The uncertain existence of the Academy is what I mainly recall

This was a comment during an interview with Professor Václav Pačes, a renowned Czech biochemist, for a feature article in this issue. The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) has been observing the 20th anniversary of its inception, of which this is a part. Professor Pačes was President of the Academy (2005–2009) and also of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic (2010–2012). His scientific speciality is genomics. His research group was among the first to completely sequence a genome, namely, the DNA of a bacterial virus. In addition, he discovered a specific enzyme involved in the catabolism of the plant hormone cytokinine. He co-authored of the first Czech synthetic gene (the precursor of the neurotransmitter enkefaline).