The Laboratory of Neurobiology and Pathological Physiology
primarily focuses on mental health research from a genetic perspective.
Our objective is to elucidate the causes of serious mental disorders
such as Alzheimer's disease, alcoholism, and schizophrenia.
In our research, we employ DNA analysis
on large sets of thoroughly diagnosed patients.
DNA from these samples is robotically isolated.
Sequencers then read the sequences of various genes
suspected to play roles in the pathogenesis of mental disorders.
The resulting data are compared among patients
and analyzed for correlations.
During our research into Alzheimer's disease,
we also reprogram skin cells into neurons and glial cells.
Thanks to this technology, we can create neuronal cells from skin cells
of patients and healthy individuals.
This would otherwise be impossible to obtain from the brain of a living person.
These reprogrammed cells serve as a vital resource for studying Alzheimer's disease.
Among the laboratory's most significant achievements
is the discovery of mutations in the CD36 gene
that delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by eight years.
Additional accomplishments include identifying a relationship
between Alzheimer's disease and the genes for insulin-degrading enzyme,
clusterin, tyrosine kinase receptor, and choline acetyltransferase.
Beyond genetic research into mental disorders,
our laboratory also investigates human infectious diseases.
Through DNA analysis, we can detect the presence of bacteria such as Borrelia
and Ehrlichia, as well as tick-borne encephalitis in ticks.
Our laboratory made the first discovery of Borrelia spielmanii species
in ticks in the Czech Republic.
We were among the first Czech laboratories to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
During the pandemic, we monitored the presence of the virus in public places,
including post offices, department stores, and coronavirus hospital units.
Our joint research with the Brno University of Technology
aims to develop methodologies for air sampling of viruses.
In collaboration with physicians, we are studying the presence of coronavirus
in different tissues from individuals who died due to Covid-19.
The information we've obtained has been crucial in understanding both
Long Covid and Post-Covid Syndrome.
Our laboratory's primary contribution is the detailed analysis
and clarification of the causes behind a diverse range of human diseases,
from mental disorders to infectious diseases.