Postdoctoral fellow
Education
2026 – present
Senior Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University
2026 – present
2019 – 2025
EIPOD4 Postdoctoral fellow, EMBL-Hamburg, Matthias Wilmanns group
Integrative structural biology (MX, SSX, SAXS, CEM, uED, AF3), in cellulo crystallography, image stream cell sorting, fluorescence microscopy, crystal direct harvester, generation of sybodies, cluster-based data processing (CrystFEL), protein biophysical characterization (MP, BLI, MALLS, DSF), heterologous expression in prokaryotic, insect, and mammalian systems, science public outreach, training, and mentoring students
2019 – 2025
2017 – 2019
Research assistant at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University
Research and pedagogical activities with a focus on the study of the structure and interaction of natural killer cell receptors and their usage in translational medicine. Preparation of scientific articles and grant applications.
2017 – 2019
2017
Ph.D. in Biochemistry
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University; doctoral thesis “Study of structure and interaction of human lymphocyte receptors”
2017
2012 – 2017
Researcher in the Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry of Immune Recognition
LIC cloning techniques, heterologous expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, protein purification (IMAC, IEX, HIC, SEC), automation, biophysical characterization (AUC, SPR, MST, CD), MX and SAXS diffraction data processing, super-resolution microscopy (dSTORM, PALM), Voronoi tessellation cluster analysis
2012 – 2017
2012
Master’s degree in Biochemistry
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University; master’s thesis “Preparation and study of human lymphocyte receptor LLT1”
2012
2010 – 2011
Researcher in the Laboratory of Protein Architecture, IMB CAS CZ
DNA cloning, suspension/adherent cultivation of eukaryotic cells, heterologous expression in HEK293, enzyme kinetics, IMAC
2010 – 2011
2010
Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University; bachelor’s thesis “Optimization of recombinant protein expression in HEK293 cell line”
2010
Publications
| 2025 | Nejadebrahim S, Houserová J, Ječmen T, Kalousková B, Abreu C, Herynek Š, Skořepa O, Bláha J, Vaněk O. Multiple O- and an N-glycosylation of the stalk region of the NK cell activation receptor NKp46 mediates its interaction with the Candida glabrata epithelial adhesin 1. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2025;310:143037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.143037 |
| 2025 | Abreu C, Di Carluccio C, Ječmen T, Skořepa O, Bláha J, Marchetti R, Silipo A, Vaněk O. Insights into stability, dimerisation, and ligand binding properties of Siglec-7: Isotope labelling in HEK293 cells for protein characterisation by NMR spectroscopy. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2025;309(Pt 1):142672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.142672 |
| 2022 | Bláha J, Skálová T, Kalousková B, Skořepa O, Cmunt D, Grobárová V, Pazicky S, Poláchová E, Stránský J, Kovaľ T, Dušková J, Zhao Y, Harlos K, Hašek J, Dohnálek J, Vaněk O. Structure of the human NK cell NKR-P1:LLT1 receptor:ligand complex reveals clustering in the immune synapse. Nature Communications. 2022;13(1):5022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32577-6 |
| 2021 | Kalousková B, Skořepa O, Cmunt D, Abreu C, Krejčová K, Bláha J, Sieglová I, Král V, Fábry M, Pola R, Pechar M, Vaněk O. Tumor Marker B7-H6 Bound to the Coiled Coil Peptide-Polymer Conjugate Enables Targeted Therapy by Activating Human Natural Killer Cells. Biomedicines. 2021;9(11):1597. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9111597 |
| 2020 | Skořepa O, Pažický S, Kalousková B, Bláha J, Abreu C, Ječmen T, Rosůlek M, Fish A, Sedivý A, Harlos K, Dohnálek J, Skálová T, Vaněk O. Natural Killer Cell Activation Receptor NKp30 Oligomerization Depends on Its N-Glycosylation. Cancers. 2020;12(7):1998. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12071998 |
| 2020 | Skálová T, Lengálová A, Dohnálek J, Harlos K, Mihalčin P, Kolenko P, Stranava M, Bláha J, Shimizu T, Martínková M. Disruption of the dimerization interface of the sensing domain in the dimeric heme-based oxygen sensor AfGcHK abolishes bacterial signal transduction. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2020;295(6):1587–1597. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA119.011574 |
| 2019 | Vaněk O, Čeladová P, Skořepa O, Bláha J, Kalousková B, Dvorská A, Poláchová E, Pucholtová H, Kavan D, Pompach P, Hofbauerová K, Kopecký V, Mesci A, Voigt S, Carlyle JR. Production of recombinant soluble dimeric C-type lectin-like receptors of rat natural killer cells. Scientific Reports. 2019;9(1):17836. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-52114-8 |
| 2018 | Škerlová J, Bláha J, Pachl P, Hofbauerová K, Kukačka Z, Man P, Pompach P, Novák P, Otwinowski Z, Brynda J, Vaněk O, Řezáčová P. Crystal structure of native β-N-acetylhexosaminidase isolated from Aspergillus oryzae sheds light onto its substrate specificity, high stability, and regulation by propeptide. The FEBS Journal. 2018;285(3):580–598. https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.14360 |
| 2017 | Stranava M, Man P, Skálová T, Kolenko P, Bláha J, Fojtíková V, Martínek V, Dohnálek J, Lengálová A, Rosůlek M, Shimizu T, Martínková M. Coordination and redox state-dependent structural changes of the heme-based oxygen sensor AfGcHK associated with intraprotein signal transduction. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2017;292(51):20921–20935. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M117.817023 |
| 2017 | Bláha J, Kalousková B, Skořepa O, Pažický S, Novák P, Vaněk O. High-level expression and purification of soluble form of human natural killer cell receptor NKR-P1 in HEK293S GnTI− cells. Protein Expression and Purification. 2017;140:36–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pep.2017.07.016 |
| 2015 | Bláha J, Pachl P, Novák P, Vaněk O. Expression and purification of soluble and stable ectodomain of natural killer cell receptor LLT1 through high-density transfection of suspension adapted HEK293S GnTI(-) cells. Protein Expression and Purification. 2015;109:7–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pep.2015.01.006 |
| 2015 | Skálová T, Bláha J, Harlos K, Dušková J, Kovaľ T, Stránský J, Hašek J, Vaněk O, Dohnálek J. Four crystal structures of human LLT1, a ligand of human NKR-P1, in varied glycosylation and oligomerization states. Acta Crystallographica Section D: Biological Crystallography. 2015;71(Pt 3):578–591. https://doi.org/10.1107/S1399004714027928 |
Research projects since obtaining the Ph.D.
| 1. | Ambient ion soft landing as reproducible sample deposition on grids for cryo-electron microscopy. MERIT fellowship (Marie Sklodowska-Curie cofund fellowship, 2025-2027, rejected), principal investigator |
| 2. | Efficient in-cellulo X-ray data acquisition using advanced sample enrichment and delivery tools (Life Science Alliance fund, Stanford University, 2022-2024) principal investigator |
| 3. | Living cells: Crystallization chambers for serial synchrotron crystallography. EIPOD4 fellowship (Marie Sklodowska-Curie 847543), principal investigator |
| 4. | Expanding the domain of serial crystallography: Membrane protein & IN CELLULO crystallozation (InCellSX). Rontgen-Angstrom-Cluster, 2019-2023, member of research team |
| 5. | New ligands for old receptors of human natural killer cells: structure, assembly within the immune synapse and potential for therapy. Czech Science Foundation (18-10687S), 2018-2020, member of research team |
| 6. | INSTRUCT R&D Pilot project award, 2017, member of the research team |
Selected Special Courses and Workshops
| 2024 | BioXFEL spring symposium at ASU |
| 2023 | Train the trainers – FAIR policies in data management |
| 2022 | Approaches for in cellulo structural biology with X-rays (organizer) |
| 2021 | Recent advances in structural biology of membrane proteins |
| 2020 | EMBO Laboratory leadership |
| 2019 | EMBO Practical Course: The Fundamentals of High-End Cell Sorting, EMBL Heidelberg |
| 2018 | FEBS & Instruct Practical Course Hydrodynamic and thermodynamic analysis of biological macromolecules and their interactions (co-organizer) |
| 2017 | Proteins for Life (co-organizer) international conferences |
| 2015 | Protein crystallography summer school, University of St. Andrews |
| 2014 | Advanced methods to study complexes and difficult targets, INSTRUCT, IGBMC, Strasbourg |
| 2013 | Time management training course, Flowenta |
| 2012 | Advanced methods in macromolecular crystallization V, FEBS, Nové Hrady |
| 2011 | Mammalian expression workshop, P-CUBE, STRUBI, Oxford |
Internships and visits abroad
| 2017 | SPR platform (INSTRUCT access, 1 week), IBS, Grenoble, France |
| 2016 | Two-month-long Instruct internship in David Stuart’s group, STRUBI, University of Oxford, UK; (Dr. Yuguang Zhao as supervisor) |
| 2012 – 2013 | HTP prokaryotic and baculoviral expression platform (2× INSTRUCT access, 2 weeks total), OPPF, Oxford, UK |
| 2011 – 2015 | HTP mammalian expression and protein crystallization platform (4× INSTRUCT access, 4 weeks total), STRUBI, University of Oxford, UK |
Awards
| 2015 | 3rd prize for the best oral presentation in the English language, PGS conference at XVII. Meeting of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists |
| 2012 | 2nd prize for the best oral presentation in the English language, Young section of XXIII. Biochemical meeting (2012), Brno, Czech Republic |
| 2005 | Best Video of Physics Experiment as Part of the World Year of Physics |
| 2005 | 4th prize in SPUSA English writing competition |
TEACHING ACTIVITIES AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
| 2022 – 2022 | Public Science Outreach at the Natural History Museum in London, UK |
| 2019 – 2024 | Supervision of short-term visiting students and one master student |
| 2017 – 2019 | Coordinator for ERASMUS+ at the Department of Biochemistry, Charles University |
| 2017 – 2017 | 3rd Journey into the depths of chemistry for high schools |
| 2012 – 2019 | Advanced practical course in Biochemistry (MC250C17N), Charles University |
| 2012 – 2019 | Advanced practical course in Biochemistry for KATA (MC250C03), Charles University |
| 2007 – 2010 | Lecturer of chemistry at the Natural Sciences Station competition |
Other abilities
Batch scripting, Python-oriented programming. Woodworking, cross-stitching, knitting, acrylic painting, 3D printing, chess, Rubik’s puzzles. Active runner, passionate cook, avid reader.
Last updated 6. 6. 2026