BOTANICKY USTAV AV CR, V.V.I.

Their core work

The Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a national research centre focused on plant ecology, biodiversity, and environmental biology. Their H2020 work spans plant responses to environmental stress — from biostimulant effects on soil microbiomes to functional trait differentiation in alpine shrub species across Himalayan gradients. They combine field ecology with metabolomics and dendrochronology to understand how plants adapt to changing climates. Their practical relevance lies in sustainable agriculture (plant biostimulants) and climate change impact assessment on vegetation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earlier work (2017) addressed both applied agriculture (plant biostimulants from waste protein) and fundamental ecological epigenetics. By 2021, their focus sharpened toward climate change ecology — specifically how alpine plant species differentiate functionally across environmental gradients. This shift suggests a move from broad plant biology toward climate-driven vegetation research with a strong field ecology and metabolomics methodology.

They are moving toward climate change impact research on mountain vegetation, combining metabolomics and dendrochronology — a profile attractive to future climate adaptation and biodiversity projects.

How they like to work

They predominantly lead their own projects (coordinator on 2 of 3), which is notable for a small research centre with modest EU funding. Their coordinated projects are individual Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships and training networks rather than large consortia. With 15 partners across 7 countries from just 3 projects, their network breadth comes mainly from the EPIDIVERSE training network where they were a participant.

They have worked with 15 unique partners across 7 countries, though most of this network comes from a single large training network (EPIDIVERSE). Their direct coordination experience is limited to hosting individual MSCA fellows.

What sets them apart

Their combination of eco-metabolomics, dendrochronology, and high-altitude field ecology (Himalayan research) is an unusual niche within Czech research. They bridge fundamental plant science with climate adaptation questions in extreme environments. For consortium builders, they offer a rare mix: a Czech Academy of Sciences institute with both wet-lab metabolomics capability and remote alpine fieldwork experience.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HimFunDiff
  Unusual geographic scope for a Czech institute — studying Himalayan alpine shrub ecology with a combined metabolomics and dendrochronology approach.
• EPIDIVERSE
  Largest project by funding (EUR 232k share), part of a multi-partner training network on the emerging field of ecological epigenetics.