The Czech Collection of Microorganisms could become a tool for joining european science, says Luděk Sehnal

RNDr. Luděk Sehnal, Ph.D.

In 2020, he successfully completed his doctoral studies in the Environment and Health program at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. He currently works at the Institute of Experimental Biology and has recently become the head of the Czech Collection of Microorganisms. During his PhD studies, he participated in expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, and later gained further experience in Germany as well as during research stays in Australia and the United States. He is also a successful recipient of the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Postdoctoral Fellowships grant.

What makes the Czech Collection of Microorganisms unique, and why is it important for contemporary research?

The Collection contains thousands of microbial isolates. In the case of Antarctic microorganisms, more than ten thousand individual bacterial isolates originating from unique environments. That is why I see enormous scientific potential in it.

If any department is even remotely interested in the role microorganisms play in the processes they study, the Collection always has something to offer. For virtually every institute at the Faculty of Science as well as, for example, the Faculties of Pharmacy or Medicine I would be able to identify specific ways in which the Collection could be beneficial.

What are your plans for the future of the Collection?

I would like the Collection to become far more visible than it has been so far.

It is important to emphasize that the Collection is not merely a purely scientific workplace. From my perspective, it also represents an infrastructure facility, although it is not yet formally classified as such. I would like to integrate the Collection into both Czech and European research infrastructures. It could become a tool for engaging in European science and for sharing know-how.

A major issue for the Collection, as well as for the faculty and the Institute of Experimental Biology, is ensuring long-term and meaningful funding for collection-based activities. Within both the Czech and global context, it represents something truly unique — and certainly worth fighting for.

What do you see as the main benefit of participation in European research infrastructures?

Within the European system of research consortia, teams from across Europe collaborate, each contributing their specific expertise to address major scientific challenges. These may include, for example, the development of new antibiotics or finding solutions to climate change. European consortium projects essentially support efforts aimed at solving large-scale societal problems.

One of the Collection’s key roles is serving as a gene bank, particularly in terms of biodiversity preservation and the conservation of microbial diversity worldwide. Biodiversity conservation itself presents major challenges, and these are precisely the areas where we could participate in European consortia with expertise we already possess. This would not only provide financial resources for our activities but could also significantly increase our scientific output.

Your research has also taken you on expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic. More than ten thousand microorganisms from these regions are now stored in the Collection. What makes them so fascinating?

During the first year of my PhD, I had the opportunity to participate in expeditions to both Antarctica and the Arctic. These experiences strongly shaped my subsequent career, which focuses on natural products derived from cyanobacteria, specialized metabolites, and my long-standing passion for discovering antimicrobial compounds.

Because Antarctica is so geographically isolated, microorganisms there have evolved somewhat differently. It has been demonstrated that evolution proceeded separately for millions of years. I therefore believe that extreme environmental pressures have driven the evolution of entirely new chemical structures, which we can now explore for the discovery of new antibiotics or molecules that may serve as leads in antibiotic development.

And the potential extends beyond antibiotics. Structurally unique compounds may be relevant to a wide spectrum of diseases. The potential of secondary metabolites therefore extends in many directions.

In addition to managing the Collection, you are also building your own research group. What are your plans for the Collection as a scientific workplace?

I aim to continue developing my research group, which focuses on the discovery, biosynthesis, and function of natural products derived both from environmental genetic information and from individual microorganisms. Maintaining and improving taxonomically oriented research is also essential.

In the long term, I would like to create an environment supportive of additional research directions and for researchers interested in establishing their own groups, securing independent funding, and developing their own scientific ideas.

Was the Collection or your research group one of the reasons you decided to return to the Czech Republic?

To be honest, my return was not connected with the Czech Collection of Microorganisms at all. Throughout my career, I experienced various research environments and traveled everywhere together with my family. I worked in laboratories in the United States during my postdoctoral training, and once I felt ready to become scientifically independent, the Czech Republic seemed the most suitable environment both for me and my family.

I returned to RECETOX with the understanding that conditions would be created for establishing my own research group. At Masaryk University, I obtained a MUNI Junior Star grant, which allows me to recruit team members beyond the bachelor’s and master’s levels. Thanks to this funding, I can now also accept doctoral students. My GAČR Junior Star project has also been approved for funding, although it is currently below the funding threshold and awaiting a final decision. There are additional opportunities within European science that I plan to apply for, which should further support the development of my research group.

What opportunities does the Collection offer in connection with your research group?

We are an academic institution closely linked to teaching and working with students. Personally, I find this extremely rewarding and consider it an integral part of scientific work. Students always bring new energy and fresh perspectives into a team, which is essential for maintaining a healthy research environment.

One of my main priorities in the Collection is therefore to create conditions for students at all levels - bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral.

During my own doctoral studies at RECETOX, I was given remarkable freedom and support. I was able to pursue topics driven by my own passion, even when they were not directly connected to my supervisors’ projects. I believe this kind of support is extremely important. From my current position, I would like to foster a similar environment and guide people within the Collection toward genuine enthusiasm for science.