Stanislava Bezdicek Kralova, PhD

What’s the work that you do?

I have recently established a new research group focused on Antarctic microbial evolution and biosynthesis at Masaryk University. We study how microorganisms genomically and chemically adapt to extreme polar environments. Our work examines microbial community structure alongside the biosynthetic pathways they encode, particularly those responsible for specialized metabolites. We investigate how these pathways emerge as evolutionary strategies for survival under cold, nutrient limitation, and environmental stress, and how such adaptations shape ecosystem function and generate novel biochemical diversity. In the context of rapid climate change, we also explore how shifting polar conditions may restructure microbial communities and alter their biosynthetic potential.

What keeps you going?

I have always been fascinated by nature and biology, especially microbes, the invisible majority that truly rule our planet. Ironically, I am not a natural lover of cold environments, yet my fascination with Antarctic microorganisms and their extraordinary ability to survive has always outweighed my discomfort with the cold. What keeps me going is curiosity: understanding how life persists at the edge of possibility. I am driven by the urgency to study Antarctic ecosystems before major environmental changes reshape them, to uncover principles of resilience relevant beyond the poles, and to ignite the same curiosity and passion in the next generation of scientists.

What’s your message to the world?

For years, I kept saying I would never go to Antarctica. I honestly don’t like the cold. I love warmth, sun, and summertime. And yet, today I keep returning to the coldest continent on Earth, completely captivated. Somewhere between the wind, the silence, and the invisible microbial life thriving against all odds, Antarctica changed me. It reminded me, very clearly, that growth begins just beyond our comfort zone. I even built a research group around a place I once swore I would avoid. My message? Stay curious. Say yes to the unlikely. The places that challenge you most may become the ones that shape you the most.