About the group

The Hof Fluorescence Group is a part of the Biophysical Chemistry Department at the Jaroslav Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR). We are interested in the development of new fluorescence methods and their application in the research of structure, functionality and dynamics of biomembranes and proteins; single molecule spectroscopy in biological systems, dynamics characterization in model and biomembranes on the picosecond to millisecond time scale; characterisation of DNA condensation processes relevant to gene therapy; advanced in vivo fluorescence microscopy

Our research focuses on the development of novel fluorescence techniques and their applications in biophysics and biology. The group succeeded to develop and apply several novel fluorescence techniques including the fluorescence solvent relaxation technique, z-scan Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy (FLCS), Fluorescence Spectral Correlation Spectroscopy (FSCS) and Dynamic Saturation Optical Microscopy (DSOM). Moreover, the group implemented cutting edge fluorescence techniques (e.g. raster image correlation spectroscopy (RICS), photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM), cross correlation Number & Brightness analysis) and further improved such already existing techniques (fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM/FRET) for quantitative size determination of nanodomains, fluorescence antibunching for membrane-associated aggregation phenomena, and 2-foci FCS).

Applications of those techniques are connected with running/recent grants, like e.g.: The role of hydrophobic plasma membrane interior in DOR regulation of trimeric G protein activity (ends 2016); Exploring the structure function relationship of membrane-pore-forming FGF2 oligomers - a single molecule approach (2016); Membrane interactions of proteins associated with alzheimer's disease and parkinson's disease implications for diseases' pathologies and therapeutic avenue (2015); Molecular level physiology and pathology of oxidized phospholipids (ended 2012); Specific ion effects for proteins in solution and related biologically relevant systems (2012).

Following milestones in the development of the group may be defined: The group history starts in 2000. As a starting investment the JH-Institute bought a basic FCS Microscope (Zeiss).

*In 2001 the lab was extended by additional rooms and equipment (mainly, TCSPC and steady state fluorimeters (Horiba JY). The confocal microscope was extended for Fluorescence Lifetime FCS. The growth of the laboratory was heavily supported by the home institute as well as by Czech science foundations.

*In 2005 The Academy of Sciences financed the built up of a Time Resolved Single Molecule Sensitive Confocal Fluorescence Microscope (PicoQuant, Olympus) and the group became part of the newly founded Department of Biophysical Chemistry.

*In 2006 the group became the coordinator of the National Research Centre "Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy in Biological and Medical Sciences" that is financed by the Ministry of Education.

*In 2011 the group was awarded by the PRAEMIUM ACADEMIAE by The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, ensuring the further dynamic development of the group.

The group is closely associated with group guided by Marek Cebecauer sharing similar topics: investigating membrane organization, interactions of biologically relevant molecules with biomembranes, and relating proteins' structure to their function.