The International Advisory Board praised the quality of research, infrastructure, and atmosphere at IBT

On May 21–22, 2026, the International Advisory Board (IAB) visited the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. After four years, its members returned to the teams that had been part of the first evaluation and focused on their further development, scientific results, future direction, and working conditions.

Five laboratories led by Jan Dohnálek, Mikael Kubista, Jiří Neužil, Kateřina Komrsková, and Zdeněk Lánský underwent the evaluation. The program also included presentations and visits to two core facilities - the Center of Molecular Structure and the GeneCore Facility.

During the two-day program, members of the IAB met with the institute’s leadership, laboratory heads, and members of individual teams. The program included presentations, discussions of pre-prepared materials, laboratory visits, and interviews with laboratory members.

In its evaluation report, the advisory board highlighted the quality of research at IBT, the motivated research teams, the high-quality infrastructure, and the positive atmosphere at the institute. It described IBT as a highly successful research institute with significant potential for further international growth and increased visibility.

The report also includes recommendations for the institute’s further development, including in the areas of internal communication, international visibility, scientific recruitment, career development, research data management, support for core facilities, and modernization of the website.

The visit also included an informal evening program, which provided an opportunity for further discussion and personal meetings between Advisory Board members and the institute’s leadership and laboratory heads.

During the meeting, there was also a change in the IAB’s leadership. After six years, Gideon Schreiber stepped down as chair. Stefan Diez was unanimously elected as the new chair, while Milton Stubbs continues to serve as vice chair.

You can read the summary report in English here.