Scientific activities

Research activities of the Centre for Cyanobacteria and Their Toxins (CCT) are focused on studies on photoautotrophic planktonic organisms (mainly cyanobacteria) in the aquatic environment. The research is mainly aimed at finding of new methods usable for the reduction of cyanobacterial development in fresh waters. For this purpose, characteristics of various chemicals – potential algicides or algistatics as well as certain non-chemical methods for treatment of sediments or water column or possibilities of using herbivorous fish species have been investigated. Moreover, substances reducing nutrient concentrations have been also studied. Another research interest of the CCT is cyanobacterial autecology, especially cyanobacterial overwintering and the role of cyanotoxins in living strategy of cyanobacteria. Last but not least, effects of most important cyanotoxins on living organisms have been investigated and methods for the detection of cyanotoxins in samples from aquatic environment and in fish tissues have been found and improved.

Members of CCT staff are principal investigators or co-investigators of research projects of the National Agency of Agricultural Research of Czech Republic, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Czech Republic, Czech Science Foundation or the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

The results of CCT research were published in scientific impacted and non-impacted journals and presented on Czech as well as international conferences.