Scientist Jana Drbohlavová has always worked at the intersection of research, technology, and their practical applications. She has worked with nanomaterials for medicine and the environment, participated in the preparation of European legislation on chips, and today she is working to ensure that young women are not afraid of technical fields. “Girls need to be encouraged, not discouraged,” she says in an interview with iDNES.cz.
What profession did you dream of as a child?
As a child, I was very close to animals and wanted to be a veterinarian for a long time. I loved horses and cats, but then I encountered a very practical problem.
What was it?
I realized that I would also have to take care of pigs and cows. To be honest, that seemed pretty smelly to me at the time. That gradually discouraged me from pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. Later, I moved from animals to people and wanted to study pharmacy. However, I failed the physics entrance exam, so I switched to chemistry, which I have remained in to this day. Only its direction gradually changed. From basic chemistry through research to nanotechnology and sensors, which today are mainly used in medicine.
Could you explain in layman’s terms what you specifically did in the field of nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology deals with working with materials on an extremely small scale – in the order of nanometers, i.e., millionths of a millimeter. At these dimensions, substances begin to behave differently than in the normal world, and this can be exploited in medicine, electronics, or the development of sensitive sensors, for example. I often said, with a touch of exaggeration, that I went to the lab to “cook balls.” I worked with extremely small particles, much smaller than a pinhead, so I couldn’t observe them with a regular microscope, only with an electron microscope. These nanoballs were made of different materials and coated with smart layers that have very specific functions.
What are they used for?
Thanks to them, it is possible, for example, to locate a disease focus in the body, make it visible, or attach a drug to it. If they are also magnetic, a magnetic field can be used to deliver the drug directly to the tumor, for example. Gradually, however, I moved on from particles in solution to nanostructures on solid surfaces. I began to focus on thin layers and structures created, for example, electrochemically. These did not look like a smooth surface, but rather like tiny rods. The aim was to significantly increase the surface area of the material and control it precisely. This dramatically increased the sensitivity of the surface, which is key in disease detection, for example. The biomarkers used to identify diseases are often present in the body in very low concentrations. And we need technologies that can reliably detect them.
Your work also had an impact on the environment.
Yes, the same principle we use for the sensitive detection of biomarkers in the human body can also be applied to substances in the environment. For example, we developed nanostructured electrodes that are used to detect selected substances in water. One of the projects was developed in collaboration with Mendel University, fish farmers, and fishermen, and focused on the early detection of phosphorus and nitrogen in ponds. These are substances that play a key role in climate change.
Can you explain what the project was about?
During heavy rains, soil, fertilizers, and other nutrients wash from fields into ponds. These then cause eutrophication—the water begins to “green,” algae and cyanobacteria proliferate, and fish begin to lack oxygen. This is particularly dangerous in combination with summer heat waves, when fish can die quickly. Our goal was therefore to develop a portable detector that could detect these changes in time and allow ponds and fishermen to react before irreversible damage occurs.
So your “cooking up ideas” in the lab had a real impact on life. That must be a good feeling.
Yes, it is important that science is not just done “for the sake of it,” but in a targeted manner. I have always been more interested in applied science. But basic research is, of course, absolutely essential; without it, we would not get anywhere.
Didn’t you do science “for the drawer”?
Of course I did. It can happen, especially in the beginning. You start working on a topic with great enthusiasm and only gradually realize that you’ve hit a dead end. Sometimes it turns out that the solution already exists, for example after a thorough patent search. Other times, you meet experts who have already solved the problem and are willing to share their experience or continue to mentor you.
You no longer work in the laboratory. Do you miss it?
When I was there last, we were more concerned with issues of safety when working with chemicals. These were important steps, but not really laboratory work in the true sense of the word. However, I can’t say that I miss it. I still have the urge to “cook” something from time to time and be directly involved in experiments again. I make up for it at home with my daughter. She has become interested in gentle alchemy, such as growing crystals. So now we try out little experiments together.
From the laboratory to politics
A few years ago, you moved from the laboratory to the European Commission (EC). Did you move to Brussels overnight?
Basically, yes. When I applied for the position, I thought it would be more about evaluating projects. It was only during the interview that I realized it would also involve moving. The beginning wasn’t easy, but gradually everything fell into place, and after about three months, we started functioning normally.
What exactly were you responsible for in Brussels?
I worked at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research, Development and Innovation. In my case, it was initially projects focused on advanced materials and nanomaterials. Gradually, however, I was left with only the area of nanomaterials. These projects were explicitly focused on the safety of nanomaterials and were carried out in cooperation with, for example, the European Chemicals Agency.
Scientists, experts, and legislators worked together to develop methods that would be reproducible, internationally recognized, and applicable in practice. The aim was to bring these procedures up to the level of OECD standards, which are globally applicable and binding. In the last two years at the EC, however, my work began to shift towards semiconductor technologies and chips. That was when the European Chips Act began to be prepared, which was a very intense period that naturally led me to my current job.
We’ll definitely get to that. But first, tell me what experiences you took away from the EC.
For me, the challenge was to understand how the entire European system works. It was only there that I realized how complex and interconnected the environment is. When I started to get more involved in the preparation of European projects, I realized that it was a completely different league. Calls for proposals are often prepared years in advance, and the key players are connected long before they are announced. At the same time, I saw big differences in the approaches of individual countries. While Germany and France are very active in Brussels and systematically promote their interests, the Czech Republic tends to be more cautious and less assertive.
Today, you are the coordinator of the Czech Semiconductor Centre. Is there any research here that would make you want to return to the laboratory?
We are not a traditional research center. The Czech Semiconductor Center functions more like a dispatcher. Our task is to guide users, primarily companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, but also academics, early-stage scientists, or entrepreneurs who have an idea but do not know how to implement it technically and economically.
Why do they need help?
Chip design is an extremely costly business. It requires expensive licenses for design tools that a typical company or start-up cannot afford. And this is where we come in – we help find a way to a simpler and more affordable solution. We are part of a European network of semiconductor centers, with each member country having at least one. These centers work together and support each other to make the European ecosystem as a whole stronger. The goal is to make Europe less dependent on chip supplies and design from third countries such as China, Taiwan, or the United States.
What would happen if we couldn’t develop them ourselves in Europe?
Practically everything would be significantly more expensive, because chips are everywhere today. After all, any political or trade tensions, whether in the United States, Taiwan, or elsewhere, are immediately reflected in the supply of chips that we cannot produce ourselves. And this is then very quickly reflected in the prices and availability of everyday products.
What specifically can Czech scientists contribute in the field of semiconductors? Do we have anything in which we are truly competitive?
We definitely do! One area where we are truly competitive is the manufacture of electron microscopes. There are several world-leading companies operating in Brno alone. These instruments are absolutely essential for chip production. Without them, it would be impossible to carry out quality control or verify that everything is in order before the chips are put into practice.
Another strong area is microprocessor design. This is a direction that is also strongly resonating at the European level today. We are also working with new types of materials. Whereas chips used to be made primarily from silicon, today we are switching to other materials such as silicon carbide. These chips have significantly lower energy consumption, which is crucial for the future.
Encourage, don’t discourage
Are there young women coming up in your field?
Unfortunately, very slowly. I think it’s very important to start in elementary and middle school. That’s where we need to keep kids motivated and help them overcome their fear of math, chemistry, or physics. These are barriers that many of us have carried with us since childhood.
In your opinion, are there obstacles in science that women feel very strongly?
A very simple yet fundamental example is pregnancy and maternity leave. This always has a slight impact on a scientist’s career. Even though the options are better today than they used to be, with micro-nurseries right next to the faculties and childcare more accessible, it is still not easy. Especially in fields such as materials science or natural sciences, where you don’t just sit at a computer, but have to be physically present in the laboratory. Experiments often last several hours at a time and cannot be divided into short segments. That’s why I preferred to work in blocks—I had whole days or weeks set aside for experiments rather than trying to divide my research into a few hours a day.
Would you still advise women to go for it?
Absolutely! It’s great fun when something really works out in the lab. When an experiment not only works out, but actually starts to function, it’s hugely satisfying. At the same time, it’s very creative work. But we should support young girls from the very beginning. And we shouldn’t discourage those who are afraid of technical subjects. On the contrary, we need to encourage them and show them specific ways that it can be done and that they have a place in technical and scientific fields.
doc. Ing. Jana Drbohlavová, Ph.D.
- Former scientist, educator, and current coordinator and deputy director of the Czech Semiconductor Center.
- In 2004, she graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry at Brno University of Technology. She then began her doctoral studies under dual supervision. She graduated in 2008 with a dissertation in physical chemistry at Claude Bernard University in Lyon, France.
- In 2015, she habilitated in the field of Electrical Engineering and Electronic Technology at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Technology at Brno University of Technology.
- Her research focused on nanomaterials for medicine and sensors for monitoring environmental pollution.
- She worked at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Technologies and at CEITEC at Brno University of Technology.
- For several years, she worked in Brussels at the European Commission as a national expert (SNE) in the field of nanomaterial safety and standardization.
Source: iDnes.cz
