Four students from the Faculty of AgriSciences and one student from the Faculty of Horticulture won this year’s MENDELU Ph.D. Talent competition. Within five minutes, they presented their research proposals in English to an expert panel. The winners will receive a monthly scholarship of 10,000 CZK for one year to help launch their scientific careers. A total of nineteen students applied this year, with ten advancing to the second round.
“The aim of the competition is to financially support the winners’ research so they can focus more on their work and have a better chance of succeeding in the future. The scholarship can be used for any purpose—it is meant as a motivational contribution to kick-start their scientific careers, allowing them to dedicate themselves to research rather than, for example, part-time jobs,” explained Pavlína Adam, Vice-Rector for Research and Creative Activities.
Contestants had five minutes for their presentation and another five minutes to answer questions from the expert panel. After six months, the winners will submit a progress report describing the development of their research. After one year, they will submit a final report and present their progress again before the evaluation committee.
“In their presentations, they are expected to define objectives, outputs, and results, describe educational and research activities, as well as any collaborations or involvement in projects. They should also explain what they worked on within the project and what the experience brought them,” Adam added.
Kristýna Koláčková focuses her research on how microalgae respond to pollution in aquatic environments. “In nature, they are often exposed to combinations of contaminants, such as microplastics and metals, which can interact with each other. I am interested in whether the natural organization of microalgae—their growth in the form of biofilms—can influence the availability and effects of these substances. A better understanding of these processes can help assess the impact of pollution on aquatic ecosystems,” the doctoral student explained.
“My research focuses on the effect of biochar on native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in vineyard soils. The aim is to determine whether the application of biochar can support their activity and colonization of grapevine roots. Plants colonized by mycorrhizal fungi typically absorb nutrients more efficiently and may be more resistant to various stress factors,” explained Linda Holcová from the Faculty of Horticulture.
Xhensiana Ndreka from the Faculty of AgriSciences focuses on developing innovative methods for detecting pharmaceutical contaminants in environmental waters, with a particular emphasis on acetaminophen (paracetamol). “Participating in the MENDELU Ph.D. Talent competition was truly an inspiring journey. It pushed me to bring my ideas to life, articulate the importance of my work for our environment, and share my vision with a panel of experts, gaining valuable feedback. Preparing my proposal and presentation encouraged me to deeply reflect on the impact my research could have on the world and improved my ability to communicate clearly and passionately. This experience has further strengthened my motivation to contribute to the scientific community,” she said.
Michaela Heinzka is developing new methods for the rapid and reliable measurement of antioxidants in anti-aging creams and serums. “These methods can help better verify the quality of cosmetics and support the development of products that truly work—contributing to healthier and more beautiful skin. Participating in the MENDELU Ph.D. Talent competition was a very valuable experience for me, helping me better formulate and clearly present my research while gaining valuable feedback. A major benefit was also practicing presentations in English,” she added.
Terezie Šlesingerová is working on the development of an innovative drug delivery system based on magnetic nanoparticles, designed for targeted drug delivery in the treatment of liver cancer using a magnetic field. “This approach allows drugs to be specifically directed to tumor cells, increasing treatment effectiveness while minimizing side effects in healthy tissues. A key advantage of my project is the use of the in vivo chicken CAM model, which represents an ethical alternative to traditional preclinical studies on rodents. This model enables faster evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of magnetic nanoparticles on human tumor xenografts on the CAM,” she explained.
Winners of MENDELU Ph.D. Talent 2026: