Short bio
Petr Novák is a leading expert in structural proteomics and mass spectrometry, heading the Group for Protein Structure Characterization by Advanced Mass Spectrometry at the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. His work focuses on the structural and dynamic analysis of proteins and protein complexes using cutting-edge mass spectrometric techniques. Petr Novák has an outstanding track record as a mentor, having supervised 13 BSc students, 17 MSc students, 11 PhD theses, and 4 postdoctoral researchers. His lab combines technical excellence in protein chemistry and mass spectrometry with translational relevance, bridging fundamental research with clinical applications.
Research interest
Novák Lab is a multidisciplinary team with two core research directions. The structural biology group specializes in recombinant protein expression and the structural characterization of proteins and protein–ligand complexes. The group applies a suite of advanced techniques including native mass spectrometry, hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX), chemical and radical footprinting, and protein cross-linking. Due to the complexity of the data generated, the lab also invests significantly in in-house software development and custom code writing for data analysis and interpretation—filling gaps left by limited commercial tools.
The clinical proteomics unit explores molecular mechanisms underlying various human pathologies, ranging from bacterial and viral infections to diabetes, kidney dysfunction, and neurodegenerative diseases. A unique strength of this unit is its proprietary technology for producing protein chips tailored for immunoaffinity enrichment. These chips are designed for seamless compatibility with mass spectrometric detection, enabling highly specific and sensitive clinical analyses.