RNDr. Petr Kopáček, CSc.
Job Position: Research Scientist - Laboratory of Enzymology of Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens
Phone:
+420 38777 5724
E-mail:
kopajz@paru.cas.cz
Room:
218
Born
on 14 April 1958 in České Budějovice, Citizenship – Czech Republic
ORCID Id: 0000-0003-2412-5724
Researcher ID: G-8414-2014
Education
1982: RNDr. (equivalent to M.Sc.) - graduated in physical chemistry at Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague
1988: Postgradual course of analytical chemistry at Faculty of Sciences, Komenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
1993: CSc. (equivalent to PhD.) in Biochemistry at Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Former and current positions
1982–1983: Institute of Parasitology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice; assistentship on human protozoan isoenzymes
1983–1985: Institute of Entomology, Czech. Acad. Sci., České Budějovice, research assistant on insect olfaction physiology
1985–1993: Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Biol. Center Czech. Acad. Sci., České Budějovice, research assistant on protein analysis, electrophoresis and related techniques
1993–1995: Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry; Institute of Entomology, Czech Acad. Sci., České Budějovice, research worker on proteins involved in immune system of insects
1995–1996: Galena (IVAX), Research Unit, České Budějovice, research specialist on drug binding proteins
since 1996: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech. Acad. Sci České Budějovice, senior scientist on the molecular physiology of ticks
Important scientific stays and fellowships and courses
October 1991–March 1992: Stay at University of Uppsala, Sweden, Institute of Physiological Botany by Prof. K. Söderhäll; study on crayfish plasma proteins
May 1994–June 1995: Fellowship from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Institute of Zoologie, Free University Berlin by Prof. P. Götz and Prof. M. Schweiger, study on insect prophenoloxidase system
April 1997–June 1997: Stay at University of Arizona, Tucson, Center of Insect Science by Prof. John H. Law, work on tick ferritins
July 2000 – August 2000: Summer laboratory at Woods Hole, Ma. Co-operation with Prof. Peter B. Armstrong (University of California), on alpha-2-macroglobulin receptor from Limulus
Projects solved
a) principal investigator
1997–1999 – Immune system of a tick: Identification and characterization of proteins involved in clotting and melanization of tick hemolymph (A6022701, Grant Agency, Academy Sciences CR)
2000–2002 – Humoral factors and cellular events involved in pathogen transmission by ticks (206/00/266 Grant Agency CR)
2003–2005 – Immune reactions within the gut of the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata (A6022307 Grant Agency, Academy Sciences CR)
2005–2008 – The role of α2-macroglobulin in pathogen transmission by the tick Ixodes ricinus (IAA600220603, Grant Agency, Academy Sciences CR).
2005–2008 – Peptidases in the gut of the hard tick Ixodes ricinus: characterization and potential for vector-control (206/060/865, Grant Agency CR)
2009–2012 – The digestive system of ticks – the target for rational development of vaccine against tick and tick-borne pathogens (IAA600960910 Grant Agency, Academy Sciences CR)
2010–2012 – Functional genomics of the complement-like molecules in the tick Ixodes ricinus (P506/10/2136 Grant Agency CR)
2013–2017 – The role of hemoglobin in tick metabolism and pathogen transmission (13-11043S, Grant Agency CR) (GACR award 2018 – see below)
2018–2020 Nutritional factors essential for tick development and reproduction (18-01832S, Grant Agency CR)
2020–2022 – The role of Toll pathway in the regulation of tick immune response against tick-transmitted pathogens (20-05736S, Grant Agency CR)
2021–2023 – Molecular ontogeny of bloodmeal processing in the tick gut (21-08826S, Grant Agency CR)
2022–2024 – The role of microbiota in shaping the tick midgut immunity and vector competence (22-12648J, joint project of Grant Agency CR and FAPESP)
2024–2026 – Phenotypic mapping of nutrient signaling and sensing pathways in ticks (24-10659S, Grant Agency CR)
b) co-principal investigator
2010–2013 – Structural proteomics of tick proteolytic systems (P207/10/2183 Grant Agency CR)
2011–2014 – Development of a vaccine protecting against transmission of tick-borne diseases based on ferritin 2 for veterinary and human application (FR-TI/3-156, Ministry of Industry and Trade CR)
2019–2022 – Midgut microbial ecology, epithelial immunity, and vector competence of Ixodes ricinus and Amblyomma americanum (19-04301S, Grant Agency CR)
Publishing activity till July 2026 (WOS data)
Papers published in peer-reviewed journals – 101
Chapters in edited book – 5
Patents – 3
Number of citation (without self-citation) ~ 3870
Hirsch index - 41
Teaching activities
Supervisor of 7 and co-supervisor of 2 defended Ph.D. theses and ~ 25 undergraduate diploma works (Bc., MSc.).
September 2019 – a tutor in the 2 weeks’ course “Escola de Altos Estudos” (High Studies School Program granted by Brazilian Federal Agency for Post-graduate Educatio, CAPES) – Univ. Fed. Rio de Janeiro, and Univ Fed. Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil.
Other activities
Since 2012 – a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Developmental & Comparative Immunology journal (Elsevier)
Since 2024 – a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases journal (Elsevier)
2017–2021 – member of the GACR panel 502
2023–2024 – member of the GACR panel 302
Awards
2018 – Award from the President of the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) in Biological & Agricultural Science for the excellent results achieved in the project "The role of hemoglobin in tick metabolism and transmission of tick-borne pathogens".
2024 – Gregor Johann Mendel medal from the President of Czech Academy of Sciences
