1 00:00:09,839 --> 00:00:13,640 The Laboratory of Neurobiology and Pathological Physiology 2 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:18,160 primarily focuses on mental health research from a genetic perspective. 3 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,039 Our objective is to elucidate the causes of serious mental disorders 4 00:00:23,039 --> 00:00:27,559 such as Alzheimer's disease, alcoholism, and schizophrenia. 5 00:00:28,559 --> 00:00:31,519 In our research, we employ DNA analysis 6 00:00:31,519 --> 00:00:34,719 on large sets of thoroughly diagnosed patients. 7 00:00:34,719 --> 00:00:38,280 DNA from these samples is robotically isolated. 8 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,520 Sequencers then read the sequences of various genes 9 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:47,039 suspected to play roles in the pathogenesis of mental disorders. 10 00:00:47,039 --> 00:00:50,280 The resulting data are compared among patients 11 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,280 and analyzed for correlations. 12 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,200 During our research into Alzheimer's disease, 13 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,119 we also reprogram skin cells into neurons and glial cells. 14 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,400 Thanks to this technology, we can create neuronal cells from skin cells 15 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,760 of patients and healthy individuals. 16 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,319 This would otherwise be impossible to obtain from the brain of a living person. 17 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,359 These reprogrammed cells serve as a vital resource for studying Alzheimer's disease. 18 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,519 Among the laboratory's most significant achievements 19 00:01:18,519 --> 00:01:22,519 is the discovery of mutations in the CD36 gene 20 00:01:22,519 --> 00:01:25,840 that delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by eight years. 21 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,959 Additional accomplishments include identifying a relationship 22 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,640 between Alzheimer's disease and the genes for insulin-degrading enzyme, 23 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:37,319 clusterin, tyrosine kinase receptor, and choline acetyltransferase. 24 00:01:38,719 --> 00:01:41,560 Beyond genetic research into mental disorders, 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,599 our laboratory also investigates human infectious diseases. 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,719 Through DNA analysis, we can detect the presence of bacteria such as Borrelia 27 00:01:50,719 --> 00:01:53,680 and Ehrlichia, as well as tick-borne encephalitis in ticks. 28 00:01:56,359 --> 00:01:59,760 Our laboratory made the first discovery of Borrelia spielmanii species 29 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:01,879 in ticks in the Czech Republic. 30 00:02:03,879 --> 00:02:09,039 We were among the first Czech laboratories to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. 31 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,240 During the pandemic, we monitored the presence of the virus in public places, 32 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:19,319 including post offices, department stores, and coronavirus hospital units. 33 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,560 Our joint research with the Brno University of Technology 34 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,840 aims to develop methodologies for air sampling of viruses. 35 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,840 In collaboration with physicians, we are studying the presence of coronavirus 36 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,360 in different tissues from individuals who died due to Covid-19. 37 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,800 The information we've obtained has been crucial in understanding both 38 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,599 Long Covid and Post-Covid Syndrome. 39 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,960 Our laboratory's primary contribution is the detailed analysis 40 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,520 and clarification of the causes behind a diverse range of human diseases, 41 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:51,039 from mental disorders to infectious diseases.