<p><strong>Dear friends and fans of mass spectrometry,</strong></p>
<p><strong>The history of a method for studying of matter known as mass spectrometry dates back more than a century. The foundations have mostly been laid by physics studying discharges in gases. After about five decades mass spectrometry entered the domain of chemistry and evolved into an excellent tool for studying the structure of chemical compounds. Recently we are witnessing its expansion into the field of cellular, molecular, and structural biology. The technology of mass spectrometry developed immensely over the time. Let us take a tour into the history and learn about the past technologies. Let us explore the state-of-art mass spectrometry.</strong></p>
<p>A technical museum focused on unique and significant part of science, the Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry will display and explain laboratory instrumentation that encompasses physics, chemistry, engineering and informatics and combines them into a device that contributes to many parts of our daily life.</p>
<p>Czech and English speaking visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the principles and applications of mass spectrometry, its history, and important scientists including Nobel price winners, while experiencing a remarkable collection of mass spectrometers. Founded by mass spectrometry enthusiasts Jaroslav Pol (Thermo Scientific) and Josef Cvacka (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry) and sponsored by Frantisek Turecek (University of Washington, Seattle), the Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry is now being assembled and will open in Prague in 2017. Donations of mass spectrometry artifacts are gratefully appreciated; those willing to contribute please contact the curators.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/d3e7627196634c0a8fa129f95fef6edd/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry"/></p>
<h3><strong>Mass spectrometry</strong></h3>
<p>Study of matter through the formation of gas-phase ions that are characterized using mass spectrometers by their mass, charge, structure, and/or physico-chemical properties.</p>
<h3><strong>Mass Analyzers</strong></h3>
<h5><strong>Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance</strong></h5>
<p>Mass spectrometer based on the principle of ion cyclotron resonance in which an ion in a magnetic field moves in a circular orbit at the cyclotron frequency that is characteristic of its m/z value. Ions are coherently excited to a larger radius orbit using a pulse of radio frequency electric field, and their image charge is detected on receiver plates as a time domain signal. Fourier transformation of the time domain signal results in a frequency domain signal that is converted to a mass spectrum based on the inverse relationship between cyclotron frequency and m/z.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/1628c6d87adf47538f70c2d7ce971db9/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Ion Trap</strong></h5>
<p>Device for spatially confining ions using electric and magnetic fields alone or in combination.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/bcc0887a778f4df29f488bcd87ce8718/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Linear Ion Trap</strong></h5>
<p>Two-dimensional Paul ion trap in which ions are confined in the axial dimension by means of a static electric potential.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/6d35a6cdb4ee4baa95ad2d831b20db19/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Orbitrap</strong></h5>
<p>Ion trapping device that consists of an outer barrel-like electrode and a coaxial inner spindle-like elec- trode that form an electrostatic </p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/4c8de0a71fef446fa44829e9d37c8b62/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Sector</strong></h5>
<p>Device that produces a magnetic field perpendicular to a charged particle beam that deflects the beam to an extent that is proportional to the ratio of particle momentum and charge.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/240ae6e09cb443508bf7dce8309b2928/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Time of Flight</strong></h5>
<p>Mass spectrometer that separates ions by m/z in a field-free region after acceleration through a fixed accelerating potential. Ions of the same initial translational energy and different m/z require different times to traverse a given distance in the field-free region.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/0d0eaa3a8aa544d1abcca833a9e6e9ae/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Triple Quadrupole</strong></h5>
<p>Tandem mass spectrometer comprising two transmission quadrupole mass spectrometers in series, with a (non-selecting) RF-only quadrupole (or other multipole) between them to act as a collision cell.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/b6e4bd36ccb44cd8a93e84353b28a357/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h3><strong>Ion Sources</strong></h3>
<h5><strong>Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization</strong></h5>
<p>Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) is chemical ionization of a sample that is a gas or nebulized liquid, using an atmospheric pressure corona discharge or beta emitter such as 63Ni.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/d562c1ce1a9f43c78d8a93a2c6c43932/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Atmospheric pressure photoionization</strong></h5>
<p>Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) is direct ionization of molecules at atmospheric pressure by electron detachment induced by photons forming M+•, or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in which the reactant ions are generated by photoionization of suitable dopant species and subsequent ion/molecule reactions of their molecular ions.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/828a17ec377a4313bdd59f9275192e87/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Desorption electrospray ionization</strong></h5>
<p>Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is formation of gas-phase ions from a solid or liquid sample at atmospheric pressure through the inter- action of electrosprayed droplets with the sample surface.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/86624af57b96403586bd27b3bafccec3/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Electrospray ionization</strong></h5>
<p>Electrospray ionization (ESI) is spray ionization process in which either cations or anions in solution are transferred to the gas phase via formation and desolvation at atmospheric pressure of a stream of highly charged droplets that result from applying a potential difference between the tip of the electrospray needle containing the solution and a counter electrode.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/673ec39a73b64561805cf60670486635/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Fast atom bombardment ionization</strong></h5>
<p>Fast atom bombardment ionization (FAB) is ionization of molecules initiated by a beam of neutral atoms with translational energies in the keV range. Labile molecules susceptible to dissociation are dissolved in an involatile liquid matrix that absorbs the energy of the bombarding atoms to form a selvedge region above the liquid surface in which ionization of the molecules occurs.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/afda171085f54f6e856bc930cf873fca/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization</strong></h5>
<p>Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is formation of gas-phase ions from molecules present in a solid or liquid matrix that is irradiated with a laser. The matrix is a material that absorbs the laser energy and promotes ionization.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/39f899169e27496f938621f0d25a0f12/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>
<h5><strong>Secondary ion mass spectrometry</strong></h5>
<p>Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is technique in which a focused beam of primary ions produces secondary ions by sputtering from a solid surface. The secondary ions are analyzed by mass spectrometry.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/fd584fd784ab4c5197b461de5c42c5ee/obrazek.png" alt="The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry/Martin Strohalm"/></p>


The Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry

<h3><strong>HOW TO WEIGH A MOLECULE?</strong></h3>
<p>Imagine that you want <strong>to weigh a water molecule</strong>. You cannot just place it on a weighing pan because it certainly would not work. You need a much more sophisticated device called <strong>a mass spectrometer</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>The first such instrument was constructed by J. J. Thomson in 1912</strong>. Since then, mass spectrometry has developed into a fascinating field with many practical applications.</p>
<p><a href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?categoryItems=12&amp;instrumentationItems=31&amp;publicationTypeItems=1-7-2-5-4&amp;search=newborn+screening"><strong>Newborn screeningg</strong></a>, <a href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?categoryItems=3&amp;instrumentationItems=31&amp;publicationTypeItems=1-7-2-5-4&amp;search=doping"><strong>doping tests of athletes</strong></a>, <a href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?categoryItems=1&amp;instrumentationItems=31&amp;publicationTypeItems=1-7-2-5-4&amp;search=contaminants"><strong>analysis of pollutants</strong></a>, <a href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?categoryItems=5&amp;instrumentationItems=31&amp;publicationTypeItems=1-7-2-5-4&amp;search=drug"><strong>testing of new drugs</strong></a> or <strong>space exploration</strong> are only a few <strong>examples of the application of mass spectrometry</strong>. Yet there are many more.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Czech_Museum_of_MS_Mass_Spectrometer_d6267dd11d/Czech-Museum-of-MS-Mass-Spectrometer.jpg" alt="Czech Museum of MS: Mass Spectrometer"/></p>
<h3><strong>MASS SPECTROMETER</strong></h3>
<p><strong>A mass spectrometer</strong> is a remarkable instrument that <strong>provides information about the mass and structure of molecules</strong>. In essence, it is a very accurate scale for electrically charged molecules. However, such a scale does not resemble the traditional ones known from kitchens and pharmacies. It is an ingenious device that <strong>uses electric and magnetic fields to manipulate, separate and detect charged molecules</strong>. Some instruments also make it possible to break charged molecules into pieces, which is useful for deducing the molecular structure.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Czech_Museum_of_MS_A_gridless_two_stage_reflectron_from_the_MALDI_TOF_system_Biflex_II_manufactured_by_Bruker_Daltonics_690d1900fb/Czech-Museum-of-MS-A-gridless-two-stage-reflectron-from-the-MALDI-TOF-system-Biflex-II-manufactured-by-Bruker-Daltonics.jpg" alt="Czech Museum of MS: A gridless two-stage reflectron from the MALDI-TOF system Biflex II manufactured by Bruker Daltonics"/></p>
<h3><strong>OUR MISSION</strong></h3>
<p>The museum aims <strong>to collect</strong> and <strong>display artifacts in mass spectrometry</strong>, especially those <strong>associated with our geographical region</strong>. Students professionals and the general public can look a the key components of spectrometers and understand <strong>how mass spectrometers work</strong>. The technical solutions and stories behind the exhibits can inspire young scientists as wall as experienced designers of scientific instruments.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Czech_Museum_of_MS_Mass_Spectrometry_history_in_Czech_Republic_fce8ca9112/Czech-Museum-of-MS-Mass-Spectrometry-history-in-Czech-Republic.jpg" alt="Czech Museum of MS: Mass Spectrometry history in Czech Republic"/></p>
<h3><strong>EXHIBITION</strong></h3>
<p>The exhibition shows instrument components tha are often <strong>hidden in inaccessible vacuum chambers of mass spectrometers</strong>. You can take a closer look at them, understand their function, and at the same time admire their technical perfection and beauty. Use your smartphone to learn more about the exhibit you are currently viewing. <strong>The posters on the walls will teach you about mass spectrometry and its history</strong>.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Czech_Museum_of_MS_A_grid_cell_of_LTQ_FT_Ultra_Thermo_Electron_Corporation_7e8ae7d076/Czech-Museum-of-MS-A-grid-cell-of-LTQ-FT-Ultra-(Thermo-Electron-Corporation).jpg" alt="Czech Museum of MS: A grid cell of LTQ FT Ultra (Thermo Electron Corporation)"/></p>
<h3><strong>DONATE AN EXHIBIT</strong></h3>
<p>The museum accepts <strong>donations</strong> to its collection, especially <strong>instruments</strong> or <strong>parts of them</strong> (even broken, damaged or worn), <strong>documents</strong>, and <strong>photographs related to mass spectrometry and its history</strong>. All donations are highly appreciated.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Czech_Museum_of_MS_EI_source_from_the_single_quadrupole_mass_spectrometer_TRIO_1000_manufactured_by_VG_Masslab_Altrincham_UK_9824bf2fd9/Czech-Museum-of-MS-EI-source-from-the-single-quadrupole-mass-spectrometer-TRIO-1000-manufactured-by-VG-Masslab-(Altrincham-UK).jpg" alt="Czech Museum of MS: EI source from the single quadrupole mass spectrometer TRIO 1000 manufactured by VG Masslab (Altrincham, UK)"/></p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Czech_Museum_of_MS_A_triple_stage_quadrupole_LC_MS_mass_spectrometer_TSQ_Vantage_manufactured_by_Thermo_Scientific_fbf31e162f/Czech-Museum-of-MS-A-triple-stage-quadrupole-LC-MS-mass-spectrometer-TSQ-Vantage-manufactured-by-Thermo-Scientific.jpg" alt="Czech Museum of MS: A triple stage quadrupole LC-MS mass spectrometer TSQ Vantage manufactured by Thermo Scientific"/></p>
<h3><strong>FIND US HERE</strong></h3>
<h5><a href="https://www.uochb.cz/en"><strong>Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences</strong></a></h5>
<ul>
<li>Building A, 2nd floor</li>
<li>Flemingovo náměstí 542/2</li>
<li>160 00 Praha 6</li>
<li>Czech Republic</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>HOURS AND ADMISSION</strong></h3>
<p>The museum is <strong>open daily from 8 am to 6 pm.</strong> A guide is required to move around the building.</p>
<p><strong>Please call in advance</strong> to check the guide‘s availability.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Inquiries:</strong> Josef Cvačka</li>
<li>+420 731 447 868</li>
<li>josef.cvacka@uochb.cas.cz</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The admission is free for all visitors.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Czech Academy of Sciences has contributed financially to the promotion of the museum.</strong></p>


Czech Museum of Mass Spectrometry

<p><strong>Heck is internationally recognized as one of the absolute pioneers in the use of mass spectrometry for large-scale protein research (proteomics). He has mentored many students and postdocs, several of them from the Czech Republic.</strong></p>
<h5><strong>You are a perfect example of a modern scientist, excelling in both research and science communication. How did you get started? What was your motivation to share your work with a broader audience?</strong></h5>
<p>My motivation for sharing science comes from being genuinely enthusiastic about my field of research, which can be quite specialised and complex. However, I believe it&#39;s crucial to share this enthusiasm not only with fellow scientists but also with the broader community, including neighbors, younger people and even children. As a scientist studying proteins, I find them fascinating, considering they are prevalent in our bodies and the entire world. My aim is to make more people appreciate the world of proteins by understanding them better.</p>
<p>Regarding my proficiency in science communication, I&#39;m not sure if I am really good. Initially, I found it challenging to effectively convey complex ideas to a broad audience. However, I&#39;ve learned that collaborating with individuals who are genuinely interested in science and experts in other fields like communication or art, can be incredibly helpful. They can play a crucial role in helping translate my scientific messages into presentations, videos, or social media posts. Working together, we bridge the gap between specialised knowledge and public understanding, making science more accessible and engaging for everyone. That&#39;s my motivation and approach to science communication.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Forum_Bas_van_Breukelen_Bridging_the_world_of_science_and_everyday_life_f241fc64fc/Forum-Bas-van-Breukelen-Bridging-the-world-of-science-and-everyday-life.jpg" alt="Forum/Bas van Breukelen: Bridging the world of science and everyday life"/></p>
<h5><strong>I really like the way you connect science and art. That you together with artists try to communicate your research in an innovative way, for example using dance. How did that start?</strong></h5>
<p>I generally think that science and art are not so different and both try to make or see something that&#39;s really beautiful. In our case, if you see how a living cell works, it&#39;s really beautiful. It is as beautiful as seeing a painting of Rembrandt. However, when you look at the painting of Rembrandt or when you look at the cell, it&#39;s not only about looking at it, it&#39;s also about interpreting. Both science and art tell stories behind what we see.</p>
<p>If you connect with artists who are on that same wavelength as you then it works. In making these dance movies, I was lucky to get connected with a team of young video artists who were really interested in science. And I just told them a story about what I study and what I really like, and then I gave them almost full freedom to make an interpretation. And they came up with ideas, we came up with ideas and then together we made something which is neither just art nor just a scientific publication, but it&#39;s something in between.</p>
<p>I quite like the fact that many more people saw that movie than have read my papers and I also feel that quite a few more people took something from that movie. Because I&#39;m not sure if the general public takes a lot from our papers. So I see it as a fun thing to do, which also provides added value making science more accessible.</p>
<h5><strong>Is it challenging to find the right balance between scientific accuracy and art?</strong></h5>
<p>It is and it isn&#39;t. The simple answer is yes, it&#39;s difficult. But if you start to think longer about it, you know, we scientists, when we have written a paper or report, we think this is the ground truth and that it will be valid for the next 50 years or so. And then next year, someone else makes a new measurement or a new discovery and comes up with a new interpretation. Even science itself is fact-based understanding. When you move into a more arty presentation of your science, you have to compromise because proteins are not visible by eye and so on. You need to make cartoons that show how they might look, which is close to reality, but not the real reality. So you have to make compromises. But if that means that more people get an idea and an understanding of what you want to say, then I think it&#39;s not so difficult to make these compromises.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Forum_Bas_van_Breukelen_Heck_s_lab_2ea8cc4c34/Forum-Bas-van-Breukelen-Heck's-lab.jpeg" alt="Forum/Bas van Breukelen: Heck&#39;s lab"/></p>
<h5><strong>Do you think that every scientist should communicate their research to the general public?</strong></h5>
<p>No, I think the science community should, but every person is different and you should not force every scientist to do science communication. But I think you should value when you have at your institute or in your group people who want to do it. And I think it&#39;s also extremely good to collaborate with people who are bridging the world of science and everyday life, who help scientists express their results to the general public in the most effective and engaging way. Some scientists are not good at science communication themselves but even their messages should be communicated. </p>
<h5><strong>You are also very active on <a href="https://twitter.com/hecklab">Twitter</a>. What&#39;s your motivation? Do you know how much time you spend on Twitter?</strong></h5>
<p>I think my motivation is not so different from many people that are on Twitter. Of course, it costs a bit of time. But I see many benefits. Sometimes I pick up things from Twitter that make me start to read the paper that I otherwise would not have read, or I hear about developments that I otherwise would not have heard about. And it&#39;s sort of broadening your network. However, you should also realise there is a bias. You don&#39;t reach everyone and not everyone reaches you, but it&#39;s just a fun way to keep connected with other scientists and maybe also with beyond science. </p>
<h5><strong>I know you really value diversity. Your team consists of many nationalities and types of expertise. Is this multidisciplinary approach the key to success?</strong></h5>
<p>The simple answer is yes. My group currently consists of 19 nationalities, several religions and gender classes. It is not the only or mandatory way, but I think for my group and for my science it really helps to have people from different backgrounds from different cultures, scientific expertise or social skills. They get along very well.</p>
<p>And I think when people leave the group, they have learned something in science, but they have also learned lessons in life. And maybe that&#39;s even better - a Chinese person learns from an American person and vice-versa or a chemist learns from a biologist and vice versa. This is very inspiring and enriching.</p>
<p>If you stay the whole life in the village where you were born and you only see that, you think that&#39;s normal. And I have learned that in the world, everyone thinks that their life is normal. But there are many different normals in the world and everything has its good and bad things. And I must say from my own experience that I have learned most about my own country while traveling abroad. Because you start to learn how your own country looks from the perspective of other countries and other cultures.</p>
<h5><strong>How important is networking for scientists and how do you build your own network? Do you have any tips or recommendations?</strong></h5>
<p>A good network is crucial. What I&#39;ve learned over the years is that the personal click is very important and you might have a scientist that may be the perfect fit in expertise, but if you don&#39;t like each other, then it&#39;s difficult. As a scientist, you may click with people all over the world. It doesn&#39;t need to be someone in your department. Science is a global thing, and that&#39;s the good thing about it.</p>
<p>What I really like about mass spectrometry is that we sometimes can help other scientists and of course, it makes you happy, but the real benefit for me is free education. Because if I talk to a neuroscientist, I will learn about neurology, if I talk to a physical chemist, I will hear about physical chemistry and so on. When you give something, you always get something back and I think this helps your own development and enriches your research. So I would recommend escaping our own ivory tower and start networking.</p>
<h5><strong>Many Czechs have worked in your group. Do you also collaborate with any Czech groups?</strong></h5>
<p>Yes, there were many Czech students or postdocs. And it is bad to generalize but I must say that all of them were smart and hardworking. In the last five years, I have been coordinating an European large-scale proteomic program. In this program we try to involve people from many countries, so there are also several Czech groups involved. The program is really nice because we get money to let people move from one lab to another and share information and knowledge. So it doesn&#39;t mean that we see each other every day, but we certainly have these connections.</p>
<blockquote>
<h5><strong>The trio of Czechs in Heck&#39;s lab</strong></h5>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Jan Fiala</strong> (left) is a postdoc working on the development and application of mass spectrometry techniques for the study of archaeal organisms living in extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents or the Dead Sea. He received his PhD from the Faculty of Science of Charles University under the supervision of Petr Novák in 2021.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Marta Siborová</strong> is a second-year postdoc in Heck&#39;s team. She uses cryo-electron microscopy to map interactions between human viruses and antibodies. She studied at Masaryk University in Brno. Her PhD thesis supervisor was structural virologist Pavel Plevka, who is currently also the director of CEITEC.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Tereza Kadavá</strong> completed her Master&#39;s studies at the Faculty of Science of Charles University under a supervision of Petr Novák last year. As a PhD student in Heck&#39;s lab, she uses mass spectrometry-based techniques to study blood serum glycoproteins.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Forum_Bas_van_Breukelen_The_trio_of_Czechs_in_Heck_s_lab_bef263276d/Forum-Bas-van-Breukelen-The-trio-of-Czechs-in-Heck's-lab.jpeg" alt="Forum/Bas van Breukelen: The trio of Czechs in Heck&#39;s lab"/></p>
</blockquote>
<h5><strong>I read a few interviews with you and in one of them you mentioned that you are proud of watching young people come into your group, get trained, grow and mature. Do you know the statistics? How many scientists have you trained?</strong></h5>
<p>It depends. It always has to be nuanced, because who did I train? But just to give you a few numbers, in the 25 years that I&#39;ve been here, my lab has had over 100 PhD students graduating, about 75 postdocs and of course a lot of master students. We still have a network of alumni and about every five years we try to get everyone back. But they are all over the world now, some of them have remained in academia and are professors now, which I&#39;m proud of, but I&#39;m equally proud of alumni who work in industry or went into teaching.</p>
<p>When people ask me how I manage this group, I typically say I don&#39;t. And that it&#39;s the group that manages itself. Sometimes you can give a little shift here and a little direction there, but you have to get an atmosphere where people get trained by their buddy next to them and are in turn training other people. So the training is not something I can really put on my personal record, but I&#39;m proud of my group.</p>
<h5><strong>I also liked the fact that your next big question is what we can answer with mass spectrometry. Could you be more specific? What&#39;s your current next question?</strong></h5>
<p>My research has focused on mass spectrometry and you might say &#39;Hey, that&#39;s boring&#39; because that technology has already been around for more than 125 years. But I love it because every five years new things arise that maybe none of us who are the experts in the field had expected, which shows how dynamically and quickly this field is still moving. Things that we never thought that would happen are reality now. That we can study single cells with mass spectrometry, the proteome, the metabolome. For me, as a technology nerd, that&#39;s just amazing.</p>
<p>When I started my career, or even 10 years ago, I would have laughed if you had proposed that. I&#39;ve learned not to care about what is or isn&#39;t currently possible. And that&#39;s my message also to scientists: don&#39;t care. Just have visions of what you want to do and maybe one day it will be possible, and ideally you will have contributed to making this possible.</p>
<h5><strong>Do you have any other recommendations for young scientists?</strong></h5>
<p>If you&#39;re young, you should consider yourself &#39;a sponge&#39; and you should absorb, absorb, and absorb. Keep a broad perspective, learn about different disciplines. And maybe 20 years later you will really appreciate this knowledge. When you get older your sponge effect becomes weaker and you get stuck in what you were taught or what you believe. And I think staying young is maybe also about remaining such a sponge and being able to absorb things that are out of your comfort zone. So my recommendation is to remain a sponge.</p>
<p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Forum_Bas_van_Breukelen_Albert_Heck_from_Utrecht_University_fd0aed31dc/Forum-Bas-van-Breukelen-Albert-Heck-from-Utrecht-University.jpg" alt="Forum/Bas van Breukelen: Albert Heck from Utrecht University"/></p>
<h5><strong>What does your typical work day look like? Do you have any rituals, such as starting the day by reading the newspaper?</strong></h5>
<p>No, I think it&#39;s a bit boring to tell you the truth. My day starts by checking emails and that takes a lot of time. But I don&#39;t see it only as a burden, of course, since half of the emails are also your network and your information.</p>
<p>If I ask my children, they always say, oh, the only thing he does is drink coffee and talk to other people, which is sort of true. And there is never a typical day because every day is different. But what I find most fun is interacting with the students. But I also like to keep up my network with international scientists, and also with people in industry. So especially at this stage of my career my daily work really is keeping the network going, keeping the infrastructure going. From time to time, I have a sabbatical day where I think about where I want to go with the science of the group, and these are the most joyful moments. But as a leader of a group, there are many other duties to deal with, such as people in your lab having personal issues or problems finding housing or getting a visa, getting recommendations, nor should you underestimate teaching, that&#39;s also quite a bit of your time and it&#39;s important. As a scientist, I find it fun, but you have a lot of different tasks, so I think there&#39;s almost no typical day, and it&#39;s certainly not a routine.</p>
<h5><strong>You&#39;re a very passionate scientist, but if you were not a scientist, what would you be?</strong></h5>
<p>That&#39;s an interesting question. I like nature and I like to run and cycle and I especially like to travel, discovering new places and what people from other nations think but also to learn about myself and my own country. So if I had a free choice, I would be a traveler, I think.</p>
<blockquote>
<h4><strong>Professor Albert Heck</strong></h4>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Albert Heck is a Distinguished Faculty Professor at the Science Faculty of Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and Scientific Director of the Netherlands Proteomics Centre. He studied chemistry at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and received his PhD in 1993 from the University of Amsterdam. After postdoc positions at Stanford University (US) and the University of Warwick (UK), he was appointed professor at Utrecht University at the age of 33. His group develops and implements innovative mass spectrometric methods for more efficient and detailed characterization of proteins in relation to their biological function, spanning the fields of proteomics, glycoproteomics and structural biology. He has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Spinoza Award of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. He also received the Sir Hans Krebs Medal during the FEBS conference held in Prague in 2018.</p>
</blockquote>


Bridging the world of science and everyday life

<p><strong>Bohumil Kolář applies artificial intelligence in places where ordinary people can hardly imagine it. We talked about how AI makes work easier, how construction kit Mercur continues to inspire a hundred years after its creation, and beer cups whose meaning will blow your mind.</strong></p><p>I'm taking pictures of Bohumil with the computer. "<i>And now I'm going to take a picture of you with neural networks</i>," I say mischievously. "<i>Well, we have some graphic simulation, so I can send it to you</i>," Bohumil replies with hesitation. I can see that my sense of humor is off, so I'm getting insecure with the conversation. ChatGPT is now an integral part of my life, but what's behind it, I don't know. And Bohumil knows, he's an AI expert.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/TUL_CXI_Bohumil_Kolar_5cdb8ef8d0.jpg" alt="TUL CXI: Bohumil Kolář" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_TUL_CXI_Bohumil_Kolar_5cdb8ef8d0.jpg 231w," sizes="100vw" width="800" height="540"></p><h5><strong>Sometimes I'm lazy</strong></h5><p>And what does Bohumil use ChatGPT for? "<i>Sometimes I'm just lazy</i>," Bohumil admits. "<i>The AI saves me hours of reading</i>," he says with a guilty smile. "<i>Sometimes I copy a long text into ChatGPT and ask it to summarize it in two paragraphs. Why? Because I don't always have the desire or time to read anything longer than two pages</i>," he explains candidly.</p><p>Bohumil found out about the AI Specialist position at CXI TUL when he was looking for a job after school. "<i>For example, I was offered a job developing a cable car control system, which is not interesting for me. Then I found an offer from CXI TUL and I'm happy, I often learn new things. I enjoy challenges. For example, I am working on an AI application for laser calibration</i>," he shrugs. The aforementioned laser has many applications, for example from eye surgery, through brute force cutting to space research and defense systems.</p><h5><strong>It started with Mercur</strong></h5><p>Bohumil was a fan of the construction kit Merkur as a kid, but he was missing something to get the kit moving. So he became interested in electrical engineering. He soon discovered that there was always a need for a man to program everything. "<i>I'm not really a programmer, I've always been attracted to the interdisciplinary field, the connection with electrical engineering. Now, for example, I'm tackling business efficiency with artificial intelligence in the European Digital Innovation Hub, </i><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.edih-northeast.cz/en/home/"><i>EDIH</i></a>."</p><h5><strong>Real problems, practical solutions</strong></h5><p>Businesses from across the spectrum of industries turn to Bohumil directly or attend training sessions where he shows them the possibilities of AI to streamline operations. "<i>For example, Škoda approached us about vibrodiagnostics. The brief was to see if we could predict when an engine would break down. My job was to teach AI to recognize the vibration of a balanced engine and detect deflections such as bearing float, unbalance, and so on. Based on this data, they can prevent failures and maintain production quality,</i>" Bohumil recounts.</p><h5><strong>Image analysis of wastewater</strong></h5><p>One of the most interesting contracts is the detection of problems at wastewater treatment plants. "<i>My job is to teach the program to recognize what a poorly working treatment plant looks like. For example, foaming water means an overgrowth of microorganisms. Color changes can indicate a different type of problem. Camera detection is fast and efficient, and you don't have to physically go around to all the treatment plants</i>," he says.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/TUL_CXI_Bohumil_Kolar_Umela_inteligence_otevira_nove_pracovni_moznosti_5386b28764.jpg" alt="TUL CXI: Bohumil Kolář (Artificial intelligence opens up new job opportunities)" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_TUL_CXI_Bohumil_Kolar_Umela_inteligence_otevira_nove_pracovni_moznosti_5386b28764.jpg 117w," sizes="100vw" width="1500" height="2000"></p><h5><strong>AI and Beer cups</strong></h5><p>And what does Bohumil have on his desk besides his computer? "<i>Lots of beer cups</i>," he laughs. One of his apps detects whether you have an honest pint in front of you or under measurement.</p><p>The audience immediately thinks: nice, but what is it good for? "<i>The same algorithm can detect a tank and guide a missile. Maybe in Ukraine,</i>" Bohumil answered laconically. It shows that even a seemingly innocent AI application can be a weapon.</p><h5><strong>Revolution</strong></h5><p>The rapid development of artificial intelligence is a challenge for Bohumil. "<i>The pace at which AI is growing is insane,</i>" he says. "<i>New algorithms and technologies are being created every day. Sometimes I must understand how a certain technology works, only to find out a year later that it's already outdated. The world's largest organizations are rapidly pushing the boundaries of AI. Guessing the direction of development and keeping track is a big challenge."</i></p><h5><strong>AI gives work</strong></h5><p>From engineering to natural sciences, Bohumil sees no limits to artificial intelligence. "<i>The only problem is the lack of data to train the models.</i>" Many people argue that AI is taking jobs. Bohumil sees it differently. “<i>Automation opens up opportunities for more work.</i>"</p><p>It is important to show that AI is a tool. "<i>It is not a threat. It depends on how we use it,</i>" concludes Bohumil.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/TUL_CXI_Bohumil_Kolar_Umela_inteligence_otevira_nove_pracovni_moznosti_2_e943a453a0.jpg" alt="TUL CXI: Bohumil Kolář (Artificial intelligence opens up new job opportunities)" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_TUL_CXI_Bohumil_Kolar_Umela_inteligence_otevira_nove_pracovni_moznosti_2_e943a453a0.jpg 117w," sizes="100vw" width="1500" height="2000"></p>

Bohumil Kolář: Artificial intelligence opens up new job opportunities

<p><strong>Structural virologist Pavel Plevka, a two-time ERC grant holder and head of a research group at CEITEC Masaryk University, is looking for new colleagues to join his team. Even if you are not a structural virologist seeking an inspiring research environment, this interview is worth reading. Pavel Plevka explains his focus on studying human viruses and bacteriophages, his approach to team leadership, and the opportunities available for students and postdoctoral researchers who want to work in CEITEC's international and interdisciplinary research environment.</strong></p><h5><strong>Most people fear viruses and see them as something that causes problems. However, you look at viruses very closely in the lab, literally. What is so fascinating about structural virology that you have been awarded two ERC grants for research in this field?</strong></h5><p>Studying viruses through structural methods—nowadays primarily cryo-electron microscopy—fascinates me because it allows us to uncover previously unknown biological landscapes. Each virus is a precisely assembled nanoparticle, honed by millions of years of evolution to infect host cells with remarkable efficiency. By examining viral structures and their interactions with host cells, we can dissect the key steps of the infection cycle: how viruses enter cells, hijack their machinery, and ensure the production of progeny virions. Investigating these processes at molecular or even atomic resolution not only satisfies my scientific curiosity (laughs) but also holds promise for developing novel antiviral therapies.</p><p>I received ERC grants thanks to a combination of advanced structural biology methods and a strong focus on studying human pathogens. The scientific questions we address go to the heart of viral life: What does a viral particle look like, and how does it function? How does a virus penetrate a host cell and deliver its genetic material? How does it ensure the replication of its genome? How does it evade the host's defence mechanisms? How are new viral particles assembled from individual components? Structural biology enables me to answer these questions, and our findings may contribute to the fight against viral infections—an ongoing motivation for my work.</p><h5><strong>What was your path to structural virology?</strong></h5><p>I became interested in viruses in high school. When I found out that there was a virology group led by Associate Professor Jitka Forstová at the Faculty of Science at Charles University, it was an obvious choice for me. During my PhD studies in Sweden, I learned to use X-ray crystallography to determine viral structures, and as a post-doc in the U.S., I applied cryo-electron microscopy for the same purpose. Thanks to technological advances, cryo-electron microscopy and tomography are now the main techniques used by my research group.</p><h5><strong>CEITEC of Masaryk University is known for its state-of-the-art research equipment. What laboratory methods and technologies do you use to study virus structures?</strong></h5><p>As I mentioned earlier, we use primarily cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), which allows us to examine the structure of viruses at atomic resolution. Additionally, tomography enables us to observe the infection process within cells. Since CEITEC is part of the Czech Infrastructure for Integrative Structural Biology (CIISB), we have access to cutting-edge equipment that facilitates our research and allows us to keep up with the world's leading laboratories.</p><p>Beyond cryo-EM, we also use molecular biology methods for recombinant protein production, CRISPR-Cas systems for modifying host cell and viral genomes, and biochemical techniques that help us understand the interactions between viral proteins and their receptors or antibodies.</p><h5><strong>What is the future direction of structural virology, and what innovations can we anticipate in the coming years?</strong></h5><p>Structural virology is shifting from simply characterizing viral particle structures to describing the molecular mechanisms of viral infection. From a technological standpoint, cryo-electron microscopy is indispensable, as its continuously improving resolution allows for increasingly detailed insights into virus interactions with cellular components. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) enables us to reconstruct three-dimensional structures of infected cells and observe the impact of viral infections in situ. For instance, observing how enteroviruses exploit membrane vesicle rupture during infection to enter the cytoplasm was fascinating.</p><p>I am also particularly interested in studying bacteriophages, which function as remarkable molecular machines. Our research explores bacteriophages as a potential therapeutic alternative to antibiotics, particularly for treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Their ability to selectively target specific bacterial strains without affecting other cells makes them a promising tool for future personalized medicine, opening exciting opportunities for integrating virology with medical research.</p><h5><strong>What do you consider to be your team's most significant achievement so far? Is there a specific discovery that you are particularly proud of?</strong></h5><p>I am always delighted when someone in our group makes a discovery, regardless of its perceived significance, as the importance of a finding is often subjective. This makes it difficult to single out any one discovery. However, I am particularly proud of our research on enteroviruses, where we demonstrated how they enter host cells and release their genome from the viral particle into the cytoplasm. Our work on bacteriophage structures and their intricate mechanisms for hijacking bacterial cells to produce progeny is equally fascinating.</p><h5><strong>Your team gives the impression of being a well-tuned machine. How do you collaborate?</strong></h5><p>I place great importance on ensuring that my research group functions effectively. Selecting the right collaborators is crucial; I strive to bring in students and post-docs who are internally motivated and capable of working constructively with colleagues. Clear communication within the group is essential, so I try to be accessible and approachable. As a team, we meet twice a week. One meeting is dedicated to discussing articles relevant to our research, while the other features two group members presenting updates on their projects. After this meeting, I hold one-on-one discussions with each presenter to address challenges related to their work and set future directions.</p><p>Additionally, as part of CEITEC's annual staff evaluation process, I meet individually with each group member to discuss their working conditions and professional development. To foster a positive team environment, we organize a non-work-related, one-day teambuilding event twice a year and hold several group dinners throughout the year, often accompanied by board games, movie nights, or barbecues.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/CEITEC_Pavel_Plevka_Zadavam_kolegum_z_tymu_jen_takove_projekty_na_kterych_bych_chtel_sam_pracovat_8fda0a1b81.jpg" alt="CEITEC: Pavel Plevka: I only give my team colleagues projects that I would be happy to work on myself" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_CEITEC_Pavel_Plevka_Zadavam_kolegum_z_tymu_jen_takove_projekty_na_kterych_bych_chtel_sam_pracovat_8fda0a1b81.jpg 234w," sizes="100vw" width="1920" height="1280"></p><h5><strong>What qualities and skills do you look for in new team members? Who are you currently looking for?</strong></h5><p>My group's research focuses on the structural characterization of viruses and their replication cycle within infected cells. Ideally, I seek colleagues with experience in virology and cryo-electron microscopy; however, such specialists are rare worldwide. Therefore, I am interested in motivated and curious individuals eager to learn structural biology and unafraid of working with human pathogens. I value prior international research experience, as my time in Sweden and the U.S. has shown me how it broadens one's perspective, though it is not a requirement. We are looking for PhD students and post-docs to join our team.</p><h5><strong>What opportunities do you offer to candidates who want to join your team?</strong></h5><p>Our team offers the opportunity to participate in studies on viral structures and infection mechanisms. I believe it is essential to assign only those projects that I would personally find engaging. While projects are assigned individually, I encourage team members to collaborate and assist each other in solving specific methodological challenges. A major advantage of CEITEC is access to state-of-the-art technologies housed in shared laboratories. The experts in these facilities have extensive experience with instrumentation and data analysis, significantly accelerating our research. The most relevant facilities for our group include cryo-electron microscopy, light microscopy, macromolecular characterization, and mass spectrometry labs.</p><p>In addition to research work, I expect each group member to attend one or two conferences or training courses annually. My group is currently involved in ERC-Consolidator BioPhage, the National Institute of Virology and Bacteriology (NIVB), and NETPHARM projects.</p><h5><strong>The fundamental trait of a good scientist is natural curiosity, the drive to "go just a little further." What scientific challenges do you plan to tackle in the coming years?</strong></h5><p>I mentioned my group's current research topics earlier in this interview. Our new projects build upon them and include characterizing bacteriophage spread within biofilms using light-sheet fluorescence microscopy and genetically modified phages; describing bacteriophage replication directly in cells using a novel system that allows us to bypass the need for complex preparation of ultrathin samples for transmission electron microscopy; studying the mechanisms of tick-borne encephalitis virus neutralization and activation by antibodies; determining the mechanism of endosomal membrane rupture and its role in non-enveloped virus cell entry; and we also work to resolve the structures of viruses that infect less-studied organisms, such as ciliates.</p>

Pavel Plevka: I only give my team colleagues projects that I would be happy to work on myself

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Pavel Plevka: I only give my team colleagues projects that I would be happy to work on myself

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