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1. July 2025
Structural biologist Pavel Plevka from the CEITEC research centre at Masaryk University (MUNI) has been elected a new member of the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). This elite organisation, with a history spanning more than sixty years, annually elects outstanding scientists in the field of life sciences based on international recognition of their research and long-term contributions to the scientific community. Brno has every reason to be proud.
EMBO brings together over 2,100 researchers from across Europe and beyond. Its members include Nobel Prize laureates and other prominent scientists who shape the direction of research in areas such as genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, and structural biology.
At CEITEC MUNI, Pavel Plevka specialises in structural biology – a field that reveals the shapes and behaviours of the molecules of life at atomic resolution. His research focuses on the structures of viruses and their interactions with host cells during infection. Using X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, he has determined the structures of numerous viruses, including enterovirus 71, which can cause severe encephalitis in children. He studied the maturation processes of dengue and tick-borne encephalitis viruses and conducts research on bacteriophages, which may serve as an alternative to antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. His work contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms enabling virus infections.
“EMBO’s mission is to support research in the life sciences, foster scientific exchange, and shape policies to improve the quality of the research environment in Europe. For me, being elected to EMBO not only acknowledges my past work but also represents a commitment to contributing to the scientific culture and nurturing talent across Europe,” says Pavel Plevka, who also leads the Structural Virology Research Group and serves as Director of CEITEC MUNI.
New EMBO members play an active role in the organisation – they help shape research agendas, review grant applications from early-career scientists, and nominate other exceptional individuals to join this prestigious network.
The election of Pavel Plevka to EMBO is not only a recognition of his scientific achievements but also a testament to the growing international standing of research conducted in Brno and at Masaryk University, which now has eight EMBO members among the twenty from the Czech Republic.
Here you can read the EMBO press release.
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