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What does the human genome look like where we've only seen noise before? The team of Mgr. Monika Čechová, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Informatics at MU, is exploring previously hard-to-access parts of DNA with the aim of understanding their impact on health and moving closer to personalised medicine. The development of this research was supported by the MUNI Award in Science and Humanities (MASH) grant.

“We are interested in several topics: the dynamics of telomeres, i.e. sequences that protect the ends of chromosomes in healthy and cancer patients; how the number of cells without a Y chromosome changes in men over the course of their lives and what this means for their health; or the role repetitive DNA sequences have on incorrect cell division and DNA rearrangements,” says Čechová, describing the main areas of her research.

Its current state of the art has been made possible primarily by technological advances in DNA reading and assembling methodology, including algorithms that increase the accuracy of both read DNA (i.e. basecalling) and i.e. genome assembly. Machine learning methods will also be used, for example to predict telomere length or to monitor the progress of Y chromosome loss. The research also aims to create bioinformatics tools for the wider scientific community and to raise awareness of nanopore sequencing. This method allows DNA to be read by stretching its strands through microscopic holes. It then recognises individual ‘letters’ of the genetic code based on changes in the electrical current. It thus acts as a reader that can determine the exact composition of DNA even in complicated regions. Thanks to the availability of the sequencer directly at FI MU, we can teach this expertise to our students in advanced bioinformatics courses, as well as apply it in ongoing projects.

The research group is already engaged in several scientific projects and is gradually growing. It is currently looking for a post-doctoral candidate and will be accepting Ph.D. students to start in the spring semester of 2026. They also welcome students seeking a thesis topic. At the same time, they plan to develop cooperation with other professional partners, in particular with the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC). The aim is to conduct collaborative research on cancer patient samples, combining informatics and biomedical perspectives.

The kick-off of the research has been made possible by the MASH grant that Monika Čechová received this May, which she believes provides the ideal conditions for getting started: “'This scheme is absolutely fantastic, and allows for the creation of a research group with tremendous flexibility. In our field, technology changes very quickly - it's a slightly different world every six months if you're operating at world-class level - and you have to be flexible with your experimental plan. MASH makes all this possible, making it an attractive scheme for young scientists, even internationally,” she adds. For example, she can offer longer-term collaborations just within the framework of the grant to students who are successful in writing their theses, or to other professionals interested in the research.

An integral part of the plans is the development of a broader bioinformatics community in Brno. At the end of May, the group organized a Bioinformatics Retreat and is planning the first of a series of bioinformatics workshops for the wider scientific community in September. Registration will open soon through the MU Business Center. By regularly attending international conferences and collaborating with American colleagues, Čechová hopes to open new opportunities to attract international guests. She also plans to offer a bioinformatics summer school for international graduate students at FI in the summer of 2026, together with colleagues from the Sybila lab. An ERC grant application is then expected in autumn 2026, for which the team is now collecting nanopore data.

We wish Monika Čechová every success in her future activities at FI MU!

What is a MASH grant?

The MUNI Award in Science and Humanities (MASH) is a grant scheme of Masaryk University that aims to support excellent researchers and strengthen the scientific profile of the university. Sub-categories of the grant are gradually being created, related to the specific focus of the support. This year, for the first time, the University has awarded nine of these grants in the MASH StG/CoG variant for young scientists who wish to apply for a European Research Council (ERC) Starting or Consolidator grant under the MU umbrella. Monika Čechová is one of the scientists supported in this way. MASH StG/CoG provides four-year funding in an effort to strengthen the motivation of scientific talent to stay, work for Masaryk University and produce outstanding scientific results over the long term.

Author: Marta Vrlová, Office for External Relations and Partnerships at FI MU

Photo: Martin Indruch