Curriculum vitae:

Born:  24-11-1968, Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic

Education:

1987-1992  undergraduate study at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, branch Optics and Optoelectronics

1992  graduated and obtained M.S.

1993-1996  Ph.D. study at the Department of Chemical Physics, Charles University Prague, branch Physics of Molecular and Biological Structures

1996  obtained Ph.D. degree, title of the Ph.D. thesis “Low temperature spectroscopy of Light-Harvesting Systems of Photosystem-I and Photosystem-II”

Scientific positions:

1996-1997 Research assistant at the Department of Chemical Physics, Charles University Prague

1997-1999 Postdoc, Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University

1999-2003 Assistant professor, Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University

2003-2005 Associate professor, Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University

2005-2007 Associate professor, Institute of Physical Biology, University of South Bohemia

2005-current  Researcher, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences

2007-current  Professor (biophysics), Institute of Physical Biology, University of South Bohemia

Teaching:

1999-2005 Optical Methods in Photochemistry - course for graduate students at the Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University

2005- Courses at University of South Bohemia (General Physics, Quantum Physics, History of Physics)

Research Profile:

a) techniques

· time-resolved spectroscopy (femtosecond transient absorption, fluorescence up-conversion, streak-camera fluorescence detection, single-photon counting, flash photolysis)

·  hole-burning spectroscopy (absorption, excitation and fluorescence hole-burning)

·  low-temperature spectroscopy (experience with spectroscopic measurements in the temperature range down to 1.5 K)

b) studied systems

·  carotenoids in solution (excited state dynamics, charge-transfer states, triplet states, radicals, aggregates)

·  carotenoids in proteins (light-harvesting, photoprotection, radical formation)

·  carotenoids in artificial systems (carotenoid as an electron donor in donor-acceptor systems)

·  photosynthetic light-harvesting proteins (excitation energy transfer, excitons, polarons)

·  supramolecular donor-acceptor systems designed for mimicking natural photosynthesis (electron and energy transfer processes)

·  dendrimeric and supramolecular heterometallic systems designed to act as artificial antennae (energy migration within the artificial antennae)

·  semiconductor based solar cells (studies of electron injection and recombination processes at the TiO₂-dye interface)

List of publications

Full papers 

1.  Polívka, T., Pšenčík, J., Kroh, P., Engst, D., Prášil, O., Falkowski, P.G., Hála, J. Hole-burning study of energy transfer in antenna proteins of Dunaliella tertiolecta affected by iron-limitation. Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 291, 111, 1996.

2.  Engst, D., Kroh, P., Polívka, T., Pšenčík, J., Nedbal L., Hála, J.: Hole burning and low temperature absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy of algae affected by UV-B stress, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 291, 103, 1996.

3.  Kroh, P., Pšenčík, J., Polívka, T., Engst, D., Hála, J.: Laser induced hole filling in bacteriochlorophyll d monomers and aggregates of  green sulphur photosynthetic bacteria antennae, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 291, 201, 1996

4.  Polívka, T., Kroh, P., Pšenčík, J., Engst, D., Komenda, J., Hála, J. Hole-burning study of excited energy transfer in the antenna protein CP47 of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 mutant H114Q. J. Lum. 72-74, 600, 1997.

5.  Kroh, P., Pšenčík, J., Polívka, T., Engst, D., Hála, J. Hole-burning spectroscopy of photosynthetically active pigments of green sulfur bacteria. J. Lum. 72-74, 593, 1997.

6.  Engst, D., Kroh, P., Polívka, T., Pšenčík, J., Nedbal. L. Low temperature spectroscopy of algae affected by UV-B stress: Absorption and fluorescence hole-burning. J. Lum. 72-74, 587, 1997.

7.  Herek, J.L., Polívka, T., Pullerits, T., Fowler, G.J.S., Hunter, C.N., Sundström, V. Ultrafast carotenoid band shifts probe structure and dynamics in photosynthetic antenna complexes. Biochemistry 37, 7057, 1998.

8.  Pšenčík, J., Polívka, T., Němec, P., Dian, J., Kudrna, J., Malý, P., Hála, J. Fast energy transfer and exciton dynamics in chlorosomes of the green sulphur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum. J. Phys. Chem. A 102, 4392, 1998.

9.  Pšenčík, J., Němec, P., Polívka, T., Kudrna, J., Dian, J., Malý, P., Hála, J. Persistent hole burning and femtosecond pump-probe absorption spectroscopy of green sulphur photosynthetic bacteria antennae. J. Lum. 76-77, 322, 1998.

10.  Polívka, T., Herek, J.L., Zigmantas, D., Åkerlund, H.-E., Sundström, V. Direct observation of the (forbidden) S₁ state in carotenoids. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 96, 4914, 1999.

11.  Herek, J.L., Fraser, N.J., Pullerits, T., Martinsson, P., Polívka, T., Scheer, H., Cogdell, R.J., Sundström, V. Mechanism of B800-B850 energy transfer in native and modified LH2 complexes of Rps. acidophila 10050. Biophys. J. 78, 2590, 2000.

12.  Polívka, T., Pullerits, T., Herek, J.L., Sundström, V. Exciton relaxation and polaron formation in LH2 at low temperature. J. Phys. Chem. B. 104, 1088, 2000.

13.  Polívka, T., Zigmantas, D., Frank, H. A., Bautista, J.A., Herek, J.L. Koyama, Y., Fujii, R., Sundström, V. Near-infrared time-resolved study of the S₁ state dynamics of the carotenoid spheroidene. J. Phys. Chem. B 105, 1072-1080, 2001.

14.  Trinkunas, G., Herek, J. L., Polívka, T., Sundström, V., Pullerits, T. Exciton delocalization probed by exciton annihilation in the light-harvesting antenna LH2. Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4167-4170, 2001.

15.  Zigmantas, D., Polívka, T., Hiller, R. G., Yartsev, A., Sundström, V. Spectroscopic properties of the peridinin lowest singlet excited state. J. Phys. Chem. A. 105, 10296-10306, 2001.

16.  Polívka, T., Zigmantas, D., Sundström, V., Formaggio, E., Cinque, G., Bassi, R. The carotenoid S₁ state in a recombinant light harvesting complex of Photosystem II. Biochemistry 41, 439-450, 2002.

17.  Billsten, H. H., Herek, J. L., Garcia-Asua, G., Hashøj, L., Polívka, T., Hunter, C. N., Sundström, V. Dynamics of energy transfer from lycopene to bacteriochlorophyll in genetically-modified LH2 complexes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Biochemistry 41, 4127-4136, 2002.

18.  Billsten, H. H., Zigmantas, D., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Dynamics of vibrational relaxation in the S₁ state of carotenoids having 11 conjugated C=C bonds. Chem. Phys. Lett. 355, 465-470, 2002.

19.  He, J., Benkö, G., Korodi, F., Polívka, T., Lomoth, R., Åkermark, B., Sun, L., Hagfeldt, A., Sundström, V. Modified phthalocyanines for efficient near-IR sensitization of nanostructured TiO₂ electrode. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124, 4922-4932, 2002.

20.  Polívka, T., Zigmantas, D., Herek, J. L., He, Z., Pascher, T., Pullerits, T., Cogdell, R. J., Frank, H. A., Sundström, V. The carotenoid S₁ state in LH2 complexes from purple bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas acidophila: S₁ energies, dynamics and carotenoid radical formation. J. Phys. Chem. B 106, 11016-11025, 2002.

21.  Ghanem, R., Xu, J., Pan, J., Hoffmann, T., Andersson, J., Polívka, T., Pascher, T., Styring, S., Sun, L., Sundström, V. Light-driven tyrosine radical formation in a ruthenium-tyrosine complex anchored to nanoparticle TiO₂. Inorg. Chem. 41, 6258-6266, 2002.

22.  Pan, J., Benkö, G., Xu, Y., Pascher, T., Sun, L., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Photoinduced electron transfer between a carotenoid and TiO₂ nanoparticle. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124, 13949-13957, 2002.

23.  Zigmantas, D., Hiller, R. G., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Carotenoid to chlorophyll energy transfer in the peridinin-chlorophyll-a-protein complex involves an intramolecular charge transfer state. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99, 16760-16765, 2002.

24.  Zigmantas, D., Hiller, R. G., Yartsev, A., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Dynamics of excited states of the carotenoid peridinin in polar solvents. Dependence on excitation wavelength, viscosity and temperature. J. Phys. Chem. B 107, 5339-5348, 2003.

25.  Billsten, H. H., Bhosale, P., Yemelyanov, A., Bernstein, P. S., Polívka, T. Photophysical properties of xanthophylls in carotenoproteins from human retina. Photochem. Photobiol. 78, 138-145, 2003.

26.  Papagiannakis, E., van Stokkum, I.H.M., van Grondelle, R., Niedermann, R.A., Zigmantas, D., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Near-infrared transitent absorption study of the excited state dynamics of the carotenoid spirilloxanthin in solution and in the LH1 complex of Rhodospirillum rubrum. J. Phys. Chem. B. 107, 11216-11223, 2003.

27.  Polívka, T., Sundström, V. Ultrafast dynamics of carotenoid excited states. From solution to natural and artificial systems. Chem. Rev. 104, 2021-2072, 2004.

28.  Andersson, J., Puntoriero, F., Serroni, S., Yartsev, A., Pascher, T., Polívka, T., Campagna, S., Sundström, V. Ultrafast singlet energy transfer competes with intersystem crossing in a multi-center transition metal polypyridine complex. Chem. Phys. Lett. 386, 336-341, 2004.

29.  Pan, J., Xu, Y., Sun, L., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Carotenoid and pheophytin on semiconductor surface: Self-assembly and photoinduced electron transfer. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 3066-3067, 2004.

30.  Zigmantas, D., Hiller, R. G., Sharples, F. P., Frank, H. A., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Effect of conjugated carbonyl group on photophysical properties of carotenoids. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.6, 3009-3016, 2004.

31.  Herek, J. L., Wendling, M., He, Z., Polívka, T., Garcia-Asua, G., Cogdell, R. J., Hunter, C. N., van Grondelle, R., Sundström, V., Pullerits, T. Ultrafast carotenoid band shifts: Experiment and theory. J. Phys. Chem. B. 108, 10398-10403, 2004.

32.  Pan, J., Xu, Y., Benkö, G., Feyziev, Y., Styring, S., Åkermark, B., Sun, L., Polívka, T Sundström, V. Stepwise Charge Separation from a Ruthenium-Tyrosine Complex to a Nanocrystalline TiO₂ Film. J. Phys. Chem. B. 108, 12904-12910, 2004.

33.  Andersson, J., Puntoriero, F., Serroni, S., Yartsev, A., Pascher, T., Polívka, T., Campagna, S., Sundström, V. New Paradigm of Transition Metal Polypyridine Complex Photochemistry. Faraday Discussions 127, 295-305, 2004.

34.  Polívka, T., Pullerits, T.; Frank, H. A., Cogdell, R. J., Sundström, V. Ultrafast formation of a carotenoid radical in LH2 antenna complexes of purple bacteria. J. Phys. Chem. B. 108, 15398-15407, 2004.

35.  Sjödin, M., Ghanem, R., Polívka, T., Pan, J., Styring, S., Sun, L., Sundström, V., Hammarström, L. Tuning proton coupled electron transfer from tyrosine: A competition between concerted and step-wise mechanisms. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 6, 4851-4858, 2004.

36.  Larsen, J., Andersson, J., Polívka, T., Sly, J., Crossley, M.J., Sundström, V., Åkesson, E. Energy transfer and conformational dynamics in Zn-porphyrin dendrimers. Chem. Phys. Lett. 403, 205-210, 2005.

37.  Billsten, H. H., Sundström, V., Polívka, T., Self-assembled aggregates of the carotenoid zeaxanthin. A time-resolved study of excited states. J. Phys. Chem. A 109, 1521-1529, 2005.

38.  Polívka, T., Kerfeld, C. A., Pascher, T., Sundström, V. Spectroscopic properties of the carotenoid 3‘-hydroxyechinenone in the orange carotenoid protein from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira maxima. Biochemistry 44, 3994-4003, 2005.

39.  Ilagan, R. P., Christensen, R. L., Chapp, T. W., Gibson, G. N., Pascher, T., Polívka, T., Frank, H. A. Femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of astaxanthin in solution and in α-crustacyanin. J. Phys. Chem. A 109, 3120-3127, 2005.

40.  Billsten, H. H., Pan, J. X., Sinha, S., Pascher, T., Sundström, V., Polívka, T. Excited-state processes in the carotenoid zeaxanthin after excess energy excitation. J. Phys. Chem. A 109, 6852-6859, 2005.

41.  Polívka, T., Pascher, T., Sundström, V., Hiller, R. G. Tuning energy transfer in the peridinin-chlorophyll complex by reconstitution with different chlorophylls. Photosynth. Res., 86, 217-227, 2005.

42.  Larsen, J., Brüggeman, B., Polívka, T., Sundström, V., Åkesson, E., Sly, J., Crossley, M. J. Energy transfer within Zn-porphyrin dendrimers: A study of the singlet-singlet annihilation kinetics. J. Phys. Chem. A 109, 10654-10662, 2005.

43.  Xu, Y., Eilers, G., Borgström, M., Pan, J. X., Abrahamsson, M., Magnuson, A., Lomoth, R., Bergquist, J., Polívka, T., Sun, L., Sundström, V., Styring, S., Hammarström, L., Åkermark, B. Synthesis and characterization of dinuclear ruthenium complexes covalently linked to Ru(II) tris-bipyridine: an approach to mimics of the donor side of PSII. Chem. Eur. J. 109, 10654-10662, 2005.

44.  Polívka, T., van Stokkum, I. H. M. Zigmantas, D., van Grondelle, R. Sundström, V., Hiller, R. G. Energy transfer in the major intrinsic light-harvesting complex from Amphidinium carterae. Biochemistry, 45, 8516-8526, 2006.

45.  Niedzwiedzki, D. M., Sullivan, J. O., Polívka, T., Birge, R. R. Frank, H. A. Femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy of xanthophylls. J. Phys. Chem. B. 110, 22872-22885, 2006.

46.  Ilagan, R. P. Chapp, T. W., Hiller, R. G., Sharples, F. P., Polívka, T., Frank, H. A. Optical spectroscopic studies of light-harvesting by pigment-reconstituted peridinin-chlorophyll-proteins at cryogenic temperatures. Photosynth. Res. 90, 5-15, 2006.

47.  Polívka, T., Pellnor, M., Melo, E., Pascher, T., Sundström, V., Osuka, A., Naqvi, K. R. Polarity-tuned energy transfer efficiency in artificial light-harvesting antennae containing carbonyl carotenoids peridinin and fucoxanthin. J. Phys. Chem. C, 111, 467-476, 2007.

48.  Polívka, T., Hiller, R. G., Frank, H. A. Spectroscopy of the Peridinin – Chlorophyll-a Protein: Insight into light-harvesting strategy of marine algae.Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 458, 111-120, 2007.

49.  Wolpher, H., Sinha, S., Pan, J., Johansson, A., Lundqvist, M., Persson, P., Lomoth, R.,
Sun, L., Sundström, V., Åkermark, B., Polívka, T. Synthesis and electron transfer studies
of Ru-terpyridine based dyads attached to nanostructures TiO₂. Inorg. Chem. 46, 638-651, 2007.

50.  Polívka, T., Niedzwiedzki, D., Fuciman, M., Sundström, V., Frank, H. A. Role of B800 in carotenoid-bacteriochlorophyll energy and electron transfer in LH2 complexes from the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. J. Phys. Chem. B, 111, 7422-7431, 2007.

51.  Polívka, T., Pascher, T., Hiller, R. G. Energy transfer in the peridinin-chlorophyll protein complex reconstituted with mixed chlorophyll sites. Biophys. J. 94, 3198-3207, 2008.

Book Chapters

1.  Polívka, T., Sundström, V. Excited state properties of carbonyl carotenoids in solution and light-harvesting complexes. In: Recent Research Developments in Physical Chemistry. Vol. 7, p. 461-485, Transworld Research, 2004.

2.  Polívka, T., Sundström, V. Carotenoid excited states – photophysics, ultrafast dynamics and photosynthetic functions. In: Frontiers of Optical Spectroscopy. (eds. B. Di Bartolo and O. Forte), p. 187-219. Springer, 2005.

3.  Pullerits, T., Polívka, T., Sundström, V. Photosynthetic light harvesting. In: Ultrashort Laser Pulses in Biology and Medicine (W. Zinth, M. Braun and P. Gilch, eds.), p. 95-115, Springer, Heidelberg, 2007.

4.  Frank, H. A., Polívka, T. Energy transfer from carotenoids to bacteriochlorophylls. In: The Purple Phototrophic Bacteria. (eds. C. N. Hunter, F. Daldal, M. C. Thurnauer and J. T. Beatty), Vol. XX of the series Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration. Springer, in press.

5.  Polívka, T. Effects of Self-Assembled Aggregation on Excited States. In: Carotenoids: Physical, Chemical, and Biological Functions and Properties. (Ed. J. T. Landrum). CRC Press, submitted.

Conference Proceedings

1.  Polívka, T., Engst, D., Dian, J., Kroh, P., Pšenčík, J., Vácha, M., Nedbal, L., Vermaas, W.F.J, Hála, J.: Persistent spectral hole burning in the antenna protein CP47 of Synechocystis sp. Mutant H114Q, Spectral Hole-Burning and Related Spectroscopies: Science and Applications, Vol. 15 OSA Technical Digest Series (Optical Society of America, Washington DC), p. 318, 1994.

2.  Polívka, T., Pšenčík, J., Kroh, P., Engst, D., Prášil, O., Falkowski, P.G., Hála, J. Hole-burning study of Fe-limited and Fe-repleted cells of Dunaliella tertiolecta, In: Photosynthesis: from Light to Biosphere (ed. P. Mathis), Vol. I, p. 103, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995.

3.  Engst D., Kroh, P., Polívka, T., Pšenčík, J., Nedbal, L., Hála, J. Low temperature absorption, fluorescence and hole burning spectroscopy of algae affected by UV-B stress. In: Photosynthesis: from Light to Biosphere (ed. P. Mathis), Vol. I, p. 143, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995.

4.  Pullerits, T., Polívka, T., Chachisvilis, M., Herek, J. L., Sundström, V. Red emission from LH2 at low temperature: Where does it come from? In: Photosynthesis: Mechanisms and Effects (ed. G. Garab), Vol. I, p. 33, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.

5.  Herek, J. L., Polívka, T., Pullerits, T., Cogdell, R. J., Hunter, C. J., Sundström, V. Ultrafast carotenoid band shifts probe structure and dynamics in photosynthesis. In: Photosynthesis: Mechanisms and Effects (ed. G. Garab), Vol. I, p. 37, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.

6.  Fraser, N.J., Herek, J. L., Pullerits, T., Polívka, T., Sundström, V., Ücker, B., Katheder, I., Scheer, H., Dominy, P., Cogdell, R. J. A study of the energetic properties of LH2 complexes from Rps. acidophila 10050 containing modified (bacterio) chlorin molecules. In: Photosynthesis: Mechanisms and Effects (ed. G. Garab), Vol. I, p. 77, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.

7.  Polívka, T., Herek, J. L., Pullerits, T., Dahlbom, M., Hunter, C. N., Sundström, V. Dynamics of energy transfer in the LH2 antenna complex of the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. In: Ultrafast Phenomena XI (eds. T. Elseasser, J. G. Fujimoto, D. A. Wiersma, W. Zinth), p. 669, Springer Verlag, 1998.

8.  Herek, J.L., Polívka, T., Pullerits, T., Sundström, V. Femtosecond dynamics of photosynthetic light harvesting. In: LASERS 98’ (eds. V.J. Corcoran and T.A. Goldman), STS Press, 1999.

9.  Polívka, T., Zigmantas, D., Herek, J. L., Bautista, J.A., Frank, H. A., Sundström, V. Direct observation of the S₁ level of the carotenoid spheroidene using near infrared femtosecond spectroscopy. In: Ultrafast Phenomena XII (eds. T. Elseasser, S. Mukamel, M. M. Murname, N. F. Scheerer), p. 668, Springer Verlag, 2000.

10.  Zigmantas, D., Polívka, T., Hiller, R. G., Sundström, V. Energy transfer pathways in the peridinin chlorophyll-a protein complex as revealed by the near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy. Proccedings of XIIth International Congress Photosynthesis, Brisbane, Australia, 18-23 August, 2001.

11.  Polívka, T., Zigmantas, D., Herek, J. L., Cogdell, R. J., Sundström, V. The carotenoid S₁ state in LH2 complexes of purple bacteria. In: Femtochemistry and Femtobiology: Ultrafast Dynamics in Molecular Science (eds. A. Douhal and J. Santamaria), p. 711, World Scientific Publishing, 2002.

12.  Ghanem, R., Pan, J., Xu, Y., Andersson, J., Polívka, T., Sun, L., Sundström, V. Light-driven multistep electron transfer in a tyrosine-ruthenium complex anchored to TiO₂ nanoparticles. In: Femtochemistry and Femtobiology: Ultrafast Dynamics in Molecular Science (eds. A. Douhal and J. Santamaria), p. 685, World Scientific Publishing, 2002.

13.  Polívka, T., Zigmantas, D., Hiller, R. G., Sundström, V. Excited state dynamics of carotenoid peridinin. In: In: Femtochemistry and Femtobiology: Ultrafast Events in Molecular Science (eds. M. M. Martin and J. T. Hynes), p. 445, Elsevier, 2004.

14.  Larsen, J., Andersson, J., Polívka, T., Sly, J., Crossley, M. J., Sundström, V., Åkesson, E. Energy transfer in light-harvesting Zn-porphyrin dendrimers. In: Femtochemistry and Femtobiology: Ultrafast Events in Molecular Science (eds. M. M. Martin and J. T. Hynes), p. 495, Elsevier, 2004.

15.  Polívka, T., Kerfeld, C. K., Sundström, V. Carotenoid excited state dynamics in the orange carotenoid protein from cyanobacteria. In: Photosynthesis: Fundamental Aspects to Global Perspectives (eds. A. van der Est and D. Bruce), p. 553, 2005.

16.  Larsen, J., Brüggemann, B., Polívka, T., Sly, J., Crossley, M. J., Sundström, V., Åkesson, E. Energy Transfer Dynamics in Zn-Porphyrin-Appended Dendrimers. In: Fundamental Ultrafast Processes in Chemistry, Physics and Biology (eds. A. W. Castleman and M. L. Kimble) p.113, Elsevier, 2006.

17.  Aritficial photosynthesis - from bacteria and plants towards synthetic supramolecular complexes. Proceedings of the 2^nd Czech Photovoltaic Conference. In Czech.

Conference Lectures

1.  Dynamics of energy transfer in the LH2 antenna complex of the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The XI^th Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena, 12-17 July, 1998, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

2.  Direct observation of the S₁ level in carotenoids. 12^th International Carotenoid Symposium, 18-23 July 1999, Cairns, Australia.

3.  Direct observation of the S₁ level in carotenoids. The Swedish National Femtochemistry Meeting, 8-9 October 1999, Stockholm, Sweden.

4.  The energy of the S₁ states of zeaxanthin and violaxanthin. ESF Workshop – Non-photochemical Quenching and the Xanthophyll Cycle in Plants – Mechanisms and Implication, 12-15 October 1999, Rehovot, Israel.

5.  Excited state dynamics of carotenoids – implications for their functionality in photosynthesis. Joint meeting of The Swedish and Danish Chemical Society, 5th May 2000, Copenhagen, Danmark.

6.  The role of the carotenoid S₁ level in LHCII antenna complexes. The 4^th Gordon Conference on Carotenoids, January 14-19, 2001 Ventura, California. Poster award lecture.

7.  Carotenoid excited states and their functions in living organisms. Prague’s Workshop on Molecular Photophysics and Dynamics, 15-17 March 2001, Prague, Czech Republic.

8.  Energetics and dynamics of the carotenoid S₁ state in LH2 complexes from purple bacteria. The 5^th Femtochemistry Conference, 2-6 September, 2001, Toledo, Spain.

9.  The carotenoid S₁ state in LH2 complexes of purple bacteria. The 13^th International Carotenoid Symposium, January 6-12, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii.

10.  The carotenoid S₁ state in LH2 complexes from purple bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas acidophila: S₁ energies, dynamics, and carotenoid radical formation. ESF Workshop on Femtosecond Dynamics in Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes, October 5-9, 2002, Antalya, Turkey.

11.  Carotenoid peridinin as a light-harvesting pigment: An unique energy transfer pathway. 6^th Nordic Photosynthesis Congress, October 25-27, 2002, Umeå, Sweden.

12.  Carotenoids: From natural to artificial systems. ESF Workshop on Ultrafast Time Domain of Organic Semiconductor and Supramolecular Functions, November 23-26, 2002, Örenäs, Sweden.

13.  Dynamics of carotenoid relaxation and energy transfer. Gordon Conference on Photosynthesis June 22-27, 2003 Bristol, Rhode Island.

14.  Tuning energy transfer rate in natural and artificial light-harvesting systems containing carotenoid peridinin. Light-Harvesting Systems Workshop, 26-29th August 2004, Sainte-Adèle, Québec, Canada.

15.  Carotenoids as promising electron and energy donors in artificial systems. 5^th Prague Workshop on Photoinduced Molecular Processes, March 12-14, 2006, Prague, Czech Republic.

16.  Umělá fotosyntéza - od baktérií a rostlin k syntetickým supramolekulárním komplexům. 2. česká fotovoltaická konference, 12.-14.6. 2006, Brno.

17.  Polarity-tuned energy transfer in artificial light-harvesting antennae containing carbonyl carotenoids peridinin and fucoxanthin, Conference on Photochemical Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy, July 2-7, 2006, Uppsala, Sweden.

18.  Zeaxanthin photophysics in  hydrated  solvents and human macula. Conference of the American Society of Photobiology, July 9-13, 2006, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

19.  Spectroscopy of the xanthophyll cycle carotenoids: implications for their roles in NPQ. Workshop on Nonphotochemical Quenching and Photoinhibition in Photosystem II, September 24-27, 2006, Parsberg, Germany.

20.  Carbonyl carotenoids in natural and artificial antenna systems. Gordon Conference on Carotenoids, January 7-13, 2007, Ventura, California.

21.  Time-resolved structural dynamics: A challenge for future. 6^th Discussions in Structural Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics. March 29-31, 2007. Nové Hrady, Czech Republic

22.  Carotenoid excited states - beyond the standard model. CERC3 Young Chemists' Workshop: Time-resolved Methods for Studies on Chemical Reactions. April 26-27, 2007. Göttingen, Germany. Invited plenary lecture.

23.  Karotenoidy a jejich funkce ve fotosyntéze. 11 Dny fyziologie rostlin. 9-12.7. 2007, Olomouc.

24.  Xanthorhodopsin: a carotenoid-rhodopsin light-harvesting system. 14^th International Congress on Photosynthesis: Satellite Workshop on Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Systems. July 19-22 2007, Drymen, Scotland.