The National Institute of Virology and Bacteriology (NIVB) brings together top research groups from four Czech universities, Masaryk University, Charles University, Palacky University in Olomouc and the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, and four institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, whose research has long been established in the fields of virology and bacteriology.
The NIVB's scientific focus will be mainly on the areas of pathogen-host interactions, immunity against viruses and bacteria, and the treatment of viral and bacterial diseases. The project of the National Institute of Virology and Bacteriology is financed by the EXCELES program, the Program for the Support of Excellent Research in Priority Areas of Public Interest in Health Care within the framework of the National Recovery Plan.
The newly created group of the National Institute of Virology and Bacteriology (NIVB) at UCT Prague is oriented mainly on basic research aimed at understanding the processes and mechanisms by which selected representatives of retroviruses, flaviviruses, coronaviruses and pathogenic bacteria interact with host cells, cause existing and new infectious diseases and resist treatment. The research will be focused on describing the interactions of viruses and bacteria with the host, understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and the development of antiviral and antibacterial substances.