacterial strains. During my master's studies, I shifted focus to the growing concern of antimicrobial resistance, working on the development of novel bioactive peptidomimetics known as LEGO-lipophosphonoxins.

After graduating from Charles University, my scientific journey took a new direction when I moved to Brno. There, I began exploring the immense potential of extremophilic psychrophilic bacteria originating from pristine Antarctic environments, under the mentorship of Dr. Stanislava Bezdicek Kralova. My research is centered around the natural products of these bacteria, which will be used to gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of these compounds in comparison to their non-polar counterparts. Additionally, I am working on the basic characterization of these compounds, with the aim of highlighting their bioactive roles and potential therapeutic applications.

Outside of my scientific pursuits, I am an avid adventurer with a passion for high-altitude mountain climbing. The next challenge on my horizon is Mount Elbrus. I also train for long-distance running competitions such as Prague marathon and, one day, I hope to travel the world, exploring new places and learning about the new cultures along the way. My motto is: "With enough courage, any dream can become reality."

Master Students

Bc. Karolína Mikulenková

583293@mail.muni.cz

Science and Antarctic research have fascinated me since my early education, which naturally led me to pursue studies in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry of Organisms at Charles University. During my studies, I completed my bachelor's thesis at the Czech Academy of Sciences, focusing on the structural and functional aspects of the adenylate cyclase toxin produced by Bordetella pertussis.

Over the years, I have closely followed the research conducted by Dr. Bezdíček Králová, and after obtaining my bachelor's degree, I joined her research group. Under her supervision, I am currently working on my master's thesis, which aims to explore and clarify the biosynthetic potential of secondary metabolites from extremophiles isolated from Antarctica. My tasks, in addition to working on my thesis, include molecular processing of the team's samples.

Science shows me how fragile, diverse and beautiful the world is, but also how tough and unstoppable it can be. For me, science is like the mountains I climb – challenging and humbling, yet deeply rewarding. It pushes my boundaries, offers perspective and inspiration. Outside the lab, I am adventure climber, a lover of high-altitude hiking and long-distance trekking, a canicross running dog mom and the biggest fan of well-brewed specialty coffee.