News: Faculty of Science

Science made interesting, science made accessible, science everywhere. Once again, Olomouc is hosting the Academia Film Olomouc international festival, organized by Palacký University.

Although yesterday’s opening ceremony traditionally kicked off at the cinema, AFO isn’t just there. The entire city literally belongs to it. Thousands of visitors can look forward not only to dozens of films from around the world, but also to discussions, concerts, walks, and other events.

And as Rector Michael Kohajda notes on the festival website, AFO is more than just a film festival. “Academia Film Olomouc has long demonstrated the important role the university plays not only as a place for education, science, and research, but also as an active part of our society. The festival is one of the most striking examples of fulfilling the so-called third role of the university—it opens science to the public, promotes dialogue, and contributes to understanding the contemporary world. I greatly appreciate that students from Palacký University play a significant role in its organisation. Here, they gain valuable experience, learn to communicate scientific topics clearly, and develop skills that extend beyond their field of study and their academic work itself.”

So don’t hesitate. It’s definitely not too late. The programme for the 61st year is packed with films and events. Basic admission is free; all you need is accreditation on the festival website. We’ve written about the festival in detail here and here.

Due to the ongoing war, the number of Ukrainian students at Palacký University has increased. At the Department of Slavic Studies in the Faculty of Arts at Palacký University, this situation has also turned into an unexpected opportunity. Here, Ukrainian students are translating selected Czech legal regulations into their native language. In doing so, they are contributing to the reforms necessary for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

The Department of Slavic Studies at the UP Faculty of Arts has joined the project Czech Legislative Assistance to Ukraine, which aims to support Ukrainian lawmakers in preparing the reforms necessary to align with the European legal system. Students enrolled in the course Professional Text Translation 4 (KSU/7POT4) are participating in the project. There are ten native Ukrainian speakers.

As part of their studies, they translate selected Czech laws, for example, in the areas of animal protection, hunting, nature and landscape conservation, or veterinary care. The completed translations are then reviewed by a Ukrainian lawyer and subsequently forwarded to government institutions in Kyiv. There, they serve as a basis for preparing and approving new legislation.

For their work, students receive not only a course grade and three credits, but also a certificate of completion of the translation practicum.

“We joined the project because we can take advantage of the presence of native Ukrainian speakers who know Czech. Under expert guidance, they are able to translate legal texts into a form that a Ukrainian lawyer needs only to review and forward to the relevant institutions. For the students, it is also an opportunity to help their country while studying in the Czech Republic,” said Radana Merzová, head of the Ukrainian Studies section at the department.

The project combines teaching with practical experience and also represents a concrete contribution by the university to supporting Ukraine during this difficult period. It builds on a cooperation agreement between Palacký University and the International Institute for Development and Transformation Cooperation.

Even very low concentrations of pesticides can disrupt the microbiome of aquatic invertebrate larvae, thereby affecting their health and resilience to stressors. This is the conclusion of a new study by researchers from the Faculty of Science at Palacký University and the University of Ostrava, which focused on dragonfly larvae.

The results of the study, titled Trace amounts of insecticide, herbicide, and their combination disrupt the bacterial and fungal microbiome of a nontarget aquatic invertebrate, were published in the prestigious journal Environmental Pollution.

The researchers monitored the effects of two commonly used pesticides on the larvae of the common darter (Sympetrum vulgatum). They focused on the herbicide metazachlor, applied primarily in rapeseed fields against common weeds, and on the insecticide etofenprox, which is used against insect pests. Using molecular methods, they analyzed the larvae’s microbiome—a collection of tiny microorganisms consisting primarily of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microscopic life forms—and found that the insecticide caused the most significant changes. It reduced the diversity of the microbiome, altered the composition of microbial communities, and disrupted the relationships between individual microorganisms. The combination of both substances did not have a stronger effect than the insecticide alone, but it did influence the way microbial communities form.

Even low concentrations of pesticides disrupt microbial balance

“A key finding is that changes in the bacterial and fungal microbiome of the larvae were observed even at extremely low concentrations of pesticides, which were well below levels commonly found in aquatic environments. This concentration can be imagined as a single drop of the substance in a volume of water equivalent to roughly one hundred thousand Olympic-sized swimming pools. The results thus show that even minute amounts of these substances can disrupt sensitive biological processes,” said the study’s lead author, Hana Šigutová, from the Department of Zoology at the Faculty of Science, UP.

According to the scientists, pesticides can also suppress potentially beneficial microorganisms and promote the growth of species associated with disease, as well as with the breakdown of foreign chemical substances. “Because the microbiome can significantly influence the resilience, health, and ability of its hosts to cope with stressors, trace exposure to pesticides in non-target aquatic organisms represents a serious problem that is still overlooked,” added study co-author Petr Pyszko from the Department of Biology and Ecology at the Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava.

Natural environments enhance organism resilience

The research also showed that a naturally formed microbiome can play an important role in host resilience. Larvae collected from the wild had a richer microbiome and greater diversity of microbial communities than individuals reared under laboratory conditions and exhibited higher resistance to pesticides. According to the authors, this suggests that natural microbial colonization may help organisms better cope with environmental stress.

“For a more accurate assessment of ecological risks, it is therefore necessary to monitor not only direct toxic effects but also subtle changes in microbial communities, including the fungal component, which remains largely unexplored,” concluded Hana Šigutová.

In just one week, Olomouc will host the international Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) at Palacký University, which from April 28 to May 3 will offer a selection of today’s most compelling documentaries, inspiring guests, and a supporting programme – an outdoor cinema, concerts and DJ sets, VR screenings, lectures, walks, scientific experiments held in the town square, and activities for children and teenagers. Basic admission is free; all you need is accreditation on the festival website. 

For 61 years, AFO has been showcasing science as a natural part of life. This year, approximately 600 titles from around the world were submitted to the festival. Sixty-one documentaries are competing for the unique prize—a kaleidoscope by glassmaker Martin Hlubuček. In addition, audiences can look forward to films in non-competitive sections, bringing the festival’s total lineup to 139 titles.

“I would recommend, for example, the film About Time and Water, a documentary adaptation of Andri Magnason’s Icelandic book about coming to terms with the loss of glaciers and one’s own ancestors, or the film Super Nature, a collective declaration of love for the landscape and film material, shot on a historic Super 8 camera. My Chemical Information System presents science and the life of a scientist without embellishment as a socially beneficial yet often overlooked vocation; André Is an Idiot reminds us not to underestimate even such a basic examination as a colonoscopy; and the film Afterlives analyses the principles of media propaganda,” said programme director Dominik Vontor, inviting audiences to the festival.

Among the Czech films, the series Potížistky (Troublemaking Women) —an entertaining, collage-like history of feminism—is worth noting, as is Návštěvník Jindřich Polák (Visitor Jindřich Polák), a portrait of a seminal genre filmmaker working with the methodology of new film history, and in the short film competition, for example, the heartwarming collection Co se mění? (What Is Changing?), perfect for lifting spirits.

“We don’t view the festival merely as a film showcase, but as a platform for sharing, discussion, and exploring connections. Science is not isolated; it is present in people’s stories, in the landscape, and in everyday decisions,” says Dominik Vontor. He added that AFO will, for the first time, offer screenings with audio description for the blind and subtitles for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and the opening ceremony will be interpreted into sign language. Alongside traditional documentaries, there will be virtual reality projects and screenings at unconventional locations, such as the Huss Congregational Hall or the cemetery in Neředín.

Programme outside cinema halls

The square will feature the popular giant inflatable models of the Earth and the so-called Astrosphere, which displays the night sky, including constellations not visible from the Czech Republic. On Saturday, visitors can also look forward to an inflatable planetarium. “This year’s accompanying programme also includes a new feature, the so-called ‘spring’ cinema—that is, a summer cinema in challenging weather conditions, but with an all the better atmosphere. We’ll be screening films right on Olomouc’s Upper Square; the screen will be set up right next to the astronomical clock, and we’ve selected titles that can warm even casual passersby. “I’m delighted that we can bring film a little closer to the public space again,” says AFO director Eva Navrátilová, inviting audiences to the festival.

The festival as a space for understanding

This year’s AFO lineup explores the theme of shared discourse across a range of sections that focus on current social and personal issues. For example, the section “Hello! How Are You?” explores dating and the transformations of interpersonal relationships in the digital age, while “Diagnosis: Unknown” presents powerful testimonies about living with chronic illness and draws attention to the lack of attention we devote to these issues. “Echoes of the Future” reflects on the future as a space of both fear and hope. The Culture of Victory explores our need to compete and the significance of sports in society. At the same time, AFO Junior offers children and adults alike a space for shared discovery, empathy, and understanding. A prominent part of the programme is also the Music is Science section, which, in addition to concerts, features audiovisual performances connecting music, science, and technology. Among others, musician and producer Max Cooper will be coming to Olomouc.

“AFO has long demonstrated the important role the university plays not only as a place for education, science, and research, but also as an active part of our society. The festival is one of the most striking examples of fulfilling the so-called third mission of the university – it opens science to the public, fosters dialogue, and contributes to understanding the contemporary world. I greatly appreciate the significant contribution of Palacký University students to its organisation,” said UP Rector Michael Kohajda.

AFO attracts world-class personalities

Olomouc will welcome Robert Petit, director of the film Underland, as well as American filmmaker Erin Espelie and British volcanologist and filmmaker Clive Oppenheimer. Both will present their films Ideas of Order and Vulcano Voices in world premieres at AFO. The programme will also feature projects at the intersection of film, science, and new media, such as Hacking at Leaves by Johannes Grenzfurthner and Phenomena: When the Elements Dance directed by Josef Gatti. Guests will also include American journalist Molly Webster and choreographer Marika Hedemyr.

In addition to international guests, visitors will meet, for example, Daniel Stach, Markéta Šetinová, Vojtěch Mýlek, Anežka Dašková, Prokop Pithart, and Daniel Kortus. The program will also feature other guests across various fields—from science to media to the arts.

Science needs a common language

This year’s theme resonates among scientific institutions and festival partners as well. Pavel Banáš, director of the CATRIN UP university institute, highlights the importance of interdisciplinary communication. “When I learned that this year’s AFO theme is a common language, it immediately occurred to me how crucial this is for science. Over the past century, science has become incredibly specialised, and each field has developed its own language. Yet, the most significant discoveries today arise at their intersections. The search for a common language is therefore a prerequisite for truly groundbreaking research.”

According to Jan Konvalinka, director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ÚOCHB AV ČR), the festival is significant even in an international context: “What the AFO festival has achieved over the past few decades is unique in both the European and global contexts. We are honoured to be able to support such an event.” Jan Hlaváč, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science at Palacký University, also emphasises his support for the festival: “The festival connects science with the public and demonstrates that even complex topics can be communicated clearly and engagingly. We share a commitment to critical thinking, openness, and the search for solutions to current challenges.”

Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) is currently the largest popular science film festival in Europe. Since 1966, it has been connecting scientists, filmmakers, students, and the general public, creating a space for sharing knowledge and open debate about the world we live in. The complete programme for each day of the festival is available here.

Sports as a tool for healthier and more cohesive cities was the central theme of this year’s EUniverCities network meeting, which was also attended by Palacký University. Representatives from universities and cities across Europe gathered in Innsbruck, Austria, to share experiences on how physical activity can strengthen public health and social cohesion.

Discussions and concrete examples from practice showed that sport today significantly transcends its traditional role. It can contribute to improving quality of life, prevent social isolation, or help bridge gaps between different population groups. It is precisely the intersection of sport, urban planning, and public health that is thus coming to the forefront of European cities’ interests.

Cooperation between the University and the City

The Olomouc delegation consisted of representatives from the Faculty of Science and the Rector’s Office of Palacký University, along with representatives of the City of Olomouc. According to them, their joint participation confirms that without close cooperation between the academic sphere and local government, such topics cannot be effectively developed. “It is very enriching to see how sports and physical activity are utilised right here in Innsbruck and how the city and scientists have been collaborating on joint research over the long term. It was also inspiring for me to see how other cities collaborate with their universities,” said Simona Šafaříková from the Department of Development and Environmental Studies at the Faculty of Science.

The meeting’s programme included not only presentations by experts from the local university and city hall but also a series of workshops focused on active mobility, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and the sustainable use of natural spaces. The topics of inclusion and equal opportunity also played a significant role—participants discussed how to adapt sports infrastructure for seniors, women, migrants, and people with disabilities.

From Inspiration to Future Projects

The programme also included field trips to projects that combine sports, architecture, and sustainable development, such as the GreenINN student housing complex. According to participants, these examples demonstrate that systematic support for physical activity can be a natural part of modern urban planning.

Participation in the EUniverCities network provided the Olomouc delegation with new contacts and concrete ideas that Palacký University, together with the city of Olomouc, intends to utilise in preparing future projects. They plan to focus specifically on areas where the promotion of health, sports, and the quality of the urban environment intersect.