Crytur Awards 2024

On 18 December 2024, the best Master’s theses in materials science were awarded at the Crytur headquarters in Turnov. Among the five winning theses was also that of our student from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Ing. Nina Nováková. Her Master’s thesis, entitled “Effect of salts and pH on the formation, growth, and morphological changes of myelin figures in the decanol–sodium decanoate system”, supervised by Assoc. Prof. Jitka Čejková, received an Honourable Mention at the award ceremony. Congratulations!

This year, 39 Master’s theses were submitted to the competition. Each submission consists of both the student and the supervisor, as the quality of the work is strongly influenced by its guidance. The evaluation committee, composed of research staff from CRYTUR, spol. s r.o., assessed the scientific quality, innovativeness, and applicability of the work in practice. For this year’s competition, emphasis was placed on the experimental part, the careful processing of results, and the systematic approach to solving the problem. Most of the submitted theses were presented at conferences and published in professional journals, demonstrating their high quality both in terms of content and presentation.

All awarded theses came from ten Czech and Slovak universities. The highest number of entries (nine) came from various faculties of the Czech Technical University in Prague. A total of CZK 130,000 was distributed among the award-winning graduates and their supervisors this year. All awardees continue in their scientific careers and doctoral studies.

Honourable Mention: Ing. Nina Nováková
Effect of salts and pH on the formation, growth, and morphological changes of myelin figures in the decanol–sodium decanoate system
Faculty of Chemical Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jitka Čejková, Ph.D., Department of Chemical Engineering

The thesis addresses the fields of artificial life and living technologies. The author focused on the growth and morphological changes of myelin figures resembling the myelin that surrounds nerve fibres. The research suggests possible practical applications in controlled drug delivery, the creation of self-healing surfaces, and the development of biocompatible materials with adaptive properties. At the same time, it highlights the importance of interdisciplinary connections between chemistry, physics, and materials science, and may inspire the development of sophisticated materials that respond to their environment and adapt to external conditions.

Crytur Award
The Crytur Award for the best Master’s thesis in materials science has been awarded since 2014 by the sponsor of the competition, CRYTUR, spol. s r.o. The competition is open to all students of Czech and Slovak universities. Theses evaluated in the current year had to be submitted for defence between 1 October 2023 and 30 September 2024. Since its establishment, a total of CZK 1,221,000 has been distributed in awards.

CRYTUR, spol. s r.o.
Turnov-based CRYTUR is one of the leading technology companies specializing in the production of advanced opto-electronic devices, for example for electron microscopy, medical lasers, scientific instruments, and high-performance light sources. The company has long been engaged in the development and production of synthetic crystals, which often form the core of these solutions, and are also an essential part of detection equipment for physics, such as those used at CERN. CRYTUR has been collaborating with Czech and international academic institutions on joint projects for many years, earning numerous awards in the past. It holds a number of international patents. Its R&D projects have repeatedly been recognized by CzechInvest, and the company has won the “Diamonds of Czech Industry” award. CRYTUR ranks among the long-term leaders of Czech high-tech industry. The company was named PwC Firm of the Year 2023, and its CEO, Jindřich Houžvička, received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year title for the Liberec Region 2023 and the Czech Republic Technology Entrepreneur of the Year 2023.

careermarket.cz portal
Operating on the Czech market since 2015, this advisory portal supports students, graduates, and companies engaged in research and development in the natural sciences in the Czech Republic. It has co-organized the Crytur Award since its inception.