Study programmes

In 2006/2007, the Faculty of Science of the Charles University successfully opened the interdisciplinary bachelor programme "Practical Geobiology", which enables to study interactions of the geosphere and the biosphere through time at a single Central European university. The high interest of students in the bachelor programme and their interest to continue in the geobiology studies at the master level initiated the need to accredit also master programme of geobiology, which was open from 2012/2013.
The geobiology as a new field of Sciences was established in the 1990s in the US and quickly spread to Europe. Geobiology is currently one of the most dynamically developing fields of Earth Sciences. Several geobiology centers have been established at European universities (e. g. Center for Geobiology, University of Bergen; Department of Geobiology, University of Utrecht; Department of Geobiology, University of Bremen; Center for Geosciences of Goetingen. Specialized lectures for master programme of geobioogy were opened in the University of Göttingen.
The scientific activities of individual centers differ, the centres are specialized to some of the following specializations: the origin and evolution of life, the evolution of interactions between the biosphere and the atmosphere / hydrosphere / pedosphere, the events in sedimentary, geochemical and paleobiological records, evolutionary ecology, biodiversity evolution and historical biogeography on a wide range of time and space scales (including the youngest geological periods), the role of microorganisms in inorganic transformations of lithosphere and hydrospheres, global cycles of elements , mineralization of organic matter and environmental microbiology, astrobiology, the life in extreme conditions.
The above-mentioned subjects of geobiology research provide the theoretical basis for understanding interactions between biosphere and geosphere in important natural and man-made processes such as soil formation, geothermal systems, hydrothermal systems, biogeochemical cycles and soil decontamination. The application of theoretical geobiological education enables that students of geobiology can work also in applied sciences. The study of the biodiversity evolution in relation to the development of the geosphere creates the theoretical basis for the concept of sustainable development. Geological history provides models for catastrophic biodidversity events which should be used in programmes of biodiversity protection.
The proposed concept of the master study of geobiology is based on the research activities of the geological and biological departmens and institutions of the Faculty of Science, Charles University. The following study fields are based on the established scientific teams of the Faculty of Science of the Charles University.
Evolution of fossil ecosystems: interaction of the organic and inorganic components of the ecosystem in the geological past: evolution of the fossil ecosystems, interpretation of paleoenvironment from geochemical data, biodiversity evolution, events in ecosystem evolution, climate oscillations and their consequences, relationship of rapid and slow processes in the geosphere to dynamics of biosphere.
Paleobiological aspects of organism evolution: microevolutionary and macroevolutionary changes in fossil record, species concept in paleobiology, early evolution of groups of animals and plants, methods of molecular paleobiology.
Taphonomy: fossilization environment, postmortal changes in biocenosis, changes in fossil assemblages during sediment compaction and diagenesis, taphonomic windows.
Historical biogeography: synthesis of neontological, paleontological, paleoclimatological and paleogeographic information and integration of corresponding conceptual and methodological tools in the interpretation of the areal history of recent and fossil taxa. Combination of molecular phylogenetic approaches and historical geology
Quaternary paleoecology: Synthesis of actuoecological and paleoecological approaches to the study of the Pleistocene and Holocene. Environmental changes in the Quaternary and response of the biological systems to these oscillations. Historical roots of today ecosystems. Long-term evolution of contemporary landscapes including cultural landscape.
Geomicrobiology: the role of microorganisms in the transformation of organic matter in soils. Enzymatic activity of bacteria and fungi in model ecosystems. Description of diversity of microorganism communities by classical and molecular genetic methods. Actinomycetes in the mineralization of organic matter, their genetic equipment for formation of secondary metabolites (eg antibiotics) and resistance to these substances.