From Labs to Life: PhD Journeys Unplugged
From coffee breaks to career tips, students explored the twists and turns of the PhD journey with those who’ve walked the path before them.
The “Mendel” Team Returns from Antarctica: Patience Is the Polar Explorer’s Best Friend, Confirms This Expedition´s Experience
Ice, snow, endless horizons, and equally endless waiting. And with them, countless scientific samples and data sets. Were the scientific goals met? Absolutely. Was patience tested? To the limit. In late March, the main part of the 2025 expedition — the “Mendel” team — began its adventurous return journey from Antarctica. So how did it all unfold?
Expedition 2025: Aiming at Climate and Ecosystem Monitoring
Daniel Nývlt from the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, and the head of the Czech Antarctic Research Programme, explains: “All our teams of the 2025 expedition focused on ongoing climate monitoring and comprehensive assessment of polar geo- and ecosystems. Our research targeted glaciers, permafrost, ice-free areas with lower plant species, river and lake systems, and other geomorphological features. We continued the JUNIOR STAR project led by Filip Hrbáček, exploring changes in permafrost across the Antarctic Peninsula. We also conducted water pollution studies for RECETOX colleagues. This season included new projects: bird flu spread in Antarctica, in collaboration with Spanish partners, and marine and terrestrial algae studies with a colleague from the University of Haifa in Israel. Meanwhile, other Czech researchers carried out work across locations such as Argentina's Esperanza Station, Ukraine’s Vernadsky Station, and field camps like CZ*ECO Nelson and Union Glacier.”
Who And What Is the “Mendel” Team?
Led by Peter Váczi from both the Department of Geography and the Department of Experimental Biology at Masaryk University, the “Mendel” team included scientists from the Czech Republic, Israel, Italy, and Slovakia. It also featured a physician and three technicians maintaining the infrastructure at this southernmost Czech university outpost.
The 14-member team met on January 1st, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. in front of Janáček Theatre. Their journey led them from Vienna Airport to Buenos Aires via Amsterdam, and onward aboard a Argentinean Airforce aircraft to the Marambio Base on Seymour Island. From there, they reached the Johann Gregor Mendel Czech Antarctic Station on James Ross Island by the helicopters.
“Mendel” Meets “Nelson”: Comparative Polar Research
While the “Mendel” team worked at the Johann Gregor Mendel Czech Antarctic Station on the leeward side of the Antarctic Peninsula, the “Nelson” team operated on the windward side at the CZ*ECO Nelson field camp and refuge. Located on Nelson Island in the South Shetland Islands, CZ*ECO Nelson now serves as a technical and logistical refuge under the Czech Antarctic Research Programme, rented to Masaryk University since 2018 by its owner, the Czech Antarctic Foundation.
The Journey: 38 Days in Transit, 49 Days at Base
Pavel Kapler, the Czech Antarctic Research Programme manager says: “Traveling to and from Antarctica is never guaranteed. Even with confirmed plans, the unpredictable weather or urgent logistical needs can delay or entirely alter our itinerary.” Unlike past years when teams travelled via Chilean sea routes, this year took a return to the air route through Argentina. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as smooth as expected. Devastating floods in Argentina, which demanded even the military resources regularly used for Antarctic logistic operations, delayed the team significantly. As a result, the “Mendel” team had to wait longer at the Marambio Base and reschedule their return flights twice.
The final outcome? A lot of waiting and certain logistical difficulties and consequences. “Success under difficult conditions depends heavily on carefully selected team members, who have enough of meaningful work to stay engaged,” said Kapler. “Those who had more to do can handle the waiting better. Even our Predeployment Training Courses included tips on how to deal with such delays.”
Science Doesn’t Stop for Delays
So, what does a scientist do when waiting? If possible, they collect more samples, analyse the data, or spark new field-crossing research ideas in discussion with colleagues. Thankfully, most waiting took place on Seymour Island in Antarctica, where the team could continue their work doing maintenance of the meteorological equipment and conducting biological sampling.
New Research Directions: From Space and Psychology to Algae
Beyond climate and ecosystem monitoring, this year’s expedition stood out for conducting multiple studies on the participants themselves. Collaborations with the University Hospital Ostrava, Czech Technical University in Prague, and the Czech Academy of Sciences explored how Antarctica’s extreme conditions and isolation affect human psyche and physiology — valuable data not only for polar exploration but also for future ESA space missions.
Israeli scientist Dr. Tal Luzzatto Knaan specialized in collecting marine and terrestrial algae samples, which will be analysed for potential applications in biotechnology and industry.
Science with Lasting Impact
As Daniel Nývlt concluded, “not every scientist can travel to Antarctica, whether for funding or personal reasons. But our program stays open to all. The samples and data collected by our 25 expedition members this year will serve nearly 300 scientists both from the Czech Republic and abroad throughout the year.”
