News: Faculty of Science

How can we protect consumers from greenwashing? Do we have the right to have products repaired? Where does the convenience of digital services end, and where does consumer manipulation begin? And can the law really contribute to a more sustainable future? These were the very questions addressed by the second edition of the international summer school ‘Sustainability and Consumer Protection’, organised by the Faculty of Law at Palacký University.

The programme linked current sustainability issues to consumer protection law and offered participants the opportunity not only to attend specialist lectures, but, above all, to engage in discussion, practical work, and the sharing of experiences across different legal systems.

Around 30 students from various European universities travelled to Olomouc to discuss, alongside Czech and international experts, the challenges that are increasingly significant for consumer law. During the summer school, they addressed topics such as excessive consumption in the digital environment, greenwashing, dark patterns, the right to repair, passengers’ rights and the concept of reducing consumption.

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The emphasis was on participants' active involvement. The students did not merely attend lectures; they also worked in groups, analysed case studies and, at the end of the programme, took part in a mini moot court – a simulated court hearing on a fictitious legal case. It was precisely the practical part of the programme that enabled participants to examine individual topics from various perspectives and develop legal arguments in an international setting.

“We are delighted that the ‘Sustainability and Consumer Protection’ summer school has, in such a short space of time, become one of the most sought-after courses at our faculty. For us as lecturers, it is exceptionally inspiring to see the interest and energy with which students from various European universities discuss topics that will fundamentally shape consumer law in the coming years,” said Blanka Vítová from the Department of Private Law and Civil Procedure at the Faculty of Law, Palacký University, who organised the summer school together with her colleague from the department, Rita Simon. Experts from partner universities abroad also took part in the teaching, including from the University of Silesia in Katowice, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Debrecen and the University of Groningen, which gave the programme a distinct European and comparative dimension.

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The summer school also featured a supporting programme that enabled participants to get to know Olomouc, the university, and the surrounding area. Highlights included a joint intercultural dinner, where participants sampled dishes from various European countries, and rafting in the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area. In collaboration with Palacký University’s Sustainable University Department, a guided tour was also organised for participants, focusing on how Palacký University incorporates the principles of sustainability into its day-to-day operations. Thanks in part to these activities, the summer school became not only an academic experience but also a personally and culturally enriching one.

“For us, the summer school was not just an academic programme. It was an opportunity to create a space where students can learn, ask questions and debate, but also get to know researchers and colleagues from a different academic culture, as well as Olomouc itself. It is precisely this combination of expertise, international cooperation and an informal atmosphere that, in my view, gives the summer school its unique character,” added Rita Simon on behalf of the organisers.

The second edition of the summer school confirmed that the link between sustainability and consumer protection resonates with students and is increasingly significant in legal education. The Faculty is thus continuing to develop an international platform that brings together academic discussion, practical teaching and current societal challenges.

From developing biosensors for plant monitoring to searching for new anticancer compounds, the new Biointerface Technologies research group will cover a broad range of topics. The group has been operating at CATRIN since 1 July under the leadership of David Panáček in collaboration with Tomáš Malina. Alongside its scientific objectives, the group also has an important strategic aim: to enhance the competitiveness of young researchers applying for prestigious European grants, including ERC Starting Grants.

“The newly established group responds to the growing need to connect advanced materials research with biological and medical applications, whether by monitoring biological analytes in the human body or in plants. One research line will focus on sensors for plants, enabling the monitoring of various soil analytes, including pH and salinity, as well as the early detection of harmful viruses and bacteria. The second, led by Tomáš Malina, will concentrate on biomedical research, particularly the development of compounds with anticancer activity,” said David Panáček, Leader of the group.

The establishment of the research group is also intended to strengthen the researchers’ chances of securing European projects. Its first years will therefore be an important period in which the group will develop its research direction, build international visibility and seek external grant funding to support further growth. “Having a smaller, early-stage group with a strong publication record significantly increases our chances of succeeding in European competition. It is a model commonly used at leading institutions abroad,” added Panáček, who gained international experience during a research stay at Imperial College London. His colleague Tomáš Malina can likewise draw on his experience at Karolinska Institutet, where he previously worked.

For both researchers, establishing an independent research group represents another important step in their careers. “It is an achievement and a source of satisfaction. I have always enjoyed leading people in one way or another and motivating them to work at the highest level. Naturally, I also see it as a responsibility, but we will do everything we can to succeed,” said Panáček, adding that the group would gradually expand.

The newly approved European network BIORAG – Biostimulants for Resilient Agriculture – will focus on research into biostimulants that improve nutrient use efficiency and help plants cope better with stressful conditions such as drought, salinity, or temperature extremes. The project responds to the need for European agriculture to reduce the use of mineral fertilisers, improve soil health, strengthen crop resilience to climate change, and, at the same time, maintain high yields with lower inputs. It will link research with industrial partners, regulatory bodies, public policy-makers and other stakeholders from across Europe.

The project’s principal investigator is Shubhpriya Gupta from the Laboratory of Growth Regulators, a joint unit of the Faculty of Science at Palacký University and the Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, who will chair the project for four years. The project is scheduled to commence on 29 October 2026.

Natural plant support

European agriculture currently faces several major challenges. These include, in particular, the need to reduce the use of mineral fertilisers, improve soil health, increase crop resilience to the impacts of climate change, and, at the same time, maintain high levels of agricultural production. In line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the European Union aims to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers by approximately 20 per cent by 2030. Biostimulants are among the promising tools that can help achieve these goals.

Biostimulants are neither conventional fertilisers nor pesticides. They are substances or microorganisms that support plants’ natural physiological processes. “They can improve nutrient uptake, promote root system growth, increase plants’ tolerance to stressful conditions, influence crop quality and yield, or support the activity of the soil microbiome. These include, for example, beneficial bacteria and fungi, seaweed extracts, humic substances, amino acids and protein hydrolysates,” said Shubhpriya Gupta from the Growth Regulators Laboratory.

BIORAG to harmonise biostimulant research procedures

The BIORAG network aims to address the current fragmentation of biostimulant research and to establish a common European framework for their study and evaluation. It will focus on gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of biostimulants, standardising laboratory and greenhouse bioassays, and developing uniform methods for evaluating their efficacy. Another key aspect will be the transfer of validated methods from model plants to agricultural crops and woody plants, the harmonisation of data and experimental procedures, and support for the registration of new biostimulant products.

The COST Action BIORAG project will be divided into four main working groups. “The first will focus on biostimulants and microorganisms, their identification, characterisation and functional analysis. The second working group will address mechanisms of action, for example, using molecular biology, genetics, biomarkers, microscopy and omics technologies. The third group will concentrate on the application, registration and commercialisation of biostimulants – that is, on translating research findings into agricultural practice, addressing legislative issues and collaborating with industry. The fourth working group will be responsible for communication and the dissemination of results, training, networking, public outreach and collaboration between European institutions,” added Shubhpriya Gupta.

New opportunities for researchers and more resilient agriculture

An important part of the COST Action will also be the support of early-career researchers and the sharing of experience between European research institutions. The project envisages training sessions, workshops, summer schools, short-term research visits and the exchange of experience between laboratories. BIORAG is thus set to contribute not only to advancing research into biostimulants but also to the development of a European community of experts in this rapidly evolving field.

The project’s results are expected to help improve the reliability of biostimulant products, accelerate the development of new products, enhance the reproducibility of experiments and facilitate the registration of biostimulants. In a broader context, the network may help make agriculture more resilient to climate change, reduce the use of mineral fertilisers, and promote sustainable land management.

The BIORAG project (reference number CA25180) was approved under the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) programme. The four-year international network is scheduled to run from 29 October 2026 to 28 October 2030. This is not a traditional research grant, but a European platform that connects researchers, universities, companies, and regulatory bodies. The project’s annual budget for supporting network activities amounts to approximately 140,000–180,000 euros. Funding will be used to support scientific meetings, workshops, training courses, short-term scientific missions (STSMs), conference grants and activities aimed at disseminating the project’s results. The aim is to harmonise research approaches and methodologies and to support the transfer of proven knowledge into agricultural practice.

Projekt COST Action BIORAG bude rozdělen do čtyř hlavních pracovních skupin. „První se zaměří na biostimulační látky a mikroorganismy, jejich identifikaci, charakterizaci a funkční analýzy. Druhá pracovní skupina se bude věnovat mechanismům účinku, například s využitím molekulární biologie, genetiky, biomarkerů, mikroskopie a omických technologií. Třetí skupina se soustředí na aplikaci, registraci a komercializaci biostimulantů, tedy na převod výsledků výzkumu do zemědělské praxe, legislativní otázky a spolupráci s průmyslem. Čtvrtá pracovní skupina bude zajišťovat komunikaci a šíření výsledků, vzdělávání, networking, popularizaci a spolupráci mezi evropskými institucemi,“ doplnila Shubhpriya Gupta.

Nové příležitosti pro vědce i odolnější zemědělství

Významnou součástí COST Action bude také podpora mladých vědců a sdílení zkušeností mezi evropskými pracovišti. Projekt počítá se školeními, workshopy, letními školami, krátkodobými vědeckými pobyty i výměnou zkušeností mezi laboratořemi. BIORAG tak má přispět nejen k rozvoji výzkumu biostimulantů, ale také k budování evropské odborné komunity v této rychle se rozvíjející oblasti.

Očekává se, že výsledky projektu pomohou zvýšit spolehlivost biostimulačních přípravků, urychlit vývoj nových produktů, zlepšit reprodukovatelnost experimentů a usnadnit registraci biostimulantů. V širším kontextu může síť přispět k vyšší odolnosti zemědělství vůči klimatické změně, omezení používání minerálních hnojiv a podpoře udržitelného hospodaření s půdou.

Projekt BIORAG s číslem CA25180 byl schválen v rámci programu COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology. Realizace čtyřleté mezinárodní sítě je plánována od 29. října 2026 do 28. října 2030. Nejde o klasický výzkumný grant, ale o evropskou platformu propojující výzkumníky, univerzity, firmy i regulační instituce. Roční rozpočet projektu na podporu síťových aktivit činí přibližně 140–180 tisíc eur. Financovány z něj budou vědecká setkání, workshopy, vzdělávací školy, krátkodobé vědecké pobyty (Short-Term Scientific Missions, STSM), konferenční granty i aktivity zaměřené na šíření výsledků projektu. Jejím cílem je sjednotit výzkumné přístupy, metodiky a podpořit přenos ověřených poznatků do zemědělské praxe.

Scientists from the Department of Optics at the Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, have developed a new method that uses artificial intelligence to extract details from blurred images that are practically invisible to conventional optical instruments. The same artificial intelligence model can process images of distant stars as well as individual molecules, without needing to be adapted to a specific telescope or microscope. The results of the research were published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.

Every telescope or microscope has its physical limits. If two objects are too close to each other, their images merge into a single blurred spot. This complicates the work of astronomers observing distant stars, for example, or biologists studying structures inside cells. Existing methods that try to overcome this limitation require very precise knowledge of the properties of a specific instrument and its careful calibration.

AI learned to see beyond the limits of optics

The Olomouc researchers chose a different approach. They trained the artificial intelligence exclusively on computer-generated simulations covering a wide range of optical conditions. As a result, the model did not learn to work with only one specific instrument, but instead captured the general principles by which images are formed in different types of optical devices.

“Our goal was for the AI to learn not just one specific experiment, but a general way of extracting sharper information from a blurred image. This is exactly why the same model can work with data from very different fields – from astronomy to molecular microscopy,” explained Dominik Vašinka from the Department of Optics at the Faculty of Science.

From laboratory points to stars in Andromeda

The scientists first tested their method in a laboratory experiment where they precisely knew the true positions of the light sources. They then successfully applied it to real data. In images of a region of the Andromeda galaxy, the artificial intelligence was able to distinguish a group of stars that appeared as a single object in the original image. In biological samples, it helped reveal fine cellular structures formed by individual fluorescent molecules.

“The experiment with a controlled true structure of the object was an important step. In real microscopic data, we do not know exactly where the molecules are located, and the situation is similar for astronomical data. We created an intermediate step between an ideal simulation and real samples,” said Filip Juráň from the Department of Optics.

Stars and molecules are connected by the same principle

According to Jaromír Běhal, seemingly unrelated fields are connected by the same physical principle. “The connecting element is not the stars or the molecules themselves, but the physics of imaging point sources. If AI captures this physics in a sufficiently general way, it can help in situations where classical calibration is time-consuming, unstable, or practically impossible,” he said.

The researchers believe that their approach will make it easier to use super-resolution methods in a wide range of scientific and technical fields. Because the model is not dependent on a single specific instrument, it could in the future find applications wherever it is necessary to extract as much information as possible from optical images.

One model for different instruments

“This is not merely another image-processing algorithm. What matters is that the model is not tightly bound to a single instrument. This could significantly simplify the use of super-resolution methods in both research and technical practice,” added Miroslav Ježek from the Department of Optics.

The research builds on the long-term work of the Laboratory of Quantum Optics at the Department of Optics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, in the fields of optical measurement, artificial intelligence, and the processing of weak light signals. The project was supported by the Czech Science Foundation, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through the OP JAK ITI Intersectoral Cooperation “Optical Technologies” program, and the Internal Grant Agency of Palacký University Olomouc.

Links:

Article published in Nature Communications: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75584-7

Laboratory of Quantum Optics, Department of Optics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc: https://opticsolomouc.org/

Illustration author: Monika Tomanová, https://monikatomanova.art/, Instagram @monikatomanova.art