Phycology Research Group, Prague

06/03/2026

My děkujeme za krásného průvodce (Studentův průvodce kapkou vody). Povědomí o něm by se mělo šířit dál :)

🌿 Pokroky v biologii: Řasy a fotosyntetizující protista

Děkujeme Jana Kulichová z Phycology Research Group, Prague za milá slova o našem Studentově průvodci kapkou vody v rámci přednáškového cyklu Pokroky v biologii 💚

Velmi si vážíme toho, že naše práce zaujala i přední české fykology.

Celou přednášku si můžete pustit zde 👉
https://youtu.be/4Yfr87yiWFU?si=hog847rjyMlJvnsJ

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🌿 Advances in Biology: Algae and Photosynthetic Protists

Many thanks to Jana Kulichová from the Phycology Research Group, Prague for her kind words about our Student’s Guide to a Drop of Water during the lecture series Advances in Biology 💚

We truly appreciate that our work has caught the attention of leading Czech phycologists.

You can watch the full lecture here 👉
https://youtu.be/4Yfr87yiWFU?si=hog847rjyMlJvnsJ

30/12/2025

Happy new year :) full of beautiful algae
Photo by: Jenda Špička

18/11/2025

Začátek listopadu strávilo několik z nás na sluncem zalité Sicílii a Stromboli. Hlavním cílem výpravy však nebylo chytání broznu, ale studium dynamiky lišejníkové symbiózy na lávových polích. Nakonec se nám podařilo skloubit nejen sběry pro celkem tři lišejníkové projekty, ale dokonce získat i kmeny sladkovodních řas zlativek. Název zapůjčeného auta Symbioz, které na výjezdu hrálo zásadní roli, tak náhodou krásně vystihl ústřední motiv nesoucí se celou výpravou.

At the beginning of November, a few of us spent several days on sun-drenched Sicily and Stromboli. The main goal of the trip, however, wasn’t sunbathing, but studying the dynamics of lichen symbiosis on the volcanic lava fields. In the end, we managed to combine fieldwork for three different lichen projects and even obtained fresh strains of chrysophyte algae. The name of our rented car, Symbioz, which played a crucial role throughout the trip, turned out - quite by accident - to perfectly capture the central theme that carried through the entire expedition.

29/10/2025

IAP 2025
After the ČAS conference, some of us took part in the IAP Conference in Frymburk. In addition to the scientific presentations, we also enjoyed the accompanying program – a trip to Lake Olšina, a visit to Český Krumlov, and a boat ride on the Lipno Dam. We had a great time and made some new scientific friends :).

24/10/2025

Our latest article is out! 🎉

Understanding how lichens form and develop is key to uncovering the mechanisms behind their complex symbiotic relationships. In our new study, we explored how lichen age affects the diversity of photobiont partners using Protoparmeliopsis muralis as a model species.

🔍 We found that older lichens host a greater diversity of photobionts, suggesting they retain multiple algal partners over time — possibly as an adaptation to shifting environmental conditions. Interestingly, some samples contained only low levels of Trebouxia, showing that P. muralis may adjust its symbiotic associations based on local environments.

Check out the full paper here 👇
🔗 [https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaf096]

23/10/2025

Happy to share our new paper on Synurales from Florida - adding a fresh piece to the puzzle of silica-ornamented algal diversity and evolution! One of the newly described species even made it to the cover of the issue.😊
https://1url.cz/

22/10/2025

Slunce, moře a věda – Kurz mořské algologie v Piranu (8-14.9.2025) opět nezklamal!
Šnorchlování, plavání mezi blikajícími obrněnkami, společné pozorování makrořas i mikrořas a soutěž o nejlépe vypracované projekty – radost z poznávání podmořského světa a neopakovatelná přátelská atmosféra.

Sun, sea, and science –
The marine algology course in Piran (September 8–14.9. 2025) did not disappoint!
Snorkeling, swimming among flashing dinoflagellates, observing macroalgae and microalgae together, and a competition for the best projects – the joy of discovering the underwater world and an unforgettable friendly atmosphere :)

20/10/2025

Hledáte téma bakalářky a chcete se porozhlídnout jak to chodí na katedře botaniky ?:)
Navštivte schůzky, které pořádají jednotlivá oddělení.

A kdyby vás zajímalo něco o algologii nebo protistologii a schůzku jste nestíhali můžete klidně napsat i sem do sz 😉

17/10/2025

Our latest study found that the widespread terrestrial diatom Pinnularia borealis has a remarkably stable proportion of perforated and unperforated surface areas across a wide range of cell sizes. Approximately 50% of the valve surface is made up of striae, which appears to be a morphological 'sweet spot' that enables P. borealis to manage both nutrient uptake and water retention — a key challenge outside aquatic habitats. By linking detailed morphometric data with functional interpretation, we demonstrate how structural traits such as valve perforations may represent adaptive compromises shaped by ecological and evolutionary pressures.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2563491

12/09/2025

Thanks to the Phycology lab at jcu.cz for organising this meeting :) See you in 6 weeks in Chantransia ;)

Wow, the 66th Meeting of the Czech Phycological Society was awesome 🤩 THANK YOU ALL, YOU ARE AWESOME! 😍

Now we need to recover a bit. Before we post all the photos, we'll share one with you. Isn't it beautiful?

05/09/2025

Just published! Our new study reveals how phytoplankton communities can shift dramatically within mere days - driven by grazers like Cladocera and environmental factors such as silica concentration and wind speed.

To put it in perspective: imagine walking through a forest and seeing every tree vanish overnight due to a gust of wind. Or picture every small bird disappearing from a meadow because a hawk population suddenly spiked. That’s the scale and speed of change we observed - except it’s happening invisibly, underwater, and at the microbial level. 🙂

https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70534