Mendel’s pavilion

greenhouses | animal husbandry | minibrewery | bakery | meat and dairy pilot plant | confectionary workshop | microbiological laboratory | instrumental laboratories | phytotrons

MENDELU students can test their knowledge directly on campus in the biotechnology pavilion, a facility for research in fisheries, food technology, ecology, plant cultivation, animal husbandry, biotechnology, genomics and proteomics, plant biology, biochemistry, environmental remediation, biosensors and nanotechnology. For example, we have our own quail hatchery in the pavilion.

Research and development activities currently being carried out

  • how to produce healthier foods
  • a “smart plant nutrition” system that would allow plants to better tolerate drought and better nourish them while reducing the negative impact on soil quality and the environment
  • fish nutrition, the effects of microplastics in the water, and the health of fish kept in different conditions
  • what is the optimal nutrition for chickens, quails and laying hens so that there is a higher proportion of “healthy fats” in the yolks, or how to reduce heat stress in broiler chickens
  • unique plant genotypes and changes during their domestication from wild species to crops

CEITEC

climatic chambers for plant growth | confocal microscope | mass spectrometers

At CEITEC MENDELU, one of the partners of the Central European Institute of Technology, we focus on research in the life and non-life sciences and their interconnections. We strive to put the results and acquired knowledge into practice.

What we have accomplished

  • describing the role of the plant hormone cytokinin in leaf development
  • collaborating on the discovery of a new membrane organelle necessary for the transfer of proteins into the vacuole
  • developing nanoparticles capable of efficiently and accurately influencing the metabolism of unicellular algae

What we are currently researching

  • the role of plant hormones in responses to environmental stress
  • the cellular mechanisms of plant responses to environmental stress
  • the effects of light on the resistance of plants to low temperatures
  • the effects of the use of nanoparticles on plant metabolism
  • nanomaterials as plant protection tools

The Josef Ressel Research Centre in Útěchov

Laboratories: composite materials | protection and modification of wood | acoustics machining and mechanical properties of wood | thermal-humidity properties of materials | dendrochronology | anatomical structures of wood | bioanalytical laboratory

The centre, which serves both scientists and students, includes 10 laboratories, a chamber for artificial wood ageing and a special microwave line. Thus, students can study, for example, how wood reacts to extreme conditions that cannot be produced elsewhere. In the acoustics laboratory, we test the vibroacoustics of wood, which are applied in the development of musical instruments or speakers, and we collaborate on research projects with companies such as Petrof, UTAM AVČR, FEKT VUT and JAMU.

What we have accomplished

  • dating a wooden well from Ostrov in the Chrudim region, which is currently the oldest dendrochronologically dated wooden structure in the world
  • compiling the longest standard chronology for the Czech Republic, which covers the period from 5480 B.C. to the present
  • developing a reactive mordant based on nanoparticles suitable for wood staining or heat-treated elements for outdoor use

What we are currently researching

  • production of wood substitutes and composite boards from plant waste, annual plants or hay
  • treatment of wood to improve its physical and mechanical properties such as dimensional resistance and strength
  • wood resistance to fungi and ageing
  • heat and moisture propagation in material whose simulations are used in the construction of wooden buildings

MENDELEUM

microscopes | DNA sequencers | advanced instruments for measuring and quantifying the amount of DNA growth in a sample | cultivation areas for microorganisms

At MENDELEUM we focus primarily on plant breeding and protection for agricultural and horticultural purposes. MENDELEUM was founded more than 100 ago, and its researchers, including Franz Fimmel, played a significant role in the development of breeding in the Czech lands. The first tomato hybrids and other vegetables and field crops were produced at this institution.

Testing laboratory for construction joinery products and furniture in Zlín

testing | certification | applied research | consulting | expertise | education

We study and analyse wood and wood-based products and participate in the development and improvement of production technologies. For example, we determine the air permeability of buildings, certify the fire resistance of windows and doors, test the strength and durability of products, and train assembly groups. The testing laboratory also serves students of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, who learn basic procedures there.

At the Zlín testing laboratory we provide

  • services for manufacturers, importers, assembly companies and investors