Jason S., Author at Prague Morning

Czech scientists are currently utilizing genetic technologies to manipulate hops used in producing beer.

Researchers working at the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences in České Budějovice are using genetic modification tactics like the gene-editing tool CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) to produce newly altered and healthier hops.

Back in 2012, the CRISPR method was discovered and used to cut out harmful DNA at precise locations. This method for genetic manipulation involves harnessing the natural ability of bacteria to identify and disable foreign DNA and later be replaced.

Since its’ inception the CRISPR method has been used by farmers to produce higher crop yields with higher amounts of disease-resistant nutrients. It also achieves this without the use of chemicals and relies solely on natural bacteria.

The method has already worked with tomatoes and wheat for example but has never been done with hops until now.

The team has discovered that if they isolate the genes responsible for the production of bitter acids and make targeted changes to increase the amount of bitter acids, the beer will have more medicinal substances.

Scientists at the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences would like to point out that there is still a long way to go towards developing healthy beer for commercial use.

The beneficial substances in the hops are still a very small percentage per liter and would not significantly benefit ones overall health.

Geneticist Tomáš Kocábek of the academy warns people not to get too excited about healthier beer as it is still alcohol after all.

“Beer would be healthier, yes, but the harmful effects of alcohol and other ingredients would outweigh the healing effects,” Kocábek tells Aktuálnê

Still, there is hope that going to the pub might someday be less harmful to our bodies. With exciting new technologies like CRISPR, there are many possibilities for advances in the medical field but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used to make better beer for the masses.

The Swedish furniture sellers IKEA have announced they are planning to open the Czech Republic’s first planning studio.

The studio will be the first in the entire region of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia and will focus on the planning of kitchens, storage spaces and bathrooms.

IKEA experts will be available to work with customers in designing spaces and planning projects.

Over the past fiscal year, the company has experienced a massive boost in online sales and intend to improve their online store experience as well as add new dispensing points in new locations in the region of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria.

An exact location of where this new video design studio would be has yet to be announced.

“We are looking for an ideal place where a lot of Praguers go and where they shop,” IKEA Business Manager Federica Barberis tells České Noviny.

A small design location was already featured in a convenient shopping location like Wenceslas Square but had only lasted a year before closing in August of 2019. A spokesperson for IKEA state that its presence on the square was only intended to be temporary.

IKEA Planning Studios have previously opened in London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris, to name a few, and many more will follow over the next few years.

As part of a city expansion focus, alongside digital and physical formats and customer meeting points, IKEA is working to ensure the vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people is being met.

IKEA’s first appearance in the Czech Republic dates back to 1996 and it currently has two department stores in Prague, one in Brno and another in Ostrava.

The company intends to invest over a billion crowns towards developing projection design studios in the area, improving IT systems, and logistical infrastructure.

Many restaurants throughout the Czech Republic opened their doors on Saturday despite government mandates prohibiting them from doing so.

This act of disobedience was done in support of the Chcípl PES initiative. The restauranteurs opened for supporters of their efforts to come and sign a petition they have been circulating. The petition is necessary for them to gain enough signatures to become their own political party.

The group seeks to gain political party status in order to re-open their restaurants and pubs fully as political meeting spaces which they believe to be exempt from government-ordered closures. Jan Hamáček the Minister of the Interior publicly rejects this interpretation of the anti-epidemic regulations.

A Prague restaurant called Šeberák participated as well and had over a dozen people come to support the movement. Many other bars around the country took part in the protest and each attracted their own small crowds who came to express support, make voluntary contributions, and sign the petition.

The Chcípl PES movement is said to also have membership cards identifying supporters to ensure that anybody that does not support the movement and sign the petition would not be served at participating establishments.

Although many other Prague businesses had wanted to take part in the protest, they either only opened a small service window or remained closed entirely. Poor weather conditions did not help matters either.

Some participating businesses can be signified by signs of protest or the brandishing of the Czech flag in their front windows.

Czech police forces were present at many of these openings to ensure things did not escalate and that the businesses did not stay open past 9 pm which would blatantly violate government regulations.

Despite the push to re-open the country by frustrated business owners, countrywide there were 2,376 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday. This marks the lowest number of daily reported cases since December 13.

The University Hospital in Brno has reported that there are approximately 100 cases of the coronavirus mutation recorded every week. Though it is much more contagious than the original viral variant, it is not believed to be more dangerous.

The Ministry of Health has stated they will consider moving the country to a lower level on the PES risk index and ease some restrictions around schools and shops in mid-February. They have not indicated that this would include restaurants and bars as well.

In the past year, the real estate market was expected to take a financial hit due to government measures.

This was not the case however as made evident by data from the real estate server Bezrealitky.cz which services the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Data from their report found that there was no significant loss of revenue and they even experienced a high margin of profits during 2020 as last year alone they leased 47000 properties at a 35 percent increase for from the previous year.

The company is known for the direct sale and leasing of properties which benefits the consumer because it cuts out the middle man and avoids any intermediary parties. Those seeking housing can use Bezrealityky.cz to avoid paying agency fees.

The company has seen massive growth because of its intuitive and user-friendly website. The site includes virtual tours, online contracts, and digital signatures making buying and leasing a property a much less complicated process. It is an ordeal that has now been made entirely digital and remote.

Because of enforced border restrictions and lack of tourism, rental prices in cities like Prague have generally stagnated. Many flats intended for tourism have stood empty and companies like AirBnB have unable to operate effectively.

Virtual tours on bezrealitky.cz

AirBnB paid their hosts worldwide an estimated six billion crowns to cover their losses during the pandemic with an additional 10 million 250 million crowns given to its “super hosts”.

Bezrealitky secured the sale of 6,775 properties with a total value of 32 billion CZK: 5,301 apartments and 1,474 houses. The average price of real estate sold on the portal exceeded six million crowns, a year-on-year increase of 40 percent.

The growing number of rents and sales influenced the company’s financial results. Revenues rose by a quarter from 40 million in 2019 to last year’s 50 million CZK. Bezrealitky increased its net profit by a third, reaching almost 20 million CZK.

“This year we want to significantly expand the range of services. Our ambition is to become a comprehensive real estate service that can offer solutions to property owners and those looking for housing,” CEO Hendrick Meyer of Bezrealityky.cz said.

CEO Hendrick Meyer of Bezrealityky.cz

Frustrated with the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the Czech government, a group of restaurateurs are attempting to form their own political party.

This past weekend Interior Minister Jan Hamáček took to Twitter to state that pandemic restrictions imposed on the general public do not apply to political parties. This statement prompted many struggling restaurant owners to form a coalition formally known as Chcipl PES.

This loophole would essentially mean political cells being formed inside restaurants and pubs. It is through this political party exemption, that mass gatherings of people would likely occur in the name of political party meetings.

Organizers from the group gave a press conference on Tuesday. Among the group, a spokesman named Jiří Janeček stated, “the measures of this government are not working and impoverishing this country and taking people’s hope.”

The group also says they are frustrated with a government provision called the Covid-Gastro program which currently provides financial assistance only to businesses that are following government rules and restrictions.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Industry and Trade Štěpánka Filipová has restated that businesses that violate government restrictions in regard to Covid-19 will not receive financial compensation. Businesses that do adhere to these restrictions are entitled to a subsidy of 400 CZK per day for each employee.

Janeček feels that the country should open up again and allow businesses to operate normally while the government focuses on protecting vulnerable groups.

The group says they have no aspirations to run in elections, however, there is now a petition circulating in each of the participating restaurants and shops in order to gain enough signatures to become a political party. According to the Ministry of Interior, at least 1000 signatures are required to earn such a designation. No mass events have been planned by the group yet.

Critics of this initiative feel that the group is neglecting to consider that according to recent reports, fully opened restaurants can accelerate the spread of the virus three times faster than say fitness centers.

The National Institute of Public Health states that the British coronavirus mutation has also been confirmed to reach the Czech Republic with cases reported in Prague, Central Bohemia, and the Hradec Králové region.

The PES COVID index has reached 73 points out of 100 in the Czech Republic while the reproduction (R) number increased to 0.83 as of Tuesday. Besides opening of stationary and children’s clothing stores, the government does not currently plan to ease any more restrictions.

During the Soviet occupation of then Czechoslovakia, Ivana Nohel was seven-years-old when she and her family left Prague and emigrated overseas to settle in Canada.

Years later, though relatively unknown in the Czech Republic, Nohel finds herself a well-established and successful designer whose creations can be found in Buckingham Palace.

One of her most impressive career accolades is seeing her designs worn by Queen Elizabeth II. Some of the Queen’s frequently worn headscarves are pieces designed by the Czech-born Nohel.

The Queen has been spotted sporting a silk headscarf that is olive green in color and depicts vintage-looking rocking horses. This is one of several Ivana Nohel Studio designs that can be bought on her website and in the Buckingham Palace souvenir shop.

Before having her designs worn by British royalty, Nohel was instrumental in the production of Disney princess dolls like Cinderella.

After working in toy design for companies like Hasbro, Nohel earned a job with the Walt Disney Company Europe division and became the head of the consumer products design team.

During her time in the toy development department she would design different aspects of Disney princess dolls like dresses, purses, and all sorts of other accompanying accessories.

In a recent interview with Forbes, Nohel explained “as soon as a new fairy tale from Disney appears in cinemas, the toy store is flooded with dolls in princess suits known from the film. That used to be my job as well.”

She currently runs her own multimedia design studio based out of London and works as a costume designer for the BBC network while also doing collaborative work with clients like Manolo Blahnik. She also does illustration and graphic design work with international hotels and restaurants.

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Un post condiviso da Ivana Nohel Scarves (@ivananohelscarves)

Despite spending her formative years in Canada, Nohel has maintained a connection to her Czech roots and returned to visit Prague in 1990 as an adult. She still speaks fluent Czech and cites the city of Prague as a continuous creative influence.

“I suddenly saw Prague with adult eyes and found that it was reflected in everything I had created so far,” Nohel told Forbes.

Nohel has become the official supplier of silk headscarves that can be purchased at the Buckingham Palace souvenir shop as well as their online store. Each of Nohel’s headscarves comes with a stamp of authenticity designating them official “British Royal” products.

Though she has found success abroad, her creations will always contain elements reminiscent of her Czech heritage.

“Wherever I do anything in the world, I do it with these Czech hands and I see it with these Czech eyes.”

As most residents and visitors can attest, Prague is a city brimming with old-world charm and fantastic imagery set against a gothic fairy-tale backdrop.

The Czech capital has inspired many notable pieces of literature and continues to do so.

What follows is a collection of literary works that attempt to capture the magic of a city that’s history is steeped in the occult, alchemy, and folklore.

1. The Metamorphosis 1915 by Franz Kafka

Monuments honoring Fanz Kafka can be seen around Old Town Prague as well as an entire museum dedicated to the author. Kafka’s short story The Metamorphosis contains elements of the supernatural as traveling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to discover himself morphed into a large insect or “monstrous vermin”. Both The Metamorphosis and The Trial are among his most famous stories which are both set in the city of Prague.

2. Melmoth 2018 by Sarah Perry

Since the publication of Melmoth, Perry has emerged as one of the giants of the post-modern gothic genre. Melmoth portrays Prague’s gothic aesthetic while setting the backdrop for protagonist Helen Franklin who works in Prague as a translator.

Helen soon learns about the legend of “Melmoth the Witness”, a dark entity cursed to wander the earth until Christ has returned. Melmoth is believed to see everything that occurs and her presence signifies doom wherever she appears throughout history. Melmoth seems fittingly set in a place known as the city of a hundred spires.

3. The Other City 2009 by Michal Ajvaz

Czech novelist Michal Ajvaz creates an alternative version of Prague that overlaps with the everyday Prague. Ajvaz’s unnamed protagonist discovers a mysterious book in an unfamiliar language that serves as a portal into the dangerous other city. The novel acts as a guidebook to this other city inhabited by ghosts, talking birds, and other strange creatures that roam the medieval cobblestone streets.

4. The Trick 2017 by Emanuel Bergmann

Moshe Goldenhirsh is the son of a rabbi who lives in 1930’s Prague while his country is at war. Moshe runs away to join the circus and becomes a famous magician in his own right called the Great Zabbatini.

Moshe reaches a certain level of fame only to find himself being sought after by Adolf Hitler himself. In The Trick, Bergmann portrays the struggle of a man living in difficult times who must use magic to escape the oppressive presence in the city.

5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay 2000 Michael Chabon

Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay pays homage to the rich cultural history of Prague. The story follows a Jewish man named Joseph Kavalier who practices Houdini-styled escapism and must flee Prague to evade capture by the Nazis.

Before leaving the city, he is tasked with saving the Golem of Prague, a superhuman clay creature allegedly crafted from the mud of the Vltava river. The novel highlights the folklore of the Golem who is said to have walked the streets of Prague’s old Jewish Quarter. Chabon expertly crafts a blend of magical realism and history re-imagined.

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