Name: Mgr. David Kaftan, Ph.D.
Affiliation
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Branišovská 1760, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Department of Phototrophic Microorganisms, Opatovický mlýn, 37981 Třeboň, Czech Republic
Telephone: (+420)387776230 E-mail: dkaftan at jcu.cz
Education
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Biological Sciences (1992-2000). Bachelor degree in biology, diploma theses „Soil algae of the South Moravian saline habitats“ in 1995. In 1997 graduated in plant biology and evolutionary biology (M.Sc.), diploma thesis “Variability of Nostoc commune (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) strains in central Europe and Antarctica”. In 2000 graduated in plant physiology, PhD thesis: „New techniques for kinetic measurements of in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence emission”.
Academic and professional appointments
1996-1999: research assistant, Institute of Microbiology ASCR, Department of Phototrophic Microorganisms, Třeboň
2000-2002: postdoctoral fellow, Department of Plant Sciences, Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
2003-2008: junior scientist, Institute of Lanscape Ecology ASCR, later Institute of Systems Biology and Ecology ASCR, Nové Hrady
2003-2011: head of Laboratory of Nanobiology, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Institute of Physical Biology, Nové Hrady
7-8/2006: visiting scientist, Plant Sciences Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
7-9/2012: visiting scientist, Plant Sciences Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
2012-2017: research assistant, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, České Budějovice
2014-present: research assistant, Institute of Microbiology ASCR, Třeboň
2017-present: research assistant, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, České Budějovice
Teaching
2004-present: Experimental Methods in Biology, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Science, Institute of Physics and Biophysics
2012-2018: Biology of Plant Cell, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Plant Biology
2013-present: Electron Microscopy II, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Plant Biology
2015-present: Special Measurements, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Science, Institute of Physics and Biophysics
Supervision of MSc. and PhD. students
Martina Matěnová, MSc. thesis in Biophysics “Study of interaction of membrane proteins on a single molecular level using dynamic force spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy and computational biochemistry”, successfully defended in 2011.
Dagmar Hucková, MSc. thesis in Experimental Biology – Genetics and gene engineering “Genetic manipulation of chloroplast DNA for generation of heat-tolerant cultivars of Nicotiana tabacum“, successfully defended in 2018.
Alexander Dulebo, PhD. thesis in Biophysics “Mechanisms involved in sodium uptake activation by the tumor necrosis factor-derived Tip peptide”, successfully defended in 2011.
Tomáš Bílý, MSc. thesis in Physics “Diffraction of primary electrons on atoms of embedding medium of biological material using low voltage transmission electron microscope LV EM 5”, successfully defended in 2011, supervisor RNDr. Stanislav Hucek, Ph.D.
Tomáš Bílý, PhD. thesis in Biophysics “3D electron tomography and correlative microscopy”, successfully defended 2018, supervisor Ing. Jana Nebesářová, CSc.
Fellowships and awards
2000-2002: Feinberg Graduate School Fellowship of the Weizmann Institute of Science
2007: Otto Wichterle Award of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Organization
2nd Regional Photosynthesis Workshop. 31.1. – 3.2. 1999. Lipno, Czech Republic, organisation team
3rd Regional Photosynthesis Workshop. 6.-11.2. 2000. Lipno, Czech Republic, organisation team
2nd Fascination of Plants Day, 18.5. 2013, České Budějovice, local coordinator at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
4th Fascination of Plants Day, 18.5. 2015, České Budějovice, local coordinator at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
MECFA – Microalgal Energy Conversion: Fundamentals and Applications, 24. – 27.5 2015, Třeboň, organizer
Research projects funded by national grant agencies
MŠMT 2139/2006/F4/a, 2006: „Innovation of the course: Experimental methods in biology“, 105 k CZK, principal investigator
GAČR 206/06/0364, 2006-2008: „Dynamics of the structure and function of photosynthetic membranes“, 2877 k CZK, principal investigator
GAAV IAA608170603, 2006-2009 „Energy transfer in chlorophyll containing antenna complexes of planctic photosynthetic microogranisms: mechanisms of regulation“, 3803 k CZK, principal investigator
GAAV IAA608170901, 2009-2012 “Molecular foundations of the photosynthetic temperature adaptation: proteins of the type 2 reaction centres”, 4855 k CZK, principal investigator
GAČR GA15-00703S, 2015-2017: „Molecular mechanisms of thermal adaptation in type 2 photosynthetic reaction centres“, 4986 k CZK, co-investigator
GAČR GA18-02634S, 2018-2020: „Ecophysiological diversity of snow algae – a combined field and laboratory study“, 4530 k CZK, co-investigator
International research projects
MŠMT AKTION 39p11, 2004-2005 „Dynamics of thylakoid structure and function: scanning force microscopy study“, 206 k CZK, principal investigator, project partner Assoc. Prof. Peter Hinterdorfer, Johannes Kepler University in Linz,
MŠMT AKTION 45p6, 2006 „A morphological study assessing the influence of the TNF-derived tip peptide on Na+ channels and membrane characteristics in human epithelial cell lines“, 124k CZK, principal investigator, project partner Assoc. Prof. Rudolf Lucas, IMC University of Applied Sciences in Krems
Additional skills and competencies
Knowledge of foreign languages: English (C2), German (B1), Russian (B1)
Computer skills: advanced skills in Microsoft office suite, Adobe creative suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design), intermediate skills in Linux operating systems, intermediate programming skills in MATLAB.
Driver’s licence: B
Second level sport diver CMAS **