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CATRIN-BIO

CATRIN-BIO, one of the three research divisions of the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN) at Palacký University Olomouc, brings together cutting-edge research in biosciences, biotechnology, agricultural sciences, and innovative chemistry. Its goal is to understand fundamental biological processes and translate this knowledge into innovative solutions for sustainable and smart agriculture, food security, environmental protection, and human and animal health.

CATRIN-BIO brings together biosciences with biotechnology and chemistry to understand the mechanisms underlying adaptation, resilience, and biological diversity. Researchers translate these discoveries into innovative technologies and bioactive compounds addressing challenges ranging from climate change and biodiversity loss to food security and human health. Sustainable and resilient agriculture is an important focus, with research aimed at improving crop resilience, productivity, and resource-use efficiency under changing environmental conditions.

CATRIN-BIO researchers integrate molecular and omics approaches with new genomic techniques (NGTs), advanced phenotyping and sensing, chemical analyses, and data-driven approaches to explore biological processes from molecules and genes to whole organisms and their interactions with the environment. By connecting fundamental discoveries with biotechnology and chemical innovation, CATRIN-BIO develops improved and climate-resilient crops, agrochemicals and biostimulants, as well as novel bioactive compounds with applications in biomedicine.

The center builds on the experience and achievements of the Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, established between 2010 and 2013. It collaborates closely with leading international universities, research organizations, and industry partners, and is home to several ERC-funded projects. CATRIN-BIO coordinates the Czech Plant Phenotyping Network (CzPPN), a national large research infrastructure, and hosts the regional office of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB). CATRIN-BIO also has a strong track record in technology transfer, including patents licensed to global industry partners and the creation of research-based spin-off companies. By connecting fundamental research with lab-to-field translation, CATRIN-BIO contributes to sustainable and smart agriculture, the bioeconomy, biotechnology, and human health, reflecting a broader One Health perspective that recognizes the interconnections between environmental, animal, and human health.

Research Groups

Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution

Ladislav Bocák

Crop engineering and biotechnology

Ivo Frébort

Innovative Chemistry

Alexander Dömling

Plant-Environment Interactions

Nuria De Diego Sanchez

News

Featured publications

All division publications

D. Ko, R. Ruonala, A. Faille, E. Hellmann, H. Help, H. Liu, R. Nielsen, A. Haakonsson, N. De Diego, A. Paatero, M. V. Shcherbii, K. Stefanowicz, S. Ćavar Zeljković, T. Drud Lundager Rasmussen, O. Novak, Z. Bodi, G. Eswaran, B. Wybouw, M. Bourdon, C. Urbez, X. Liu, K. Salokas, T. Öhman, T. Waldie, P. Törönen, S. el-Showk, M. Balcerowicz, F. Besnard, X. Liu, P. Perkins, S. Mazzoni-Putman, J. P. Vainonen, M. Sierla, M. J. Frilander, S. Mandrup, T. Vernoux, K. Ljung, A. Ferrando, M. A. Blazquez, L. Holm, R. Fray, M. Varjosalo, O. Leyser, V. O. Paavilainen, A. P. Mähönen, A. Stepanova, J. Alonso, S. Heber, R. Malinowski, F. Kirpekar, A. J. Warren and Y. Helariutta
"Recruitment of bifunctional regulator thermospermine to methylated ribosomes directs xylem fate",
SCIENCE, vol. 391, iss. 6786, pp. 694-699, 2026.
IF = 47.3
CATRIN-BIO
DOI: 10.1126/science.adx2867
A. Bucksch, Y. S. Chung, J. L. Clarke, S. Gerth, P. von Gillhaussen, W. GUO, J. Kholová, S. Pariyar, E. Pickering, S. Sankaran, S. Shafiee, S. A. Cervantes-Perez, S. Dhondt, Z. Han, K. Hossain, W. LaVoy, J. P. Lynch, S. Negrão, T. Pridmore, H. Schneider, S. Schwartz, I. Stavness, S. Sun, V. Vadez, L. West and R. van de Zedde
"Plant Phenomics—the unrecognized rise of a scientific discipline",
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE, Article in press, 2026.
IF = 21.2
CATRIN-BIO
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.001
R. Arshad, I. Skalidis, D. Kopečný, S. Brabencová, M. Opatíková, P. Ilík, P. Pospíšil, F. Hamdi, S. Ćavar Zeljković, M. Kopečná, P. Roudnický, D. Lazár, E. Elias, R. Croce, P. L. Kastritis and R. Kouřil
"Cryo-EM structure of photosystem II supercomplex from a green microalga with extreme phototolerance",
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, vol. 17, article no. 341, 2026.
IF = 18.1
CATRIN-BIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65861-2
D. Panáček, V. Kupka, M. Nalepa, I. Dědek, R. Álvarez-Diduk, S. Olenik, J. Flauzino, J. Zdražil, P. Jakubec, L. Zdražil, L. Spíchal, K. K. Sonigara, R. Zbořil, M. Pumera, A. Merkoçi, J. Wang, N. De Diego, F. Güder and M. Otyepka
"Printing technologies for monitoring crop health",
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, vol. 17, article no. 2009, 2026.
IF = 18.1
CATRIN-MAT CATRIN-BIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-68778-6
S. Arya, L. Spíchal and R. Zbořil
"Flying seed-inspired sensors for remote environmental monitoring on Earth and beyond",
TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, vol. 44, iss. 5, pp. 1214-1229, 2026.
IF = 16.6
CATRIN-MAT CATRIN-BIO
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.08.005
L. Kong, J. Zdražil, N. De Diego, F. Ignacio Jasso Robles, V. Snášel, S. Das and J. Pan
"Leveraging Feature Alignment in Grassmannian Manifold for Multi-Output Regression Tasks",
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON IMAGE PROCESSING, vol. 35, pp. 5804-5817, 2026.
IF = 15.3
CATRIN-BIO
DOI: 10.1109/tip.2026.3695336