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Cutting-edge Dioscuri research centre established at MU

Developmental biologist Peter Fabian from MU Faculty of Science will lead one of three new Dioscuri research centres in the Czech Republic. MU has thus succeeded in an international programme to promote scientific excellence in Central and Eastern Europe.

Peter Fabian explores the possibility of studying human genetic diseases in animal models.

Initiated by the Max Planck Society with the support of the German government, the Dioscuri programme aims to establish internationally competitive research groups at scientific institutions in Central and Eastern Europe. After Poland, three new Dioscuri centres are being established in the Czech Republic. One is the Centre for Stem Cell Biology at MU, founded by Peter Fabian, who is exploring the possibility of studying human genetic diseases in animal models. He is particularly interested in amino acid-related disorders such as phenylketonuria, tyrosinemia I-III and alkaptonuria. Two other centres are being established at the Academy of Sciences (Barbora Špačková’s Single Molecule Optics and Helena Reichlová’s Spin Caloritronics and Magnetics).

Peter Fabian hopes that his research will improve the lives of real people with congenital diseases. “We will better understand the impact of disease on specific tissues: what happens to stem cells that are important for bone regeneration, what happens to cartilage and so on. Based on this knowledge, we will be able to better target treatment or care in the future,” says the biologist.

His research has shown that the small zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a suitable animal for identifying the causes of amino acid degradation failure. “I would like to help create a professional infrastructure for the use of this model, and not just for my research,” says Peter Fabian, who plans to set up a preclinical centre as part of the MU BioPharma Hub project.

The research is carried out on the zebrafish model Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Thanks to his success in the Dioscuri programme, he will be able to expand his research base: Peter Fabian has recently been awarded a prestigious grant from the European Research Council (ERC). “We have set up both grants so that the areas of research do not clash, but are mutually supporting. Each group has its objectives, but the overall aim is to better understand animal biology and the possibility of using animal tools to learn about human diseases,” explains the researcher. What Dioscuri appreciates about the grant is the link with German institutions, specifically with Stefan Schultem-Merker from the University of Münster. “His experience with zebrafish, grant projects and with science in general, is already very helpful to us,” says Peter Fabian.

He only joined the Department of Experimental Biology at the MU Faculty of Science last autumn when he succeeded in the call of the MU Grant Agency for Young Scientists MASH (MU Award in Sciences and Humanities). “We have been trying to attract top researchers with excellent potential to Masaryk University for a long time, because part of our strategic goal is to become a leading institution of higher education, science and research in the Czech Republic, with a long-term vision of closing the gap with the best universities in the world,” says Šárka Pospíšilová, Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies, about the targeted support.

Peter Fabian, who holds a PhD from Charles University in Prague, came to Brno after five years at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. “The experience in the USA was transformative in terms of my professional approach and my decision to pursue scientific work. It made me realise that this is what I want to do and I want to do it to the best of my ability. My role model was the team and its leader at the time,” says Peter Fabian. He is now looking forward to expanding his research group in Brno and starting a new chapter in his career, contributing to the scientific community in the Czech Republic and beyond.

A total of five Dioscuri centres will be established in the Czech Republic, with a second call to follow in autumn 2024. The total grant for the five years is EUR 1.5 million (approximately CZK 36 million), which may be extended for a further five years following an expert evaluation of the project. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports are providing equal amounts of funding.