17 Life Sciences Doctoral Degree Programs

Ph.D. in Food Science

The International PhD Program in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI) combines expertise from many disciplines in the agro-environmental field aimed at training researchers, enabling them to carry out qualified scientific activities in the field of plant and animal production, considering also aspects of eco-sustainability, climate change and recovery of polluted and degraded areas in order to restore their agricultural cultivation capabilities.

The doctoral study program is primarily designated for graduates of master study program Bioanalytical Healthcare – as the third stage of education following after the bachelor and master study, and also for graduates from study programs of natural sciences, pharmacy, medicine and related. It is a unique doctoral study, not established at other faculty or university (they have mostly bachelor and master levels only)

Homologous and heterogeneous gene expression and its regulation, gene manipulation industrial strain of microorganisms, degree of ribosomal biosynthesis of proteins. Influence of application spheres of medicine (hereditary and infectious diseases, vaccines, new drugs), agriculture (transgenic organisms, and plant and animal breeding), ecology, and biotechnology. The study program is carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. This program of study is offered without any specialization.

The study program focuses on the physical nature of a wide range of atmospheric phenomena and processes, which, however, also have interdisciplinary applications in atmospheric chemistry, oceanology, physical geography, environmental sciences, etc. It is a unique program at Charles University that provides a comprehensive view of the dynamic system of the Earth's atmosphere in a broad interdisciplinary context. Even within the Czech Republic, it is the only program offering education in atmospheric physics, meteorology, and climatology. From a methodological point of view, a wide range of theoretical, experimental, and computational physics applications are used interactively and complementarily. The program does not contain specializations.

The purpose of the study program is to provide the students with advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in various areas of molecular and cell biology, genetics, and virology, as well as to familiarize them with modern methodical and technical approaches utilized in these scientific fields and with the possibilities of such approaches for problem-solving in current biological and biomedical science (including interdisciplinary research). The main scope of the program can be characterized as the study of biological processes at molecular and cell levels, focusing particularly on complex interactions between cells and environment or between various information macromolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins) and using the most modern approaches of molecular biology and bioinformatics. The program is carried out without any specialization.

The study program investigates the mechanisms of interaction of chemical, physical and biological factors of the living and the working environments of the organism. It integrates methodological approaches especially in the area of toxicology, molecular biology, and immunology. It is the theoretical basis for preventive medicine fields, ie. hygiene, and epidemiology.

The program is based on an interdisciplinary education at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology from the physical point of view and is focused on physical experimental and theoretical approaches. The program prepares experts for independent scientific work in solving tasks of basic and applied research in the interdisciplinary fields between physics, chemistry, and, according to the theme of dissertation work, biology.

Doctoral study program in Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry deals with the chemical and biological characterization of biomolecules and their building units in health and diseases. The program deals with their mutual transformation, with their role in the regulation of physiological processes, and with their disorders. An important task is to study the biological membranes, subcellular components (organelles), energy transformations, and the role of extracellular matrix and second messengers in the cell regulations. Branch also focuses on the role of free radicals in carcinogenesis and atherogenesis. The study program is closely related to molecular biology and genetics as well as to many basic and clinical biomedical fields, especially to clinical biochemistry.

At present, there is a consensus that just having a comprehensive understanding of the planet’s natural system does not suffice. It is necessary to understand the complex interactions between the socio-economic system and the vital planetary systems which provide society with ecosystem and natural services. The Social Ecology doctoral programme contributes to the development of the environmental approaches characteristic in their interdisciplinary nature. The goal of the programme is the advancement of knowledge, which should contribute to the creation of a theoretical base from within the strategy of making economic, social, and cultural development sustainable, especially from an environmental perspective.

The Doctoral School in Atomic and Molecular Photonics was born under the inspiration of the advanced multidisciplinary research carried on, since 1991, at the European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS) of the University of Florence.

The Ph.D. program in Sustainable Management of Agricultural Forestry and Food Resources builds upon the long term experience in research and teaching of the Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI) of the University of Florence.

Doctoral study program in Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry deals with the chemical and biological characterization of biomolecules and their building units in health and diseases. The program deals with their mutual transformation, with their role in the regulation of physiological processes, and with their disorders. An important task is to study the biological membranes, subcellular components (organelles), energy transformations, and the role of extracellular matrix and second messengers in the cell regulations. Branch also focuses on the role of free radicals in carcinogenesis and atherogenesis. The study program is closely related to molecular biology and genetics as well as to many basic and clinical biomedical fields, especially to clinical biochemistry. The program is carried out without any specialization.

Postgraduate study in Bioorganic Chemistry serves for the education of chemical experts with an emphasis on the structure and functions of small organic molecules in living organisms and on the possibility of influencing biological processes in these organisms through the action of such molecules. The program is thus directed towards the study of all aspects of organic compounds, which are indispensable for the structure and functioning of living organisms. The broad spectrum of these compounds includes molecules with a building (primary metabolites) function, signaling function, activating or deactivating function in relationship to strategic proteins within the living organisms, and also compounds, which are produced by these organisms (natural products, secondary metabolites, metabolites of xenobiotics). The study is founded on the structure and synthesis of organic compounds with a focus on natural products, heterocycles, and other organic compounds, which are capable of modulating biological processes. Elucidation of the function of such compounds as parts of biological structures as well as that of their influence on biological processes and the possibility to modify this influence through structural changes are no less important. Bioorganic Chemistry thus serves as a link between Organic Chemistry and biomedical disciplines and partially overlaps with Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry. Bioorganic Chemistry is, however, more general than the latter two programs, which are primarily focused on the study and development of drugs, ie. a more limited subgroup of biologically active compounds.

The study program Medical Biophysics is an interdisciplinary branch of science that employs virtually all biological fields and is focused on scientific study and independent research activities in interdisciplinary settings, from natural science up to clinical medical work. This branch of science originated from the need to separate medical applications observing interactions of physical fields and radiation with a living organism from the bulk of technological and biological disciplines. The goal of the study of Medical Biophysics is understanding basic biological processes for development in innovative methods and/or devices for clinical application in diagnosis and therapy. Doctorands, further to their Master's education, are recruited for scientific and research projects at the training institutions and motivated by their Supervising Tutors to solve scientific and research problems of their own. In keeping with the recent developments, the program Medical Biophysics is also focused on the interconnection of the studies with the needs of clinical practice. The program is carried out without any specialization.