The 36th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) has just concluded in the Philippines. The competition took place in Quezon City, part of the Manila metropolitan area, from July 20 to 27, 2025. This year, participants from more than 70 countries around the world came to compete.
The Czech team after the closing ceremony. Standing from left to right: Antonín Reiter, Jakub Krutina, Zuzana Tichá, Michal Staněk, Lenka Libusová, Jan Černý, and Kateřina Bezányiová.
Front row: Jan Beránek.
As usual, the Czech Republic’s team is returning home decorated with four medals. In this competition, approximately 60% of participants receive awards: the top 10% earn gold medals, the next 20% silver, and the following 30% bronze. With a consistent track record of every team member earning a medal, the Czech Republic ranks among the best European countries.
Two of this year’s contestants, Jakub Krutina (J. Š. Baar Grammar School, Domažlice) and Zuzana Tichá (graduate of Brno-Řečkovice Grammar School), are bringing home bronze medals. Jan Beránek (Grammar School and Secondary Pedagogical School, Jeronýmova, Liberec) and Michal Staněk (Voděradská Grammar School, Prague) achieved silver medals, with Jan Beránek missing the gold by only four places. Remarkably, both silver medalists are still in their sophomore (sextá) year, so we may well see them again on the IBO stage in the future.
To earn their medals, the students had to tackle four practical tasks—such as identifying bacteria based on metabolic type and analyzing the anatomy and ecology of coastal Filipino fish—as well as a series of demanding theoretical tests covering topics ranging from molecular genetics to ethology. All of this while adjusting to jet lag and coping with the summer monsoon season, which brought tropical storms and typhoons to the Philippines during the competition week.
The Czech team was accompanied by mentors from the Faculty of Science, Charles University:
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Prof. RNDr. Jan Černý, Ph.D., Department of Cell Biology
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RNDr. Lenka Libusová, Ph.D., Department of Cell Biology
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Mgr. Kateřina Bezányiová, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, and Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences
Another team mentor was RNDr. Antonín Reiter, Ph.D., from the South Moravian Museum in Znojmo.
More information about the competition is available here: https://www.ibo2025.org/about-ibo