Educational, research and consulting activities of the Department of Veterinary Sciences are focused on issues of animal reproductive function and their biotechnological support, and on aspects of animal health care, animal disease prevention and reproductive impairment. Currently, employees of the department also participate in this way focusing projects within the official Czech foreign development cooperation.
Research activity Educational activity Cooperation
Research and scientific activities of the department are focused on the area of gamete biology, mainly processes associated with the development of porcine oocytes and early embryos, or with oocyte aging during in vitro cultivation, the possibilities of influencing those processes, the semen quality and cryopreservation in animal males with special targeting on the choice of cryoprotectant or the influence of contaminants with oestrogenic effects. In the area of health and reproduction impairment, research topics are focused on the issue of the ovarian activity and reproductive system disorders in cow during post-partum. The department laboratories of histology, haematology, and biochemistry cooperate, among others, in research on metabolic burden.
The Department of Veterinary Sciences provides basic biological classes on animal morphology and physiology for FAFNR and FTA programmes in animal science. Furthermore, it provides teaching of specialised courses for FAFRN, focusing on cell biology, animal hygiene or disease prevention, nourishment physiology and hygiene, and bioethics. In accordance with the research activities, it guarantees the Masters’ study programme ‘Reproductive Biotechnology’ (FAFNR), and provides lessons on obstetrics, reproductive biology and endocrinology, management of reproduction, and reproductive biotechnologies for FAFRN or FTA study programmes. The department also provides lessons on veterinary care of game for FFWS.
In the context of the research, the department cooperates with many departments at the FAFNR, as well as with other Czech institutions, including the Institute of Animal Science, Prague; Institute of Biotechnology AS CR, Prague; Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics AS CR, Liběchov; Veterinary Research Institute, Brno and Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR, Prague. International cooperation has been achieved with Laboratoire de Biologie Du Développment, Université des Science et Technologies de Lille (France), Departamento de Fisiología Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia (Spain), Institut za stočarstvo, Poljoprivredni fakultet Univerziteta u Banoj Luci (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ústav genetiky a reprodukcie hospodárskych zvierat Centra výskumu živočíšnej výroby (Slovakia), Institutionen för kliniska vetenskaper, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (Sweden) and Animal Science Research Center, University of Missouri (USA).
