The Plant Ecological Genomics Laboratory, led by Assoc. Prof. Filip Kolář at the Faculty of Science, Charles University studies plant evolution and diversity through a combination of cytogenetic, genomic, and ecological approaches.

The group focuses on the evolutionary consequences of whole-genome duplication (polyploidy) and how this process shapes adaptation and speciation in plants.

By combining extensive fieldwork in mountain regions of Europe, Africa, and South America with state-of-the-art genomic tools, the team uncovers mechanisms of genomic convergence and parallel adaptation to challenging environments such as toxic soils and alpine habitats.

The group maintains close collaborations with both Czech and international research teams, bridging ecology, genomics, and evolutionary biology to better understand how plants adapt to a changing world.

Assoc. Prof. Filip Kolář, Ph.D.

Filip Kolář is an active educator and mentor at the Department of Botany, Charles University, and a leading figure in Czech evolutionary biology. He is a recipient of the Neuron Award for Promising Young Scientists (2018), ERC Starting Grant holder (Double Adapt, 2021), and GAČR Junior Star awardee (2023).

Photo: Luboš Wišniewski