Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs
Assoc. Prof. Michal Koblížek Phd.
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Head of the Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs Assoc. Professor (part time) at the Dept. of Science Research Interestsmicrobial ecology, phototrophic organisms, anoxygenic photosynthesis, genomics, carbon cycle, isolation of bacteria, development of optical instruments. |
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Education
1990-1995, Charles University, Prague, Bc. in chemistry, MSc. in biochemistry
1996-2000, PhD in Plant Physiology, University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budejovice
2000-2002, PostDoc, Prof. Paul G. Falkowski, IMCS, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
Awards
PhD thesis awarded by the Czech Ministry of Education, 2000
The award of Czechoslovak Society for Microbiology for Outstanding Young Microbiologist, 2001
Czech Academy of Sciences “Otto Wichterle Prize” for an outstanding young researcher, 2004
Czech Academy of Sciences award for excellent project results (team), 2009
Inst of Microbiology Award for outstanding results in international collaboration, 2009
Inst of Microbiology Award for the Best Publication of the Year 2014
Inst of Microbiology Award for the Best Review Paper of the Year 2015
Summary of recent work
During the last 15 years I have been involved in the study of phototrophic microorganisms both in the lab and in the environment using biophysical and molecular techniques. Last year I reviewed the developments in this field “ Ecology of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs in aquatic environments” in FEMS Microbiol. Rev. Our team established several international collaborations across Europe and the USA and hosted over 20 students and visiting scientists from collaborating laboratories in Europe, Asia and America. I developed the infra-red epifluorescence microscopy technique for analysis of natural communities of phototrophic organisms. With J. Dean we developed an IR imaging system for rapid screening of phototrophic microbes (3 registered prototypes). We isolated over 100 novel strains and performed de novo genome sequencing of approx. 30 isolates. Member of the Czech committee of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO.
Projects
Turning the microbial loop. Project GACR 13-11281S. Principal Investigator 2013-2017
Molecular mechanisms of the thermal adaptation of type-2 reaction centers. Project GACR 15-00703S, Principal Investigator, 2015-2017
R&D project Research Center Algatech Plus (EC funded). Work package Leader. 2015-2019
Photosynthesis Research Center. GACR P501/12/G055. Team member 2012-2018.
Expeditions
June 2001, the Black Sea, U.S. R/V Knorr
winter 2002, SOFeX - Southern Ocean Fertilization Experiment, U.S. R/V Melville
December 2002, HOT cruise, Hawaii, U.S. R/V Kilo Moana
August 2003, Baltic Sea, Polish R/V Oceania
June 2004, Project EDDIES, Sargasso Sea, U.S. R/V Oceanus
April and November 2004, Baltic Sea, Polish R/V Oceania
May, June 2005, Atlantic Meridional Transect 16, RRS Discovery
September 2007, Project MODIVUS, Med Sea, B/O García del Cid
April 2008, OC443 Sargasso Sea, R/V Oceanus
July 2010, Station ALOHA, R/V Kilo Moana
Leader of two expeditions investigating microbes in thermal springs in Bulgaria, 2013 and 2015
Teaching
Introduction to Oceanography course at the Univ. in C. Budejovice since 2002
Advisor of 2x BSc, 3x MSc and 1x PhD successfully completed thesis, training of 5 postdocs
member of the Hydrobiology PhD program committee, University Ceské Budejovice
Publication record
In total 68 research papers including 2x Science, 1x Nature, 1 x PNAS, 1 x FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 6 book chapters and 12 other publications, (HI= 28, 2616 citations in WOS core collection) Our studies about growth rates of AAP bacteria in the Atlantic Ocean (Environ. Microbiol., 2007) and the discovery of novel phototrophic organism Gemmatimonas phototrophica (PNAS, 111: 7795-800, 2014) appeared in Faculty of 1000 Biology selection. For the full list of publication see: