About IOCB

The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech

Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague) is an internationally recognized
research institution in the Czech Republic. Its primary mission is basic
research in the fields of chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, organic
and material oriented chemistry, chemistry of natural compounds,
biochemistry and molecular biology, physical chemistry, theoretical
chemistry, and analytical chemistry.

Today, over 600 employees are involved in research across these fields,
which results in more than 250 publications per year, including papers in
the most cited and prestigious journals, such as Nature and Science.

An integral part of the mission of the Institute is to transfer its scientific

results into assets which help people to live better lives. Through its
subsidiary company IOCB TTO, the Institute helps scientists to transform
ideas into patents and matches their research results with interests of
commercial partners to bring novel ideas to human use.

Potential Captions for Images on this page

IOCB completed reconstruction of its campus in 2015. The main building is a modern
eight-floor structure which houses dozens of new laboratories and an advanced
computational center.
Nicknamed The Cauliflower for its unique shape, this building provides cutting-edge
facilities and technological resources for IOCB staff, as well as a beautiful rooftop
garden.
History

The Institute was formed by a group of chemical enthusiasts from the

Czech Technical University shortly after the end of World War II, and the
Institute was officially established on January 1st, 1953. The greatest credit
for establishing and developing the Institute belongs to professor Frantiek
orm, a talented scientist who went on to become the chairman of the
Czech Academy of Sciences.

The Institutes most famous figure is Antonn Hol, one of the most
successful Czech scientists and organic chemists. In 1960, he began his
career at IOCB, where he made his most influential discoveries. These
discoveries have yielded successful treatment for AIDS and type B viral
hepatitis.

Dr. Hol directed the Institute for eight years from 1994-2002. He holds
over 60 patents and has co-authored 600 scientific papers. His work has
been cited more than 10,000 times. Among his many honors, he received
the EU Descartes Award for Scientific Research and was a member of the
Learned Society of the Czech Republic.
Research Teams

In total, the Institute employs 46 research groups.

13 junior research groups

17 senior research groups
3 groups of Honorary/Distinguished Chairs
3 targeted research groups
6 research-service groups
4 selected service groups

Junior group team leaders are selected through a competitive international

competition that finds talented young scientists from around the world.
Each team is provided with a startup package, fixed salary resources, and
an equipped laboratory space. After time and proof of successful and
productive research, the Junior groups may become Senior groups.

Each group, aside from those of Distinguished and Honorary Chairs, are
reviewed regularly (every four years for Junior groups and every five for
Senior groups) by the International Advisory Board. The Board determines
if research should continue and provides feedback and suggestions for
future goals.
Research at IOCB

IOCB understands that organic chemistry and biochemistry are not isolated
and self-explaining disciplines, but rather integral parts of a complicated
and much larger matrix of systems, pathways, and interactions.

The Institutes main research is concentrated into three clusters, Chemistry

(CHEM), Biology (BIO) and Physics (PHYS).

The CHEM cluster includes organic chemistry, chemical biology,

nanochemistry, drug discovery, and more. The main focus is the
development of new pharmaceuticals for use against cancers as well as
new antivirals.

(Caption)
Example of Current Research - Synthetic Nanochemistry
The synthesis of nanoparticles for diagnostic and therapeutic medical
applications is the primary focal point of Petr Cglers groups research.
This technology has the capability of gathering both diagnostic and
therapeutic data in one particle (known as theranostic data). They develop
fluorescent nanolabels and nanosensors for gathering this data.
The BIO cluster researches biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology,
neuroscience, physiology, chemical ecology, etc. It focuses on antibacterial
development, chemical communication in insects, as well as the makeup of
viruses, and other pathogens and enzymes.

(Caption)
Example of Current Research - Chemistry of Social Insects
The research of Robert Hanus group focuses mainly on the chemistry
evolved in the socialization of certain insects, in this case termites. It looks
at termites implementation of chemical signals with the hopes of identifying
the significance of these chemicals for social organization and ecological
success of the termites.
The PHYS cluster bases its research in computational chemistry, quantum
mechanics chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, analytical chemistry, drug
design, etc. Researchers use quantum chemistry and molecular simulation
to forecast the structure, reactivity, and properties of organic and
bioorganic molecules.

(Caption)
Example of Current Research - Computational Chemistry
The focus of Zdenek Havlas group lies in theoretical study of the
properties and chemistry of organic and bioinorganic compounds with
complex electronic structure. They are looking to apply this research into
the concept of singlet fission, a process which, simply put, involves the
splitting of one photon into two. This process has the potential to greatly
improve the efficiency of solar energy.
Patents and Publications

In 2016 alone, IOCB scientists released over 280 research publications in

impact factor journals. These articles were comprised of publications in top
journals including Nature Chemistry, Nature Communications, Angewandte
Chemie, and Chemistry Technology.

Visual Representations of this data:

Publications in Impact Factor Journals in ASEP Database

Total #
2013: 264
2014: 275
2015: 285
Average IF
13: 4.44
14: 4.02
15: 4.41
Publications by Impact Factor
IF 5-10
13: 49
14: 48
15: 63
IF 10-20
13: 13
14: 13
15: 12
IF > 20
13: 4
14: 2
15: 4
Collaborations/TTO

IOCB has multiple scientific collaborations worldwide with a number

of research and academic institutions, e.g. Catholic University of Leuven,
Johns Hopkins University, Heidelberg University, University of Queensland,
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, California Institute for Biomedical
Research, and Helmholtz Zentrum Mnchen. A long term collaboration of
IOCB with Gilead Sciences company in the field of antiviral drugs acyclic
nucleosides phosphonate analogues which were invented, synthesized,
and developed in prof. Antonn Hols lab, continues currently within the
Research Centre established in 2006.

IOCB Technology Transfer Office (TTO) was established in 2014 with

the role of transferring certain aspects of research into the practical field.
This includes finding partners to do supplementary research, intellectual
property protection, and patents. IOCB TTO is an LLC owned 100% by
IOCB which allows for easier communication with commercial partners,
more flexibility, and fewer restrictions.
IOCB TTO has vast experience and realistic expectations when it
comes to these transfers. They pride themselves in being open in
communication, receptive to feedback and adaptable to the interests of any
potential collaborators. IOCB has a history of drug discovery and
pharmaceutical cooperation, successfully leading to the development of
antiviral (AtriplaTM and TruvadaTM) and peptidic drugs. Essentially, IOCB
TTO is the agent that takes the product from the lab, to the market.
Students

IOCB currently employees more than a hundred PhD students, as well as

many graduate and undergraduate students.

IOCB offers many resources specifically for students, including a limited

number of paid positions. These resources include student retreats, visits
to other Institutes, workshops on scientific writing and presentations, and
opportunities to attend conferences and workshops in both the Czech
Republic and abroad. PhD students can also join the PhD Science club,
where students practice presenting their own work in front of their peers
and IOCB management and research. Its excellent practice for presenting
at conferences!

IOCB is also very welcoming for international students, with over 20% of
PhD students coming from abroad. Interested international students may
consider the Summer Student Program, which was created specifically for
international students to experience living and working in Prague.

For both Czech and international students, a full list of opportunities

including lab positions, fellowships, internships, and summer programs can
be found at IOCBs website. Keep in mind that student positions become
available quite frequently, as current IOCB students graduate and summer
programs are offered each year.
Employee Life

IOCB hosts a variety of events and activities just for employees, including
the bi-annual scientific retreat, where both junior and senior groups share
promising results, new discoveries, and successful publications. IOCB also
frequently organizes Happy Hours popular and informal get-togethers for
employees with exhibitions and music.

Interacting with the international science community is crucial for IOCB.

The Institute invites experts in different fields from all over the world for the
IOCB Invited Lectures series, which is held approximately once a month. In
addition, there are numerous lectures, seminars, workshops, and journal
clubs organized regularly by different research groups.

IOCB prioritizes employees work-life balance, with special support offered

for parents in science. In order to ease their challenging situation, IOCB
has offered a special financial subsidy designated to cover childcare
expenses during working hours since June 2016.

The Martina Roeselov Memorial Fellowship is dedicated to Ph.D. students

or postdocs who are conducting competitive research at local universities
or research institutes and are at the same time primary caregivers of a
pre-school age child. The grant provides a monthly salary support to
selected applicants for a period of one year.