Researcher of RCPTM Prof. Dr. Pavel Hobza (Personal page) published an article in one of the most prestigious chemical journal Accounts of Chemical Research (IF 21.852) . The title is “Calculations on Noncovalent Interactions and Databases of Benchmark Interaction Energies” (LINK) Acc. Chem. Res., Articles ASAP (As Soon As Publishable) Publication Date (Web): January 6, 2012 (Article).
Abstract: Although covalent interactions determine the primary structure of a molecule, the noncovalent interactions are responsible for the tertiary and quaternary structure of a molecule and create the fascinating world of the 3D architectures of biomacromolecules. For example, the double helical structure of DNA is of fundamental importance for the function of DNA: it allows it to store and transfer genetic information. To fulfill this role, the structure is rigid to maintain the double helix with a proper positioning of the complementary base, and floppy to allow for its opening. Very strong covalent interactions cannot fulfill both of these criteria, but noncovalent interactions, which are about 2 orders of magnitude weaker, can. This Account highlights the recent advances in the field of the design of novel wave function theory (WFT) methods applicable to noncovalent complexes ranging in size from less than 100 atoms, for which highly accurate ab initio methods are available, up to extended ones (several thousands atoms), which are the domain of semiempirical QM (SQM) methods.

Researchers of RCPTM recently published a review paper in Trends in Analytical Chemistry, a prestigious journal in the analytical chemistry branch (IF2010 is 6.602). The paper is focused on the use of capillary electrophoresis in the analysis of microorganisms (J. Petr and V. Maier: Analysis of microorganisms by capillary electrophoresis, Trends Anal. Chem. 2012, 31, 9 –22;)

Prof. Dr. Radek Zboril, the general director of RCPTM, has been given the 2011 Award of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic for extraordinary results achieved in the field of research, experimental development and innovations. He took it from the hands of Josef Dobes, the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic, alongside with other three laureates at the ceremonial meeting held in the Small Mirror Hall at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic (MSMT) on November 10, 2011. This Award is given to those who achieve extraordinary research results with the support provided from the purpose and/or institutional expenditures of the MSMT budget section allocated for the research, experimental development and innovations. This Award is given by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic on November 10, on the occasion of the World Science Day recognizing the role of science in facilitating the rapprochement of peoples and cultures through its contribution to the advancement of mutual knowledge and understanding of people. For the year 2011, beside Prof. Dr. Radek Zboril, this Award has been also given to Prof. Dr. Julius Lukes from the Biological Centre of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, to Prof. Dr. Emil Palacek from the Biophysical Institute of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and to Prof. Dr. Jiri Zeman from the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague.

Professor Jan Perina has been given the Galileo Galilei Award of ICO (International Commission for Optics). Prof. Dr. Jan Perina is a professor of quantum electronics and optics at the Department of Optics of Palacky University in Olomouc and Joint Laboratory of Optics of Palacky University in Olomouc and Physical Institute of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. He has been working as a Senior Researcher at the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials at Palacky University in Olomouc since 2010. The Galileo Galilei Award Committee of ICO (chair: Prof. Dr. Tomasz Szoplik (Poland); members: Prof. Dr. Cid B. de Araújo (Brazil), Prof. Dr. Gert von Ball (Germany), Prof. Dr. Paul K. Buah-Bassuah (Ghana), Prof. Dr. Bishnu P. Pal (India), Prof. Dr. Mohammed Shabat (Palestine), Prof. Dr. Valentin I. Vlad (Romania), and Prof. Dr. Ičiro Jamaguči (Japan)) has honored Prof. Dr. Jan Perina by the 2011 edition of this Award for “his substantial results in the field of quantum optics and coherence related to non-classical states that have been obtained under difficult circumstances”. The Committee finds to be remarkable how he could have achieved such an amount of work under such difficult conditions that existed in Czechoslovakia in the time of his highest creative activity.

The researchers of RCPTM have recently reported a new synthetic route towards magnetic nanocomposites made up of iron oxide and silver nanoparticles where polyacrylate acts as a biocompatible linker. The synthetic procedure and properties of these silver/iron oxide nanocomposites have been recently published in Biomaterials, being a leading journal in the biomaterials research (R. Prucek, J. Tucek, M. Kilianova, A. Panacek, L. Kvitek, J. Filip, M. Kolar, K. Tomankova, and R. Zboril, The targeted antibacterial and antifungal properties of magnetic nanocomposite of iron oxide and silver nanoparticles, Biomaterials 2011, 32, 4704, see link http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961211003085). Furthermore, experimental data show that at the observed minimum inhibition concentrations, the synthesized iron oxide/silver nanocomposites do not exhibit acute cytotoxicity against mice embryonal fibroblasts. Thus, the developed material has a high application potential as magnetically controllable antimicrobial agent, which can be readily directed to the specific site, where the disinfection treatment is required and, moreover, it can be separated after an antimicrobial action by the external magnetic field. This research work on biocompatible iron oxide-based nanocomposites follows our previous attempts on synthesis of magnetically controllable silver nanocomposite with multifunctional phosphotriazine matrix (Adv. Funct. Mater. 2010, 20, 2347, see link http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.200902370/abstract), and other papers dealing with application of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles in biomedicine (Biomaterials 2009, 30, 2855, see link http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961209001586).

The conference Mössbauer Spectroscopy in Materials Science 2012 is organized by NH CONGRESS OLOMOUC (http://www.nh-olomouc.cz/en/). Scientific content of the conference is guaranteed by the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (www.rcptm.com), Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Conference topics are: …

We announce the first annual scientific conference of Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials. The conference is held on 25th November. The conference will be focused on scientifical results of the Centre. The conference will cover topics from all fields of interest in nanomaterial and optical research: Nanocrystalline oxides of transition metals in environmental, medical, catalytic, and optical applications; Carbon nanostructures, biomacromolecules and hybrid systems – synthesis, modeling of interaction and applications; Biologically-active compounds and molecular magnets on the basis of complexes of transition metals in interaction with nanocrystalline magnetic carriers; Advanced optical and photonic technologies; Advanced materials on the basis of nanoparticles of metals and metal hybrids with extraordinary reduction, antibacterial, sorption and catalytic properties; and Nanometric systems and nanotechnologies in new analytic approaches. The annual conference takes place at the hotel Akademie in Hrubá Voda (near to Olomouc) under the auspices of Prof. Radek Zbořil, Ph.D. , the General director of the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials.

The Eighth International Conference on Local Mechanical Properties is taking place in Olomouc, Czech Republic, from Wednesday, November 9, to Friday, November 11, 2011. The annual LMP conference is organized by Joint Laboratory of Optics. Dr. Radim Čtvrtlík, a junior researcher of RCPTM, is the head of the local organizing committee. Following on from the success of the preceding events, LMP becomes a well-established forum in the field of local mechanical testing. The meeting will provide an opportunity to highlight recent results of research and development in the field of materials engineering, experimental methods, modeling, etc., with the aim to characterize mechanical properties of materials from nano to micro/meso-scale. More information can be found at the web of the conference: LINK

Honeywell Aerospace Olomouc company together with Joint Laboratory of Optics of Palacký University and the Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences which is a part of RCPTM organize on September 22 2011 a seminar called ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY DAY which will be held at 9:00 AM in conference hall on the 4th floor of the building of Joint Laboratory of Optics of Palacký University and the Institute of the Czech Academyof Sciences, 17. listopadu 50a, Olomouc. Full document: Document