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