Comenius University News

New rules: Summary

The Permanent Crisis Staff of Comenius University Bratislava closely monitors changing public measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 and has analysed several future scenarios. The likeliest scenario established after a meeting with CU Rector, Marek Števček, is the following: • TUITION: The rest of this semester will be taught remotely, apart from studies which have an exception. We will attempt to catch up on essential lab exercises and practice. • TESTS AND STATE EXAMS: We’ll test in person where possible, and as a rule in those study programmes where personal exams are...

Faculty of Pharmacy’s Dean, Klimas, nominates SIDC director Baťová for an award

In his explanation the Dean quoted the Director’s contribution to medical pharmacy research and university pharmacy education. Zuzana Baťová has long been a lecturer at CU’s Faculty of Pharmacy (FoP) and a partner of the faculty in various areas of pharmaceutical science and research. "By being an accomplished FoP graduate who has shown character and a fundamentally humanist attitude she is a role model for future generations of pharmacists and uses her career story to develop personal attitudes and professional confidence of young pharmacy students," said the Dean of FoP Ján...

Moravian excavations revolutionise our knowledge of Permian tetrapods

For tetrapods, life on dry land meant that their organs associated with respiration, reproduction or hearing had to transform. Another equally significant adaptation affected the formation of blood cells. Blood cells make up almost half of the blood content and include platelets, red and white blood cells. In aquatic vertebrates, blood cells are produced in organs - the kidneys or the liver - but in most tetrapods they are produced in the long bones like the humerus or the femur. Until now scientists thought that haematopoiesis (production of blood) in limb bones appeared before the evolution...

Biobank will help to treat cancer and rare diseases

Biobanking of human samples is becoming increasingly important in the field of preventive health care and represents a key tool for improving the effectiveness of medical research on a global scale, according to Prof. Andrea Čalkovská, Dean at the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine CU in Martin. The national biobank project, installed as a hub-and spike model operating with multiple biobank operations in Slovakia, was advocated for several years by an expert team at the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, Comenius University, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) and Slovak pioneers. With...

Most Comenius University students will study remotely during the summer semester.

In according with the regular academic year schedule summer semester tuition begins on 15 February 2021. This year it will take place remotely (online). In order to maintain the quality of study and the value of education that CU offers its students, and in accordance with the recommendations of CU’s Crisis Staff and the CU Permanent Crisis Staff, the University’s Rector Marek Števček decided to offer exemptions to students of selected study programmes and study years. These exceptions will be proposed by faculty deans. Depending on the epidemiological situation the CU Rector may approve a...

The virus is mutating: regular sequencing could help bring the pandemic under control

"The goal may look ambitious but it is manageable with good organization, cooperation with regional authorities and sufficient financial support," says Professor of biochemistry Jozef Nosek from CU. Research groups of biochemists, molecular biologists and bioinformaticians from Comenius University, and virologists from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, have been working on the sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 virus genomes for a year. Genome sequencing is basically about determining the order of the letters in a DNA strand. Using this process, scientists can monitor any changes to the virus...

University Declares a Protest

The leadership of Comenius University Bratislava (CU) and the Presidency of CU’s Academic Senate declare that on 1 March 2021 Comenius University Bratislava will begin a protest against political interference in the functioning of public universities. This political interference takes the form of, in particular: - the amendment to the Higher Education Act proposed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (the "Ministry"), - the...

An important discovery in cancer research

Whenever DNA becomes damaged, the body engages mechanisms to repair it. One of the most serious types of DNA damage occurs when double-strand breaks appear. Improper repair of these breaks can result in cancer or cell death. Homologous recombination is one of two major pathways responsible for repairing such double-strand breaks in DNA. Slovak researchers have now discovered an interplay between the homologous recombination pathway and the HIRA complex. "The HIRA complex plays a significant role in regulating the on/off switching of multiple genes. Its activity also prevents viral DNA...

Harry Potter or Foucault’s Pendulum: Who translates the world's literature for us?

There is less time to translate a bestseller Paulo Coelho likes to publish his books at the same time world-wide and strict translation deadlines have to be met to prevent delaying the release. There is usually more time to translate books which are not on the best-selling list. Bestsellers, or books expected to sell exceptionally well, have to be translated quickly. The Brazilian writer prides himself on writing simply and refrains from experimenting with language or style. He focuses on telling the story in an intelligible way because he wants his books to be accessible to...

CU Research: Mental health of students deteriorates as a result of the pandemic

One third of students experience fairly severe symptoms of depression and one in five suffer from long-term effects of increased anxiety. This is the main outcome of a research project conducted by psychologists and psychiatrists from various CU units under the auspices of CU’s Research Center for Mental Disorders. An online questionnaire was completed by 1786 students and 166 employees of Comenius University between 4 and 27 December 2020. The survey ran against a backdrop of dynamically deteriorating epidemiological situation and of restrictions which significantly affected the holidays and...