Easy Return from Maternal Leave Thanks to MU Grant: Tereza Renzová

Let’s start from the beginning please. May I ask what were you working on before your career break?

Before going on maternity leave, I was completing my doctoral studies at the Department of Histology and Embryology FM MU under the guidance of Dr. Lukáš Čajánek. His group deals with the biology of centrioles, which form a centrosome in dividing cells and in cells that do not divide, they serve as a template for the formation of cilia - cellular antennas important for communication between cells. I studied centriolar abnormalities in human stem cells, which we used as a model of early embryonic development. We found that the centrosome is necessary for the ability of these cells to self-renew - its depletion leads to loss of pluripotency and induction of differentiation.

Doctor, after how long are you returning to research activities?

I was on maternity leave for 2.5 years, during this time I also completed and defended my doctoral thesis.

Have you been in close contact with your colleagues from the team?

Yes, for example, thanks to my dear colleague Petra Kovaříková, I did not lose on lunch discussions about our projects during a significant part of my maternity leave. After that all of the contacts we had were cooled off a bit because of the covid crisis, but from the age of two of my child I was given a great opportunity to slowly return thanks to agreement to complete a job and then part-time work.

Is it difficult to get back on a moving train after an interruption?

It's definitely a mix of new challenges. At first, I had to overcome sleeplessness and worse concentration, then the frustration of a different time organisation. It's not just about the return after a break, I used to do my project whenever I needed to - I wanted to fix something, I was interested in something - I could do it right away. Now I'm learning to be more patient, more systematic, because there is less time.

This year you succeeded in GA MU Career Restart with the project Role of Tau tubulin kinase 2 and regulation of its activity in cilia formation. How did you find out about the grant and how was the process of preparation for you?

I learned about the grant from several places. We still share a lot of our projects with our classmates across the campus and Europe, and with colleagues from Department of Histology and Embryology, so I discussed the grant with them. Also my boss Lukáš Čajánek has a very good overview and suggested that I apply for it. In fact, the community of people I met during my studies has supported and motivated me a lot throughout my scientific life.

What is your project about?

One of the research questions in Dr. Čajánek's group concerns the mechanisms by which the formation of primary cilia is controlled in the cell. Deregulation of the formation and functioning of cilia is associated with the emergence of so-called ciliopathies. This term collectively refers to a wide range of inherited diseases caused by mutations in genes for ciliogenesis regulators. Because cilia occur in almost all human cells, these syndromes can involve the brain, kidneys, liver, retina, diabetes or obesity, for example. I will look at the process of cilia formation from the perspective of one of the main regulators - the protein TTBK2 (Tau tubulin kinase 2), especially using current advanced microscopic techniques such as expansion microscopy. I hope that the project will bring new knowledge about the initial steps of cilia formation, which is highly relevant for a deeper understanding of the origin of ciliopathy and thus for the development of new therapeutic approaches in the future.

What is the period of support of the project and how will it help you to synchronize professional and private life?

The support of the grant lasts two years and I hope that at a time of frequent quarantines, closed kindergartens and children's illnesses, it will help me gain more time and peace to work in the laboratory, for example, the possibility to finance babysitting, etc.