The Department of Organic Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, oversees the Bachelor’s program in Bioorganic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, which is followed by a Master’s program of the same name with the option to pass a state rigorous exam. It has also long been responsible for the Organic Chemistry program, offered at both the Master’s and rigorous levels. The Ph.D. program in Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry continues a long tradition of research in the fields of organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Final theses are investigated not only in the department’s research laboratories but also offer students the opportunity to choose from a variety of topics in the study of biologically active compounds, thanks to collaboration with selected institutes of the medical faculty. Students are directly involved in their advisor’s research, and the high quality of both Bachelor’s and Master’s theses is demonstrated by the fact that students often publish their results in renowned scientific journals. Collaboration with the commercial sector is quite natural, with students building contacts with future employers through short-term internships.

The department has several independent research groups, each with its own research topics and financial grants. The department’s research activities focus on the synthesis of new organic compounds with potential biological activity, such as anticancer, antibacterial, or neuroprotective properties. A significant area of interest is also the total synthesis of natural substances with the goal of developing new antibiotics. In addition to medicinal chemistry, importance is placed on chemical biology in the search for chemical tools to study biomolecules directly in living systems and to target biological processes. To date, varieties of compounds with promising application potential have been prepared. Based on the results of biological studies, research work further focuses on modifying these compounds to obtain promising candidates for advanced preclinical research.

For the development of the above-mentioned topics, it is necessary to develop new synthetic procedures that enable or facilitate the construction of the target compounds’ structures. The common denominator is the development of synthetic methodology with broader applications in preparing organic compounds. In addition to traditional solution-phase synthesis, the department frequently employs solid-phase synthesis.