Prof. RNDr. Emil Paleček, DrSc.

Education and training: RNDr (chemistry/biochemistry), Faculty of Science of the Masaryk University (MU), Brno 1956; CSc (PhD, biochemistry), Faculty of Science MU, Brno1959. Assoc. Professor, biochemistry, Faculty of Science MU, Brno 1968; Professor of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science MU, Brno 1992.

 

Career: Institute of Biophysics, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Brno 1955-

1962–1963 Postdoc, (with prof. J. Marmur) Dept. Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass., USA (JM discovered the ability of DNA to renature, i.e. to assume its double-stranded structure from its separated strands).

1967–1970 and 1976–2004 head of the Department of Biophysical Chemistry, IBP AS

1993–1997 Member of Academic Council, AS CR; 2001–2005 Scientific Board AS CR, Member

2004–2008 Member of the Board of The Learned Society of the Czech Republic

 

Field of Scholarly Interest: Physical biochemistry, structure of the genetic material, molecular oncology, chemical reactivity of nucleic acids, electrochemistry of biomacromolecules, DNA-protein interactions, DNA structure in solution, on the surfaces and in cells, relations between DNA structure and function. Even as a PhD student he showed, that DNA is able during interaction with electrodes accept or deliver electrons and that electrochemical signals reflect changes in the structure of DNA. He founded by his papers in the 1960’s (e.g. [EP, Nature 188 (1960) 656] a new branch of science, which now undergoes a booming expansion (electrochemistry of nucleic acids, in the last 5 years ~700–800 papers per year).

 

Publications: > 300 papers (WoS indicates 299 items). His papers were cited >11000x, h index 58 (probably the second highest in the CR).

 

Honours and awards: In 2009 his merits were honored by the President of AS CR with awardng him the medal DE SCIENTIA ET HUMANITATE OPTIME and in 2011 he obtained the Prize of Minister of Schools, Youth and Physical Training. In 2011 the Bioelectrochemical Society granted him the highest award G. Milazzo Prize for his life-work in the field of bioelectrochemistry and nominated him its Honorary member. In 2012 he was elected a Member of the Learned Society of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.