Biochemical and Cellular Technologies

Admission to Master's degree programmes Molecular and Cell Biology and Geography of Global Environmental Change

Entrance exam will be organised in two rounds during April 2024. Admission is based on the overall results of the entrance exam and the programme's capacity. It is recommended to have a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry or a related field of study.

1) In the first stage, applicants must submit all required documents (see below) that will be assessed. Based on these documents, the committee will shortlist suitable candidates and invite them for a personal interview.

Required documents:

• Motivation letter (up to one page max.)
• Transcript of Records (completed courses and respective grades)
• Document of the achieved level of English language knowledge (in case English is not the native language)
• Short annotation of your Bachelor’s thesis/project

2) Those applicants who will successfully pass the first round will be invited for an online interview which will be held between April 22, 2024 and April 24, 2024, expected duration 20 minutes. The interview may be recorded for committee purposes and will not be made available to the public.

Applicants have to prove basic orientation in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Bachelor level, especially in the following areas:

• structure and properties of biochemically relevant molecules (amino acids, peptides, proteins, saccharides, lipids, nucleic acids)
• enzymes (enzyme classes, reaction thermodynamics and kinetics, regulation of enzyme activity)
• metabolism (membrane transport, glycolysis, citric acid cycle, respiratory chain, photosynthesis)
• structure of DNA, DNA replications, processes of transcription and translation
• biochemical methods (separation methods, optical methods)

More information can be found here.

In the first stage, the applicant must obtain at least 16 points out of 30.

• Motivation letter and thesis annotation (max. 20 points)
• Quality of the required documents (max. 10 points)

In the second stage, the applicant must obtain at least 16 points out of 30.

• exam interview (max. 20 points)
• English language skills (max. 10 points)

The aim of the Master’s degree program Biochemical and Cellular Technologies is to provide quality education in the fields of biochemistry and cell biology, combining deep theoretical knowledge with practical skills. This English study program is open to students with Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, biology, or related fields. The students will be introduced to the current state of knowledge in biochemistry and cell biology, modern methodological approaches, and current trends in research and practice. The main objectives of the study are to prepare the graduates for the rapidly increasing amount of information and the need to apply interdisciplinary approaches in the study of living systems and in their biotechnological use. The students will gain deep knowledge of biological and chemical principles to be able to apply them in biotechnological and bioanalytical methods. The study program will train professionals with a high level of expertise who will be prepared to independently solve tasks assigned at their workplace. Graduates will have the knowledge and skills needed to go directly into practice as well as for further doctoral studies, e.g., in the Biochemistry, Genomics and Proteomics, and Life Sciences programs.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• apply a broad base of theoretical and practical knowledge in the fields of biochemistry and cell biology;
• use general and advanced instrumentation and techniques of biochemical research and biotechnology;
• establish and optimize procedures for processing samples from diverse biological sources;
• design and operate biotechnological processes based on microorganisms, plant and animal cells, enzymes, and nanobiotechnologies;
• evaluate obtained experimental data, interpret them, and present the results in oral and written form;
• work with primary and secondary sources of scientific information, postulate and test hypotheses, and independently plan scientific experiments;
• use the obtained skillset in academic research as well as biotechnology companies
• flexibly adapt to the demands of the workplace thanks to the deep foundation of the study.

Graduates of the Biochemical and Cellular Technologies program will have sufficient knowledge and skills to go directly into corporate practice. They will be demanded especially by biochemical and biotechnological companies and bioanalytical laboratories with advanced instrumentation. The general background of the study will allow graduates to adapt flexibly to the requirements of the workplace and master the required methods and procedures. With the additional training in economics and marketing, the graduates can also work as managers or sales representatives in companies from these fields. Furthermore, the graduates will be sought after by research organizations worldwide, from private research institutes to academies of science and universities.

Students can gain additional practical skills in optional internships at cooperating biotechnology companies, clinical analytical laboratories, or academic institutes in Brno and surrounding regions.

The thesis is a key part of the study. It is an experimental research project with clearly defined objectives. The student works on the topic independently under the supervision of a selected faculty member throughout the four semesters of the study. The thesis consists of a theoretical introduction to the subject, methodological part, experimental results, discussion, and conclusion. The student will demonstrate the ability to work critically with scientific texts, elaborate on the concepts and theories, design and conduct experiments, evaluate the obtained results, and find relevant answers to the given question. The standard length of the thesis is 60 to 80 pages, including a title page, table of contents, and list of references. The guidelines for thesis preparation are provided by the Measure of the Dean of the Faculty of Science No. 3/2019.

Graduates can continue in Ph.D. studies in our English biochemistry- and molecular biology-focused programs, such as Biochemistry, Bioanalytical Chemistry, Genomics and Proteomics, and Life Sciences. They will also be prepared for doctoral studies in similar fields at other prestigious universities worldwide.