On 14. 5. 2025, the Department of Physics of the Faculty of Science of the University of Ostrava hosted the defense of the dissertation and the state final examination of Mgr. Radomír Pech, DiS.
The chairman of the committee for the defense and the state final examination was Assoc. prof. Mgr. Otmar Urban, Ph.D. from the Global Change Research Institute of the CAS. The dissertation was reviewed by Prof. RNDr. Martin Fellner, Ph.D. from Palacký University in Olomouc and Assoc. prof. RNDr. Marek Živčák, Ph.D. from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. The members of the committee were Prof. RNDr. Jana Albrechtová, Ph.D. from Charles University, Ing. Karel Klem, Ph.D. from the Institute for Global Change Research Institute of the CAS, Assoc. prof. RNDr. Petr Pečinka, CSc. from the University of Ostrava and Mgr. Michal Štroch, Ph.D. from the University of Ostrava. The supervisor of the dissertation was Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Vladimír Špunda, CSc. and the consultant was Mgr. Jakub Nezval, Ph.D. from the University of Ostrava.
In his dissertation, Dr. Pech focused on research of the influence of light and temperature conditions on the content of phenolic compounds – molecules that participate in the protection of plants against stress – in barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Arabidopsis thaliana. The results of the study showed that blue light and low temperature significantly stimulate the synthesis of these compounds. Plants with a higher content of flavonoids also showed higher resistance to stress conditions and stability of the photosynthetic apparatus. A better understanding of the biosynthesis of phenolic substances may therefore contribute to the cultivation of more resistant crops with a higher content of health-promoting substances in the future.
The supervisor of the thesis very positively assessed not only the quality of the dissertation itself, but also Dr. Pech’s almost five-year research activity. Both of the opponents’ reports were also recommendatory and did not contain any major reservations. The candidate has thus successfully fulfilled all the requirements of the doctoral study and is entitled to the Ph.D. degree.
Congratulations!
