Institute of Parasitology

· 1976-1981: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, the Czech Republic.
Area of study: biochemistry of lectins, and their biological significance at the cellular level (supervisor Professor Jan Kocourek). Isolation and characterization of the lectins from the seeds of Vicia villosa.
· 1982: RNDr. (equivalent to M.Sc.) biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, the Czech Republic.
· 1982-1983: Research Assistant in the Laboratory of Chemical Mutagenesis at the Research Institute of Organic Syntheses, Pardubice, Czech Republic.

· 1983-1986: Ph.D. Research on the antigenic structures of mumps virus (Paramyxoviridae) with the respect to their physico-chemical, immunochemical, and biological properties thesis under the guidence of Professor Dimitrij Slonim in the Department of Preparative Virology at the Institute of Sera and Vaccines, Prague, Czech Republic
· 1986: Research Associate in the Laboratory of Arboviruses at the Institute of Parasitology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, the Czech Republic
· 1987: C.Sc. degree (equivalent to Ph.D.) in microbiology/virology. Thesis entitled "The study of antigenic structures of mumps virus and their possibilities in the practice employment" in the Institute of Microbiology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague, the Czech Republic.

· 1987: Junior research scientist in the Institute of Parasitology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice.
· 1990-1994: Secretary for Science at the Institute of Parasitology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice.
· 1991: Appointed Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Parasites at the Institute of Parasitology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice.
· 1993: Appointed assistant Professor in Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, the University of South Bohemia, Česke Budějovice, the Czech republic.
· 1994-2002: Director of the Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice.
· 1997: Appointed associated Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, the University of South Bohemia, Česke Budějovice. Teaches folowing courses: Biochemistry, Biochemistry and molecular biology of parasites, General Virology.
· 2001: Appointed Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics
· 2001-2004: Vice-rector of the University of Southern Bohemia for international relations.
· 2002-: Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice.
· 2002-: Czech Republic representative in the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) forum at the International Consortium on Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (ICTTD-2/3).
· 2003-: Chairman of the Biomedical and molecular biological sciences panel #5 of the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
· 2003-: Executive chairman of the National Committee of the International Union of Biological Sciences.
· 2003-: Member of the standing committee on a D.Sc. degree defence in ´Ecological Biology´.
· 2003-: Vice-chairman of the Committee for evaluation of the institutional research plans and results of institutes of the Academy o Sciences of the Czech Republic in Life sciences and Chemistry.

Biochemistry and molecular biology of disease vectors; molecular factors in mechanisms of pathogens transmission with the respect to the role of protein-carbohydrate as well as other non-covalent interactions, immune reactions in arthropods. At present, he is concerned with the investigation of structural and functional components of Borrelia burgdorfferi and B. recurrentis spirochetes. He is also interested in tick-borne encephalitis virus, its virulence, separation, purification, isolation of the envelope glycoprotein E, and in the study on structural properties of this antigen. He also deals with the interaction of borreliae and TBE virus with internal environment of ixodid ticks. The other domain of his interest is the immunity of invertebrates and molecular biological factors influencing it. He has worked on the isolation and functional characterization of structures important for physiology of recognition and defense reaction in invertebrates. Till now, he has been a principal investigator of 4 grants of GA ASCR, 3 grants of GA CR, 3 grants of the Ministry of Education, one of those is VS 96066 ("Strengthening of Research at Universities"), and a co-principal investigator of two internatinal projects (IAAE; Fogarty Foundation/N.I.H.). A joint research project with NRC-IBS Ottawa within S&T Cooperation/Canada´(2003-2006).

1989 University of Uppsala (Prof. K. Soderhall), 1992-1993, 1995 University of Arizona (Prof. M. Wells, Prof. J.Law). Develops a tight collaboration with the University of Arizona (within Biomedical Research Abroad: Vistas Open! programme), the University of Glasgow (1997-Prof. I. Maudlin; 2000-Dr. R. A. Smith: work placement of undergraduate students, Socrates/Erasmus), Karel Grote Hogeschol in Antwerpen (student mobility within Erasmus/Socrates, teaching a class on Biochemistry of Parasites). 2003 Georgia Southern University, Statesboro (USA), Institute of Parasitology and Arthropodology, (Prof. J. H. Oliver, Jr.) within NATO Senior Research Fellowship on molecular factors in tick-borrelia interactions.