Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences

What Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences does

The Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Fyziologický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i.; FGU) is a public research institution founded in 1954 and headquartered at Vídeňská 1083, Prague 4. It is wholly owned by the Czech Academy of Sciences and operates as a veřejná výzkumná instituce (public research institution) under Czech law. With 163 employees, the institute focuses on characterizing fundamental biological mechanisms of normal and pathological physiology, with the stated goal of improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of serious non-infectious diseases — particularly cardiac physiology, neurosciences, and metabolism. Research is grouped into specialized departments (e.g., Developmental Cardiology, Molecular Physiology of Bone) and supported by a service Animal Facility.

The institute's core commercial product is the IPHYS Bioimaging Facility, a national open-access research infrastructure offering advanced light microscopy (multiphoton, FLIM, SHG/THG, CARS), MRI of small rodents, and a recently launched Combined Spinning Disk & Brillouin Imaging System that uniquely couples fluorescence dynamics with quantitative mechanical property mapping. The facility offers end-to-end services from experiment design through data acquisition, processing, analysis, and visualization, and is accessible to researchers via Czech-BioImaging and Euro-BioImaging ERIC.

The business model is mission-driven and grant-funded rather than market-driven. Primary revenue flows from Czech Academy of Sciences institutional funding, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports grants, and EU Operational Programmes (Research, Development and Education). Secondary revenue streams include fee-for-service bioimaging access and a minor training-courses line (e.g., 40 EUR fee for a 2-day preclinical imaging course). GTM is event- and community-led: open-access facility promotions, scientific publications in high-impact journals, participation in science festivals (Brain Week, Science Fair, Week of the Academy of Sciences), public lectures, and educational programs spanning secondary school to postdoctoral levels.

Name

Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Legal name

Fyziologický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i.

Website

https://fgu.cas.cz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a Prague-based public research institution (163 staff) studying normal and pathological physiology, with strengths in cardiac physiology, neurosciences, and metabolism. It operates the open-access IPHYS Bioimaging Facility for Czech and European researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAGAIAE

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Equipment, Instruments & Consumables

SECONDARYHLAJAIAA

National Public Health Reference Laboratories

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Laboratories & Reference Testing Networks

SECONDARYHLAAALAC

Microbiology & Infectious Disease Diagnostics (culture, rapid antigen, syndromic panels)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Biotechnology & Biologics/Diagnostics (Biotech-related)

Keywords

• Physiology research institute
• Bioimaging research services
• Cardiac physiology research
• Open-access microscopy facilities
• Preclinical imaging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Primary funding from Czech Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and European Union research programs (Operational Programme Research, Development and Education). Funded projects include national and international grants for physiology research.
2. Research Facility Services: Open-access bioimaging facility providing services to researchers from Czech Republic and abroad through Czech-BioImaging infrastructure with 100% open-access policy.
3. Training and Education Programs: Course fees for educational programs including 'From Animal Handling to Data: Imaging Facilities in Preclinical Research 2026' (40 EUR) and other methodological seminars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences conducts basic and applied research in normal and pathological physiology aimed at improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of serious non-infectious diseases. It operates the IPHYS Bioimaging Facility, an open-access infrastructure providing advanced light microscopy and bioimaging services to researchers in the Czech Republic and abroad. It also delivers graduate and postgraduate educational programs and methodological training courses.

Product overview

The Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences operates the IPHYS Bioimaging Facility as its primary research service offering. This facility provides open-access advanced bioimaging techniques to researchers through the Czech-BioImaging national infrastructure and Euro-BioImaging ERIC. The facility specializes in light microscopy, non-linear optical methods, and correlative imaging approaches, supporting researchers from experiment design through data analysis and visualization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Czech-BioImaging: A national research infrastructure for biological and medical imaging, providing open access to imaging technologies to scientists in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Products and services

• IPHYS Bioimaging Facility National research infrastructure for biological and medical imaging providing open-access advanced bioimaging techniques to researchers from the Czech Republic and abroad. Services span experiment design, data acquisition, processing, analysis, and visualization using light microscopy, non-linear optical methods (CARS, SHG, THG), and customized API-controlled data acquisition.
• Combined Spinning Disk and Brillouin Imaging System Multimodal imaging platform combining fluorescence dynamics imaging with quantitative mechanical property mapping of living cells and tissues, for applications in mechanobiology, developmental biology, and disease research. Unique in the Czech Republic and rare among European core facilities, available as part of IPHYS Bioimaging Facility services.
• Physiology Research Programs (PhD, Master's, Bachelor's) Formal educational programs in physiology research for PhD, Master's, and Bachelor's students, including thesis supervision and research training. Open to students seeking careers in biomedical and physiological sciences.
• Methodological Training Courses in Preclinical Imaging Fee-based continuing education and methodological training courses for researchers and biomedical professionals, including the 2-day introductory course on preclinical imaging facilities and BIOCEV-Krč methodological seminars.
• Public Science Education Programs Public science education programs including popular science lectures (e.g., 'Human Body in Health and Disease' lecture series), participation in science festivals and events (Brain Week, Science Fair, Week of the Academy of Sciences, Researchers' Night), interactive exhibitions (Memory Park, J.E. Purkyně Physiological Chamber), and educational materials for schools and the general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Open access to advanced bioimaging technologies for all researchers

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Czech-BioImagingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026National research infrastructure for biological and medical imaging, providing distributed infrastructure of leading imaging facilities in Czech Republic with open access to wide range of imaging technologies
• Euro-BioImaging ERICcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026European open-access research network providing coordinated logistics approach for imaging technologies access to scientists from Czech Republic and abroad
• NikoncoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment provider for Spinning Disk SoRa super-resolution system integrated into IPHYS Bioimaging Facility
• Bio-Medical Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Biomed)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiomed Campus hosts the Institute of Physiology along with other biomedical research institutions, sharing infrastructure and services including library facilities
• BIOCEV (Biotechnological and Biomedical Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative biotechnology and biomedicine research center providing shared research infrastructure and methodological seminars (BIOCEV-Krč Methodological Seminars)
• Helmholtz MunichmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on cancer cachexia study published in Nature Metabolism, examining coordinated organ responses to tumor presence
• University of LeedsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on TRPC5 ion channel research published in Nature Communications, describing molecular mechanism of Englerin A interaction

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Karolinska Institutet: Leading Swedish medical university. Comparable in physiology and disease mechanism research, with deeper integration into clinical translation and biomedical training. Represents an upper-tier institutional benchmark for FGU's research ambitions.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): Premier European intergovernmental research organization in life sciences. Comparable as a core facility provider through Euro-BioImaging ERIC network; larger scale and broader mandate, but represents the ecosystem in which FGU operates.
• Helmholtz Munich: Major German research center for biomedical research. Active research collaborator with FGU on cancer cachexia studies; comparable in biochemistry/metabolism research scope, with significantly larger resources and commercial translation activity.
• Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology: Leading German research institute in molecular physiology and bioimaging. Comparable in physiology research focus and microscopy capabilities, though larger scale and more internationally renowned; serves as a benchmark for European peers.
• Pasteur Institute: Renowned French biomedical research institute. Comparable in physiology research and open-access research infrastructure operations, though with broader disease scope including infectious disease. Represents a model for European research institute scale.

Direct peers

• Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences: Another Czech Academy of Sciences research institute located at the Krč campus. Directly comparable as a peer public research institution with biomedical focus, sharing infrastructure and training pipelines within the same governance framework.
• BIOCEV (Biotechnological and Biomedical Centre): Joint research center of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University. Direct strategic partner of FGU sharing methodological seminars and infrastructure; comparable in biomedical R&D focus and Czech institutional setting.
• Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences: Sister institute within the Czech Academy of Sciences located at the same Krč campus. Directly comparable as a peer biomedical research institution with similar funding structure, headcount scale, and physiology-adjacent research focus.

Regional players

• Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB): Regional biomedical research institute with similar focus on cellular physiology and bioimaging. Comparable in basic research orientation and government funding model, though operating in a different geographic and funding ecosystem.

Others

• Nikon Imaging Center: Equipment provider partner of FGU's Spinning Disk SoRa system. Adjacent as a technology enabler and core facility sponsor; comparable in advanced microscopy service delivery model at multiple academic sites globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FgU_AVCR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FyziologickyUstav
• Facebookfacebook.com/FyziologickyUstavAVCR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-physiology-the-czech-academy-of-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/fyziologickyustav_avcr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences