Environmental and Biomaterial Sciences

The goal of the doctoral programme EnviBio is to educate experts with deep interdisciplinary knowledge at the boundaries of the physical-chemical properties of materials and biology, in selected modules, according to the individualization of the students, including areas of environmental, analytical chemistry and biochemistry, chemistry and physics of materials, biomaterials, green technologies, circular economy, sustainable technologies, functional and progressive materials.

During their studies, students will become acquainted with the latest characterization techniques and work in “high-tech” laboratories, for example, in the environment of a clean room laboratory, or in an accredited laboratory, as well as with advanced syntheses of new materials or application-oriented characterization laboratories, or material screening. Graduates of EnviBio should be able to design new materials with regard to the required physical-chemical properties in correlation with their atomic-molecular structure, with a deep understanding of the interaction of these materials with the environment (environmental, medical, etc. applications).

When developing materials and possible devices, graduates will also take into account products entire life cycle, especially with regard to potential secondary use or recycling. Mastery of a multi-disciplinary approach and the use of synergistic effects in problem-solving is expected, which will be achieved thanks to the interdisciplinary cooperation of FZP, PrF, IIC and a foreign partner institution, IKTS. Thanks to the involvement of foreign teachers and a foreign partner institution in teaching and specialized laboratories, students will learn to work, think and procedures in an international scientific atmosphere, i.e., in a competitive environment. In cooperation with IKTS, students will learn the approach to commercialization, i.e., procedures and methodology for transferring laboratory technologies and new materials into usable practice and their positive impact on the economy – a skill that is currently highly important for improving the competitiveness of the Czech Republic and EU.

The aim of the study is to prepare new generations of experts who will continue either in the academic environment and in the future take over the roles of creative and leading workers in new fields, or in research and development departments of innovative and creative international companies – “market leaders” – both in the Czech environment, but naturally also abroad, e.g., in Saxony, Germany (represented by a partner institution IKTS), which is becoming a Western European technological “Silicon Valley”.

Knowledge: A graduate of the doctoral study program “Environmental and Biomaterial Sciences” have deep knowledge, according to the individualization of their study courses, in the fields of environmental, analytical chemistry and biochemistry, materials chemistry, biomaterials, sustainable approaches, technologies, circular economy, functional materials, and biotechnologies. They are well-oriented in related scientific disciplines and can communicate with specialists from other fields and experts from industry at an appropriate level.

Practical knowledge and skills: Students master the methods of studying various materials and procedures for their application in the field of environmental protection and human health. They understand the relationships between the structure of materials and their macroscopic or useful properties and can use this when developing functional (functionalized) materials, including materials for biomedical applications. Students master the principles of modern physical-chemical methods for characterizing materials, their possibilities and limitations, and can practically use them when designing new materials.

Competencies and abilities: Students are prepared to work with modern technology in specialised laboratories and workplaces with a special regime (e.g., clean rooms, biological hazard laboratories, etc.). The education of the students is multidisciplinary in all respects – emphasis is placed on the ability of complex and “outside-the-box” thinking across the boundaries of scientific disciplines covered within the study. The graduates are familiar with the methods of scientific work. They are prepared, for example, to independently carry out research and development in the field of new functional materials for environmental protection, sustainable technologies, biomaterials, circular economy, nanotechnologies, and others at the level of the current state of knowledge with regard to practical usability.

An important aspect of the study is the systematic preparation of the students for the ability to work in a team in an international environment so that they can become leaders of such teams in the future.

Part of the study will also involve developing soft skills, such as communication skills, the ability to present and prepare qualified professional documents, the ability to clearly formulate thoughts, and the ability to apply for funding, such as EU funding, thus increasing the Czech Republic’s and the EU’s competitiveness in the R&D area.

• Cationic boranes as catalysts and molecular sensors
(supervisor: RNDr. Karel Škoch, Ph.D., Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)

• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as protonic conducting materials
(supervisor: Mgr. Jan Hynek, Ph.D., Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)

• Molecular clusters and their photophysical (luminescent) or antibacterial properties
(supervisor: Ing. Kamil Lang, CSc., DSc., Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)

• Activated boranes as new perspective porous materials – Synthesis and environmental or catalytical application
(supervisor: RNDr. Jan Demel, Ph.D., Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)

• Phosphine-ligand-based metal-organic frameworks – a new class of materials for environmental applications
( supervisor: RNDr. Jan Demel, Ph.D., Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)

• Stability of porous materials
(supervisor: Ing. Daniel Bůžek, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment UJEP; co-supervisor: RNDr. Jan Demel, Ph.D., Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)

• A multiscale approach to characterize transport in porous structures
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jaromír Havlica, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Exosome-nanofiber materials for cosmetic applications
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiri Orava, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment, UJEP; co-supervisors: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP, and Dr. Jörg Opitz, Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Dresden, Germany)

• Exploitation of extracellular vesicles as drug delivery natural nanotherapeutics
(supervisor: Mgr. Olga Janoušková Šebestová, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP; co-supervisor: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Isolation and characterization of exosomes from unconventional non-mammalian sources for biotechnological applications
(supervisor: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP; co-supervisor: Mgr. Olga Janoušková Šebestová, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Effect of organic nanoparticles on the microbial component of biofilms
(supervisor: prof. RNDr. Milan Gryndler, CSc., Faculty of Science, UJEP)

• An in-depth investigation of nanoparticle interactions with diverse lipid model membranes
(supervisor: Dominika Wrobel, MSc, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP)

• Functional characterization of neuron-specific alternatively-spliced isoforms of selected cytoskeletal proteins
(supervisor: Ing. Stanislav Vinopal, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP)

• Cytoskeletal rearrangements in tardigrade cryptobiosis
(supervisor: Ing. Stanislav Vinopal, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP)

• Intercellular communication of cancer stem cells and their influence on cancer progression
(supervisor: Mgr. Olga Janoušková Šebestová, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP)

• Exploring dendritic polymers as promising nanotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer-derived extracellular nanovesicles (supervisor: Mgr. Olga Janoušková Šebestová, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP; co-supervisor: Dominika Wrobel, MSc, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• The role of the cytoskeleton in cryptobiotic morphological transformations in Tardigrada
(supervisor: Ing. Stanislav Vinopal, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP)

• Microfluidic devices for analysis of direct communications between cancer cells mediated by tunnelling nanotubes
(supervisor: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP; co-supervisor: Ing. Stanislav Vinopal, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Development of microfluidic devices for simulating the blood-brain tumour barrier (BBTB)
(supervisor: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP; co-supervisor: Mgr. Marcel Štofik, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Advanced plasmonic microfluidic chips for the detection of cancer-derived exosomes
(supervisor: Mgr. Jan Malý, Ph.D., Faculty of Science, UJEP; co-supervisor: Mgr. Marcel Štofik, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Materials approach to the safety management of Li-ion batteries
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiri Orava, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment, UJEP)

• Materials for environmental energy harvesting
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiří Orava, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment, UJEP; co-supervisor: Prof. Spyros N. Yannopoulos, Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Patras, Greece)

• Heat transfer in granular layers: The influence of mixing
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jaromír Havlica, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Dynamical behaviour of granular materials: From dry systems to suspensions
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jaromír Havlica, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Recovering critical raw materials from lithium-ion batteries
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiří Orava, Ph.D., co-supervisor: Ing. Jiří Štojdl, Faculty of Environment UJEP)

• Polydispersity and its impact on the dynamic behaviour of granular materials
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jaromír Havlica, Ph.D., Faculty of Science UJEP)

• Chemical recycling of textile materials
(supervisor: doc. Dr. Ing. Pavel Kuráň, co-supervisor: Dr. Lucie Oravová, Faculty of Environment UJEP)

• Nanodiamonds as nanoparticle surfactants for environmental applications 
(supervisor: Ing. Štěpán Stehlík, Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague; co-supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiří Orava, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment UJEP)

• Electrically conductive diamond structures for environmental applications 
(supervisor: prof. Ing. Alexander Kromka, DrSc., Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague; co-supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiří Orava, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment UJEP)

• Photoactive nanocomposite materials based on molybdenum clusters and functional nanoparticles
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiří Henych, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment UJEP and Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague; consultant: PhDr. Kaplan Kirakci, Ph.D., Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague)

• Properties and environmental impact of rejuvenated polymer-modified asphalt
(supervisor: doc. Ing. Jiří Orava, Ph.D., Faculty of Environment UJEP; co-supervisor: doc. Dr. Ing. Pavel Kuráň, Faculty of Environment UJEP; consultant: Quintilio-Thomas Falvo, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany)