Mikael Kubista

Mikael Kubista is a Professor and Head of the Department of Gene Expression at the Czech Academy of Sciences' Biotechnology Institute. He holds dual affiliations with TATAA Biocenter in Sweden and the Czech Republic. His roles include academic leadership, entrepreneurship in diagnostics, and advisory work with UNESCO. Kubista earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Chalmers University of Technology (1991) after postdocs at La Trobe University (Australia) and Yale University (USA). His research focuses on qPCR technologies, gene expression analysis, and molecular diagnostics.

Key achievements include co-authoring the influential MIQE guidelines for RT-qPCR, inventing Light-Up probes and Two-tailed PCR, and founding companies like TATAA Biocenter and Life Genomics AB. His work emphasizes translating molecular biology into clinical diagnostics, with notable contributions to non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and cancer diagnostics. Awards include the Frost & Sullivan Award (2013) and recognition as a leading innovator in European diagnostics.

Scientific contributions span biotechnology entrepreneurship, development of diagnostic standards, and pioneering techniques in nucleic acid analysis. Kubista advises on global molecular diagnostics infrastructure through UNESCO and chairs ISO working groups for diagnostic guidelines. His current projects include combining Two-tailed PCR with SimSen Seq technology for advanced cancer diagnostics.