News

Botanist and ecologist Petr Pyšek, who is in charge of the Department of invasion ecology at the Czech Academy of Sciences, has received this year’s “Czech Head” (Česká hlava) award, Czech Television reported on Friday. Professor Pyšek is considered one of the founders of the modern discipline of invasion ecology and is currently the most cited scientist in his field.

The prize was launched in 2002 by a team of scientists and marketing experts in order to support and promote Czech science among the public as an "attractive brand". It includes several sub-awards for work in distinct areas of science.

The ABB Invention Award went to Martina Benešová-Schäfer for her work in the research and development of radiotherapeutics for treating prostate cancer.

Meanwhile, R&D e-infrastructure developer CESNET received the IDEA StatiCa Industry Award for its development of a low time delay long-distance video and audio transmission device.

The Lorem Award for best research in the area of health sciences went to Ilona Hromadníková for her work in developing a new diagnostics method for predicting pregnancy complications caused by high blood pressure.

Two Doctorandus awards, one for technical sciences and one for natural sciences were awarded as part of the Czech Head competition. The technical award went to young scientist Petr Sezemský who focuses on bioactive nanostructured surfaces created using low-temperature plasma. Meanwhile, the natural sciences award was given to Alžběta Dostálková for her research into the interactions that lead to the assembly of retroviral particles.

Czech snowboarder and Sochi Olympic champion Eva Adamczyková started her first Snowboard Cross World Cup competition this Friday after a year-long forced absence. Adamczyková broke both of her ankles in December 2021, just two months before the beginning of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

She competed at the FIS Snowboard Cross event in Pitzfal, Austria, last month, but this week’s competition in Les Deux Alpes is her first FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup showing since her injury took place. If she passes Friday’s qualifiers, she will be competing in the main part of the race on Saturday.

The Ukrainian Consulate in Brno and a nearby school had to be evacuated on Friday morning due to concerns about a suspicious package that had been delivered to the consulate, Police spokesman David Chaloupka told the Czech News Agency. The package was similar to those that had been identified in Spain, where a local Ukrainian Embassy employee was injured on Wednesday after the device exploded.

The package sent to the Brno consulate was then x-rayed by the police. News site Novinky.cz has since reported that the police have found that the package contained organic tissue, adding that a closer laboratory analysis will follow. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko, the packages delivered to the Brno Consulate and to several other Ukrainian diplomatic representations across Europe contained animal eyes.

Czech Radio reported later on Friday that the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague received a similar package. The postal item is being analysed by pyrotechnicians, the Police stated. No evacuation was necessary in this case, only a partial closing of the surrounding street.

The Czech Police have called on all consulate employees in Czechia, as well as those working in companies producing arms materials, to act with maximum caution when inspecting new mail and to call the Police if they have any suspicions.

Avian influenza has re-appeared in Czechia after a seven-month absence, the State Veterinary Administration has announced. An outbreak of the H5N8 virus, which is fatal to birds, was recorded at a duck poultry farm by the village of Frahelž in South Bohemia earlier this week.

Thousands of ducks at the farm were infected with bird flu and died within the past three days. In line with standard directives, special veterinary measures have been introduced in the immediate area of the farm, while the remaining poultry will be put down.