Early Career Scientist Event 2025: Young scientists discussed the future of food safetyThe Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology of the University of Chemical Technology in Prague hosted the prestigious international conference of young scientists Early Career Scientist Event 2025. This year’s edition focused on the future of food safety and innovative approaches to ensuring it.
On October 10 2025, the University of Chemical Technology in Prague welcomed participants to the international conference Early Career Scientist Event 2025 – Food Safety for Tomorrow: Uncovering Hidden Risks, Shaping Safer Futures.
The event brought together more than 70 young scientists from various European countries who shared their insights, presented their research, and discussed current challenges in the field of food quality and safety.
The Early Career Scientist Event series, initiated in 2018 by ILSI Europe and its Food Contaminants Task Force, has since become a prestigious annual event, organized in collaboration with universities across Europe.
The Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology of the University of Chemical Technology Prague was a proud co-organizer of this year’s 7th edition, which was held under the patronage of the European Parliament.
The conference provided a unique platform for early-career researchers to present their work, establish new professional connections, and deepen their understanding of key topics in food quality and safety.
The scientific program was divided into four thematic sections:
- Hidden Threats: Emerging Contaminants in Food and the Environment
- The Future of Food Safety: New Approach Methodologies in Risk Assessment
- Safe and Sustainable: Navigating the Risks of Alternative Protein
- Unseen Risks: Volatile Allergens and Toxins in Aromas and Flavourings
The program also included a Live Case Study entitled From Risk Assessment to Management, panel discussion on Stronger Science, Safer Food: The Importance of Collaboration between Sectors and poster session where participants showcased their research findings.
Special recognition goes to the winners of the scientific competitions.
The winners of the best poster awards were (i) Tereza Doležalová from the Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology of the University of Chemical Technology Prague with a poster on “Simulated digestion to assess the bioavailability of HT-2 and T-2 toxins bound to polysaccharides” and (ii) Shpresa Musa from the Technical University of Munich (Germany) with a poster on “CRISPR wheat: A solution to acrylamide concerns for food safety”.
The winner of the best video award on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) was Marina Perez from AIMPLAS (Spain).
We warmly congratulate all awardees and wish them continued success in their scientific careers!
Fritz Pregl Medal 2024 was given to prof. Jana HajslovaThe medal's namesake, Friedrich Michael Raimund Pregl, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1923 for his pioneering work in the field of microchemical methods, which are closely linked to microanalytical applications. In his honour, the The Austrian Society of Analytical Chemistry (ASAC) endowes the Pregl Medal, which is awarded to individuals who have made significant and outstanding contributions to the field of analytical chemistry and in particular to trace analysis of organic compounds.
The Pregl Medal is preferably awarded within the framework of national and international scientific events and symposia in order to link Fritz Pregl's messages with those of the award winners in a wider context.
In 2024, Fritz Pregl Medal was given to prof. Jana Hajslova from the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, on ocassion of the 11th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA 2024), 5-8 November 2024, and presented by president of ASAC prof. Rudolf Krska.
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology FPBT established cooperation within the project financed by the ERASMUS+ program; KA171-HED- Mobility of Higher Education Students and Staff with prof. Dr. Nelso Navarro Martínez from the Universidad de Magallanes in Chile. The project led by Prof. Tomas Ruml, will support the mobility of three employees (10 days) and three students (3 months) in both directions.
Goals of the project is to build up on the existing collaboration to develop a long term and sustainable cooperation both in research and research-based education of master and doctoral students in the framework of joint research and by sharing the opinions in joint meetings, qualification theses or summer schools.
The project expands the recently initiated scientific collaboration on the biological activities of Chilean plants and unique marine organisms by focusing on indigenous, pharmaceutically relevant and yet poorly understood sub-Antarctic and Antarctic macroalgae. Their uniqueness lies in the unusual cultivation conditions in terms of light cycle (polar day/night) and low temperatures. Adaptation to these conditions results in unusual chemical composition, which will be studied in the project. Pharmaceutically relevant is production of compounds blocking the UV light. We will seek another potential activities that could interact in sunscreen lotions. These are mainly antimicrobial, wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects.
Article about the visit of the Chilean delegation at UCT Prague
Algae collecting in Chile:
Presentation of UCT Prague at the Universidad de Magallanes v Chile:
Presentation of the Universidad de Magallanes at UCT Prague:
Students at KACHEKRAN:
And in laboratories of the Department of biochemistry and microbiology:
Meeting of prof. Michaela Rumlova and prof. Tomas Ruml (UCT Prague) with the Rector of the Universidad de Magallanes, Mr. José Maripani
VISITING PROFESSORS Assoc. Prof. Michele Suman, PhD (Food Safety & Authenticity Research Manager, Barilla G. & R.
Fratelli S.p.A., Parma, Italy & Adjunct Professor of AgriFood Authenticity at Catholic University Sacred
Heart–Milan/Piacenza, Italy) and Prof. Dr. Michael Rychlik (Technical University of Munich,
Germany) were named by Visiting Professors in the MSc study programme in “Chemistry and analysis
of food and natural products” for period 2023-2025.
CONGRATULATIONS!
CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN FOODS IXChemistry & nutrition science beyond smart food designing, 13 - 15 September 2023
PhD position in the MSCA-Doctoral Network BIOTOXDoc (Plant Toxin Topics)