a1_We feature in this issue an article dedicated to Professor Antonín Holý - the renowned Czech chemist of international acclaim who discovered preparations that cure millions of patients worldwide - who died on July 16, 2012 at age 75, the same day the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a drug Prof. Holy helped to create, Truvada, for treating HIV. Preparations developed by Antonín Holý are among the most efficient and also accessible medicines for treating victims of AIDS, smallpox virus, shingles, eye inflammation and hepatitis B. Professor Holý began working at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1960. After three years he transferred to the Institute's new laboratory of nucleic acids chemistry, which he led for twenty years. He was Director of the Institute for eight years (1994-2002). A milestone in Holy's career was in 1976 when he met Erik de Clercq, the Belgian virologist at the Leuven University. This began very effective cooperation on a new group of potential antiviral drugs. Their focus was on acyclic nucleoside phosphonates, several of which they successfully transposed to medicines (Vistide, Hepsera, Viread, Truvada. Atripla) in cooperation with the U.S. pharmaceutical partner. Gilead Sciences. Dr. Holý not only developed the preparations but was also able to find partners to make the necessary biological tests and the companies to produce the medicines. The preparations he developed have become the basis of a modem treatment of a number of serious diseases. Despite all the intemational attention his important research brought him. Professor Holý remained a modest individual, who throughout his life placed particular emphasis on conscientious scientific work. He considered himself to be mainly a scientific employee, even when Director of the IOCB of the ASCR., a2_ "Personally, I would not have advanced in my work to where I am today in any other organization than the Academy of Sciences," he declared several years ago. Antonín Holý was one of the most successful Czech scientists who also lectured internationally. His most influential discoveries have yielded a successful treatment for AIDS and type B viral hepatitis. His research dealt with the chemistry of nucleic acids analogs and he registered more than 60 patents and co-authored 600 scientific papers. His work has been cited more than 10,000 times., and Marina Hužvárová, Gabrieal Adámková s využitím rozhovoru Karla Pacnera.
Featured in this issue is the interwiew with Professor Petr Ráb, a member of Academy Council, and of the Steering Committee of the Evaluation of Academic Institutes. Through this evaluation, the Academy Council is provided a full report of the research effectiveness of Academy Institutes. The process of research assessment is supervised by foreign evaluators. and Marina Hužvárová.
This comment was made by Professor Jiří Drahoš a renowned physical chemist, interviewed for a feature article in this issue. The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) has been observing this year the 20th anniversary of its inception, this one being another in the series. Professor Drahoš has been president of the ASCR since 2009. Since then, Professor Drahoš has been facing the government's decisions to cut the Academy's budget every year. He has worked at the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the ASCR since 1977, holding various positions, including research scientist, senior research scientist, Department Head, Deputy Director (1992-1995) and Director (1996-2003). His principal research interest is multiphase chemical reactors. He has published more than 60 original papers in impacted international journals and is a co-inventor of four international and holds 10 Czech patents. According to Science Citation Index and other sources, his scientific papers have been cited more than 700 times. In 1977 he was awarded the Medal of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (CSAS). and Marina Hužvárová.