Protistology Open 2026 April 19 - 23, 2026 (Prague, Czech Republic)

Welcome to the official website of the Protistology Open 2026 Conference

The year 2026 will mark a significant moment for the protistological community – a return to the place where it all began. Exactly 65 years after the first International Congress of Protistology (ICOP), the conference will once again be held in Prague, at the renovated ****Grand Hotel International, which also hosted the historic first gathering of the world’s protistologists in 1961.

This anniversary event, titled Protistology Open 2026, is not only a tribute to a major milestone in the development of the field but also serves as the annual meeting of the International Society of Protistologists and the 55th edition of the Jírovec Protozoological Days, a traditional gathering of the Czech protistological community.

The conference is organized by three Czech protistologists: Prof. Julius Lukeš, current President of the International Society of Protistologists and an international member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences; Dr. Tomáš Pánek, Executive Secretary of the International Society of Protistologists and Chair of the Protozoological Section of the Czech Society for Parasitology; and Prof. Miroslav Oborník, Director of the Institute of Parasitology at the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Conference logo

The logo of the first ICOP prominently featured a trophozoite of Giardia intestinalis, commemorating the fact that this organism was first described in 1859 under the name Cercomonas intestinalis by Czech pathologist, pediatrician, and biologist Dušan V. Lambl. Inspired by the original logo, Giardia also plays a central role in the logo of our meeting, designed by T. Pánek.

What to expect?

Protistology Open 2026 will bring together leading experts from around the world who study protists – all eukaryotic organisms excluding plants (Plantae), animals (Metazoa), and fungi (Fungi). The scientific program will focus on all aspects of protist biology, including genomics, cell biology, diversity, ecology, and medical relevance.

The conference will be a joint event of the International Society of Protistologists (ISOP) and several European professional societies, including the Protozoology Section of the Czech Society for Parasitology. This will create a unique platform for international and interdisciplinary collaboration.
 

The program will include:

• Plenary lectures by world-renowned scientists
• Two ISOP-sponsored plenary symposia, selected from applications submitted by ISOP members (with details of the application process to be announced)
• oral and poster presentations of participants
• Awarding of the prestigious Hutner Award for outstanding young scientists
• Informal opportunities for networking, sharing experiences, forming new research collaborations, and professional development for early-career researchers
   

Hosting this exceptional conference in the Czech Republic presents a valuable opportunity for Czech students and early-career scientists to showcase their work to the international community, build meaningful connections, and open doors to future research stays and internships abroad.

Protistology Open 2026 will be a meeting of generations, a celebration of history, and a glimpse into the future of protistological research.

We look forward to seeing you in Prague!

Julius, Tomáš, and Miroslav