On June 23, 2025, Professor Bradley Launikonis from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, visited Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. In his lecture titled “The role of ryanodine receptors in muscle function,” he focused on the role of ryanodine receptors (RyR) in regulating the calcium cycle in muscle cells.
The lecture explored the resting Ca²⁺ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which affects the muscle’s energy metabolism, its adaptation to workload, and non-shivering thermogenesis. Professor Launikonis also presented cutting-edge methods used in his lab to measure calcium dynamics and heat production at the level of individual muscle fibers, based on research involving transgenic mice and human biopsies.
Professor Launikonis is an internationally recognized expert in muscle physiology, known for combining advanced imaging techniques with functional studies on mechanically skinned muscle fibers. His visit to the Institute of Physiology CAS will greatly contribute to strengthening collaboration, particularly with the Laboratory of Adipose Tissue Biology, which also focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying muscle-based non-shivering thermogenesis in mammals.
