Department Profile
 

Within the field of study 4.2.1 Biology, the Department of Biology provides the study programmes in three stages of a higher education system:

• Stage 1 - Bachelor studies: Applied Biology
• Stage 2 - Master studies: Applied Biology
• Stage 3 - Doctoral studies: Molecular Biology

Besides classical biological subjects, the study programme in Applied Biology focuses on modern biological disciplines such as molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, biomolecular design, and other fields. The programme also includes the subjects accenting biological aspects of natural sciences, ecological and environmental disciplines, as well as the subjects involving problems of sustainable development.

The Bachelor degree programme in Applied Biology is designed to instruct the students in the first stage of higher education, so that they obtain adequate knowledge related to the basic natural science disciplines, primarily biology, as well as the cross-disciplinary fields. Biology graduates can find employment in a wide range of workplaces with biological and chemical focus, in research teams or in individual work aimed at research and technologies. They are able to make independent decisions in solving problems and proposing measures, they are capable to participate in project designs and successfully implement them in practice. Graduation from the Bachelor’s degree programme provides a precondition for continuing studies in the second stage of the same field of study, or in some of the related fields.

The graduates from the Master degree programme in Applied Biology are capable to solve problems of biological research and deal with practical tasks of applied biology. They have the knowledge and skills of how to apply the methods of research in living organisms at different levels of organisation (molecule, cell, organism, population, ecosystem). Within the programme, they attain necessary theoretical and practical knowledge, experience and habits allowing them to understand the essential facts, principles and theories in biology, to know the relations between biology and other natural science disciplines. They manage to interdisciplinarily explore and grasp the essence of scientific, technical and social processes going around us. The graduates are able to take part in the project design creation and to successfully implement the projects in practice.
After completing their Master degree studies, Applied Biology graduates can continue studying in the doctoral degree programme in Molecular Biology.
 
The graduates from the doctoral degree programme in Molecular Biology (PhD.) are able to work independently and creatively in different areas of biology, as well as in cross disciplines. The graduates are proficient in scientific approaches and methodology of research in the chosen application fields of applied biology, using the most modern methods of molecular biology and genetics. They also acquire abilities to design, manage, and objectively evaluate problem-oriented experiments aimed at grave problems of the contemporary social practice. They carry out activities in various other fields of social practice, in quality assurance and management, in the environmental monitoring, in pharmaceutical medicine, in clinical biochemistry, molecular medicine, in food industry and in other areas. The graduates have management abilities allowing them to use the knowledge of applied biology in practice. They are capable to lead a research team, to plan team tasks, they are also familiar with the relevant environmental, economical, legal, and ethical issues. On the basis of knowledge acquired during the studies, the graduates are competent to teach specialised biological subjects in the institutions of higher education.
 
The core knowledge areas for the study programme in Applied Biology are as follows:
 

• General biology
• Human biology
• Biology of plants
• Biology of animals
• Biochemistr
• Microbiology
• Molecular biology
• Physiology
• Genetics

 
Extended core knowledge areas of the study programme include:
 

• Fundamentals of chemistry
• Laboratory techniques
• Fundamentals of biotechnologies.

 
Department Structure

Head of Department:
Prof. Ing. Jozef Timko, DrSc.

Deputy Head of Department:
Ing. Viera Horváthová, PhD.

Secretary of Department:
Ing. Ivana Pšenáková, PhD.

Department Staff:
prof. RNDr. Anna Preťová, DrSc.
doc. Ing. Andrej Godány, CSc.
doc. RNDr. Ján Kraic, PhD.
doc. RNDr. Peter Siekel, CSc.
RNDr. Juraj Faragó, CSc.
Ing. Štefan Janeček, DrSc.
Ing. Eva Ürgeová, PhD.

Laboratory Technician:
Marianna Polakovičová
 
Doctoral Candidates:
Mgr. Matej Planý
Mgr. Daniela Jamrichová
Mgr. Michaela Piliarová