Student project at the Department of Chemistry

Anna Verchuša, a student at Windhoek International School in Namibia, has been working on her project for the graduation exam at the Department of Chemistry under Hana Mašková, specifically in the Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry led by Ján Štěrba. Anna came to the lab through contacts from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences USB and the Czech Academy of Sciences.

International school students choose a project that is part of their final grade in Biology. Anna chose to do a project on the detection of tyrosinase enzyme activity. Tyrosinase is commonly present in fungi but also in the human body. Its function is to catalyse the conversion of the amino acid tyrosine. A dysfunctional tyrosinase leads to the absence of melanin in the body, i.e. albinism. Anna was able to detect tyrosinase activity from mushrooms in the presence of different concentrations of substrate (hydroquinone), as well as reduced activity in the presence of an inhibitor (vitamin C).

We wish Anna a successful graduation from the International School.