23 May

Astronomers measure the rotation of a supermassive black hole for the first time

Astronomers have for the first time measured the rotation of a supermassive black hole using the wobbling of gaseous material from a disintegrated star. The results, obtained by an international team of scientists, offer a new way to study supermassive black holes and their evolution in the Universe. One of the lead authors of the study published in the prestigious journal Nature was Michal Zajaček from the Masaryk University, Faculty of Science.

22 May

Natural scientists presented Masaryk University at the STARMUS festival in Bratislava and welcomed great scientists also in Brno

Top science, but also a programme for the general public. Expert topics, but also space for fun and nice meetings. This is a brief summary of the STARMUS festival of science, music and art, which took place from 12 May to 17 May 2024 in Bratislava and in which the Faculty of Science of Masaryk university joined the programme as a university partner.

21 May

Barbora Rudzanová received the J. Michlová Prize from the Czech Learned Society for 2024

The Learned Society of the Czech Republic awarded Barbora Rudzanová from Masaryk university, RECETOX Centre of the Faculty of Science. It awarded her the Jiřina Michlová Prize for students of doctoral study programmes. The Medals for Merit for the Development of Science and awards to distinguished scientists, teachers and talented university and high school students were presented on 20 May 2024 at the Carolinum in Prague.

20 May

Scientists from MUNI look under the hood of bacterial evolution and bring bacteria closer to further use in modern technologies

Some microorganisms, such as lactic acid bacteria or yeasts, have been helping humans since time immemorial. Since the last century, they have helped humans as a kind of cellular factories to produce important medicines, some industrial chemicals, biofuels, food ingredients or promising new materials. For this production they need sugar, most often glucose from plants. Scientists have now explored how bacteria can "learn" to process new groups of sugars, for example from waste plant biomass.

25 Apr

Biochemist Thomas R. Cech and mathematician Peter W. Michor were awarded honorary doctorates from Masaryk University

Honorary doctorates were awarded, by decision of the Scientific Council of Masaryk University, to Professor Thomas Robert Cech, who made a significant contribution to the formation of the field of biological sciences; and Professor Peter Wolfram Michor, who made a significant contribution to the development of mathematics.

25 Apr

Many native species of Czech flowering plants decline, while thermophilous and non-native species spread

A team of botanists has revealed significant changes in the distribution of species in the Czech flora. Their study, published in the international scientific journal Biological Conservation, analyzed the decline and increase of individual plant species in the Czech Republic since 1960.

22 Apr

To address the feedback from the course opinion poll, it helps me talk to the students, says Vice-Dean Markéta Munzarová.

In March, meetings were held between faculty representatives and students who are members of the programme councils. Why are they essential for addressing feedback from the course opinion poll? We asked Vice-Dean Markéta Munzarová.

5 Apr

Botanists from Masaryk University documented occurrences of 1,492 plants in Brno

The latest study, which studied the flora of Brno, detected that there are 1,492 species of spontaneously occurring vascular plants found in the city. Of these, 255 are classified as threatened in the Czech Republic. A team of botanists from Masaryk University, led by Zdeňka Lososová, studied the urban flora for more than ten years and documented the distribution of individual species in a set of maps.