Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Research Articles

Sustainable management of end of life crystalline silicon solar panels in Australia: Advancing circular economy practices

The worldwide adaptation of Photovoltaic (PV) technology as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, has experienced exponential growth in recent years. However, the lack of effective waste management policies has hindered efficient PV panel disposal and recycling practices. In the absence of effective policies, the worldwide End-of-Life (EoL) PV module accumulation is predicted to reach a critical stage in the early 2030s. This study examines the environmental impacts of different EoL management practices using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), based on a comprehensive database generated from both literature and industrial data. Five different EoL scenarios were considered for 1000 kg of Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) PV modules with a focus on Australia as a case study, while considering the energy recovery options and emphasizing the economic benefits. From a comprehensive LCA study, it is found that upcycling options reduce the environmental impacts significantly compared to downcycling, while chemical treatment emerges as a preferred option, demonstrating a reduced environmental burden. Nevertheless, the utilization of toxic chemicals during chemical treatment-based PV recycling needs to be reconsidered. Additionally, the usage of chemicals during the metal recovery process of PV module recycling caused the highest environmental burden, necessitating the importance of moving to greener treatment practices. This research study will enable the identification of optimum EoL c-Si module recycling options, contributing to sustainable waste management.

Life cycle assessment of recycling waste crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules: A comparison between traditional and green solvent recycling processes

Crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules that have reached the end of their service life, if not effectively recycled, result in the loss of valuable resources such as silicon, silver, aluminum, and others. Moreover, improper disposal can lead to long-term environmental pollution. Therefore, the development of efficient and green recycling technologies for waste PV modules has become a key focus of current research. In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) of green solvent recycling (GSR) and traditional recycling technologies was conducted using the ReCiPe 2016 Mid-point evaluation method. The energy and resources consumed, along with the environmental impacts generated, were comparatively analysed, and their resource recovery benefits were calculated. Results show that GSR performs well in terms of environmental impact and even better in terms of resource recovery benefits. Leaching with 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI) solvents reduces global warming potential by 487 kg CO2 eq compared to nitric acid used in chemical recycling. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) achieve higher leaching rates of up to 99 %, compared to metals recovered via mechanical separation, and reduce terrestrial ecotoxicity by 742 kg of 1,4-DCB. Of all energy and resource inputs, electricity consumption contributes the most to environmental impacts. In summary, this study offers a more environmentally friendly and effective recycling solution for the PV industry, supporting its green transformation and sustainable development.

Bifacial and Angular‐Resolved Performance Characterization of Ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells Including Nanostructures

Bifacial solar cells experience growing interest not just for crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules. Thin‐film solar cells deposited on a transparent back contact bring inherent semitransparency, making them ideally suited for bifacial applications. Herein, a systematic investigation of bifacial measurement procedures is performed on semitransparent ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) solar cells on transparent conductive oxide, including nanostructures. The measurements are further extended by angular‐resolved performance studies. The bifaciality of the samples is determined to be ≈80% in current and ≈65% in power, and enables the calculation of an equivalent irradiance for solar cell testing under >1 sun front illumination only. The results are compared to bifacial operation, i.e., simultaneous front and rear irradiance, and to the summation of individual front and rear performance measurements up to 1 sun. It is revealed that highly similar results can be obtained for these approaches and that the integration of nanostructures supports device stabilization. Particularly, the higher (75 nm) SiO2 nanomeshes can enable performance enhancement. Furthermore, the angular‐dependent behavior follows the expected trend of reduced illumination intensity according to the cosine of the incident angle. In these findings, the suitability of semitransparent ultrathin CIGSe solar cells for bifacial operation and the benefit of integrated nanostructures is confirmed.

Life cycle assessment of decommissioned silicon photovoltaic module recycling using different technological configurations in China

The intricate encapsulation structure and material composition of photovoltaic modules necessitate full materials recycling involving multiple stages and different technological configurations, thereby increasing environmental burden of recycling process. Consequently, environmental impact assessments are imperative. However, previous studies primarily focused on a single technology or compared different technologies within a specific recycling stage, overlooking various technological configurations and thus engendering incomprehensive assessment. Hence, we employ a comparative life-cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental performance of six recycling alternatives with different technological configurations for silicon photovoltaic waste in China, which encompasses five recycling stages and glass/silicon remanufacturing processes. Results shows thermal delamination reduces the normalized environmental impact by 8.73% and 4.62% compared with mechanical and chemical delamination, respectively; electrolysis for metals extraction carries 35.72%–36.35% higher environmental benefits than precipitation. Additionally, introducing silicon/glass remanufacturing provides an additional 6.27%–11.55% environmental benefits. Therefore, integrating disassembly, thermal delamination, leaching & etching, electrolysis, and remanufacturing exhibits the best environmental performance, with −4796 kg CO2-eq/tonne carbon emission and −46400 MJ/tonne energy demand. Environmental hotspots analysis identifies key contributors to environmental impact and benefits. Further sensitivity analysis highlights the importance of enhancing silver and copper recovery efficiency. Finally, targeted strategies are proposed for green recycling routes of photovoltaic waste.

Monitoring solar irradiance and PV module performance in mobile applications

The paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of a PV module attached to an electric vehicle using a custom developed PV monitoring system to estimate the effect of PV energy production on the driving range.A rigid crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) module with a nominal peak power of 192.4 W accompanied with four irradiance sensors (positioned horizontally and vertically to the left, right and back) was mounted on an electric car, and various driving scenarios were executed, with data recorded for analysis. The results of a two-month continuous monitoring of the car's usage mainly in the Central Slovenia region in late winter and early springtime, show that the daily energy generation by the installed PV module contributed an additional driving range of up to 5 km per day, totalling 93 km of additional range in the entire monitoring period. Based on irradiance monitoring results applied to a hypothetical case where all sides would be covered with a state-of-the-art PV, the driving range would extent to 471 km in total for the same period. When compared to a fixed, ideally installed PV module at our outdoor PV monitoring site in Ljubljana, the average performance ratio (PR) of the mobile PV module in the two-month period was 87 %, whereas the PR of the fixed installed PV module was 83 %. The energy yield varied significantly under the varying conditions resulting from different car usage scenarios and on average it reached 41 % of the fixed PV module's energy yield. Through real-world experiments and data collection, different car use cases under various driving and parking conditions are presented and evaluated in detail. From these, the base specifications of a dedicated mobile VIPV monitoring system are identified.

Eco-Innovation Method for Sustainable Development of Energy-Producing Products Considering Quality and Life Cycle Assessment (QLCA)

The sustainability of products remains a challenge, mainly due to the lack of consistent approaches for simultaneously taking into account the key criteria of the concept in the process. This research aims to develop an eco-innovative QLCA method to create new product solutions that integrate quality (customer satisfaction) and environmental impact assessment throughout the product life cycle. The QLCA method includes: (i) product prototyping according to quality and environmental criteria; (ii) prospective assessment of the quality of prototypes, taking into account customer requirements; (iii) prospective life cycle assessment of product prototypes using a cradle-to-grave approach in accordance with ISO 14040; and (iv) setting the direction of product development while taking into account the fulfilment of customer expectations and the need to care for the environment throughout the product life cycle. Owing to the lack of previous research in this area, as well as the popularity of photovoltaic (PV) panels in reducing greenhouse gases, an illustration was obtained and test of the method was carried out on the example of silicon photovoltaic panel modules (Crystalline Si PV Module). In accordance with the adopted assumptions, the results of the QLCA method test showed that the modelled PV prototypes will, in most cases, be satisfactory for customers, but they still require improvement actions to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions throughout their life cycle. These activities should be consistent so as to achieve quality that satisfies customers. The QLCA method can be used by designers, managers, and decision-makers at the early stages of design, but also during the product maturity phase for its sustainable development.

The study of adsorption mechanisms and kinetics of recovering Ag and Al on the bioleaching of end-of-life crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells

The steady growth of end-of-life (EoL) crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) modules requires the development of recycling technologies to guarantee sustainable circular development for the environment. Therefore, we use cyanogenic bioleaching to recover valuable metals from c-Si PV cells. The kinetic mechanism of the leaching process was evaluated. In addition, the complexation of cyanide on the metal surface was further explored from the perspective of adsorption models. The experimental data show that bioleaching can effectively recover Ag and Al, and the leaching process is controlled by chemical reaction and diffusion. On the metal surface, the C-terminal adsorption of CN– is more advantageous than the N-terminal vertical adsorption. CN– is prone to mutual isomerization between the more stable configurations on the metal surface, and rotation is prone to occur between the adsorption configurations. The results of the charge density difference showed that when CN– was adsorbed on the metal surface, the charge was transferred from the metal surface to the cyanide radical, and the electrons were mainly obtained by C, while N lost part of the electrons. Hence, the results of this study confirm that the culture of Pseudomonas fluorescens can recover metals from retired c-Si PV cells.

Subcritical water delamination: A promising path to efficient recycling of critical minerals

The objective of this study is to degrade the polymer layers within crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic modules and delaminate the essential valuable minerals for recycling, employing solely the thermodynamic attributes of water under subcritical conditions and abstaining from the utilization of chemical solvents. The c-Si wafer was successfully delaminated from the polymer structures at 200 °C, 100 bar for 30 min in a high-pressure reactor and ground in a planetary ball mill, where the experimental conditions were optimized for energy consumption using a Box-Behnken design. Hydrothermal subcritical delamination process provides structural changes in the polymer layers due to swelling of the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and hardening of the backsheet. The energy consumption measured at the laboratory scale corresponds to the optimum response value of 0.132 kWh, demonstrating the effectiveness of the study under short-term and stable conditions.The c-Si wafer analyzed using techniques such as EDXRF, XRD, TGA, FTIR, and SEM/EDS. 87.5% Si, 1.95% aluminum, 1.12% silver, and 1.23% other metals were recovered from the solar cell. However, an oxidation rate of 6.71% by mass was detected in the c-Si wafer. The recovery rate of valuable minerals by ignoring oxidation is 98.4% of the total mass.

Influence of Wind and Rainfall on the Performance of a Photovoltaic Module in a Dusty Environment

This study presents an analysis of the influence of weather conditions on the performance of a multicrystalline silicon photovoltaic module, which operates under constant resistive load and is situated near a limestone quarry. The quarry is a significant source of dust, and hence the focus of the study is on the weather factors influencing the presence of soiling on the module’s surface. The analysis encompasses a three-week period, during which the global horizontal irradiance and wind speed were recorded at 10-min intervals by an on-site weather station. The current, voltage, and back temperature of the module were also measured. Supplementary weather data were obtained from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service and the NASA POWER databases. The primary objective is to assess whether any influence of the observed weather conditions on the presence of soiling can be inferred from the recorded data. The contribution is in part intended to test how different techniques can be used to extract useful information on the weather-related effects from somewhat limited data, assembled from various sources, while dealing with the underlying uncertainties. The analysis indicates a persistent deterioration of the module’s performance because of soiling and its subsequent improvement due to a favourable weather event.

A comparative study of mechanical crushing and pyrolysis techniques for separation and recovery of discarded polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules

With the rapid growth of the photovoltaic (PV) industry, efficient recovery and utilization of discarded polycrystalline silicon PV modules have attracted increasing attention. This study compares the application of mechanical crushing and pyrolysis techniques in the recovery of PV modules. The results indicate that while mechanical crushing can preliminarily disintegrate materials, its effectiveness in separating valuable materials such as silver and aluminum is limited, particularly for particles larger than 1 mm. In contrast, pyrolysis techniques demonstrate outstanding performance in removing organic matter and separating silicon wafers and glass, notably enhancing the recovery rate of large glass particles. However, the brittleness of silicon wafers presents a challenge during pyrolysis. Furthermore, the pyrolysis mechanisms of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) film and backsheet materials are thoroughly discussed. The pyrolysis process of EVA film involves two stages: firstly, the preferential decomposition of acetyl oxygens on ester side chains, followed by further pyrolysis decomposition of the main chain and side chains to generate alkanes. Pyrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) begins with the generation of methyl and benzoyl radicals, while polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) pyrolysis initiates with the detachment of head-group units, followed by sequential detachment of chain units. Given the advantages of pyrolysis techniques, this study recommends them as the preferred method for PV module recovery.

Photovoltaic Manufacturing Factories and Industrial Site Environmental Impact Assessment

Life cycle inventories (LCIs) and life cycle assessments (LCAs) of photovoltaic (PV) modules and their components focus on the operations of PV factories, but the factories and industrial site product and construction stages are either not or only partially tackled. This work contributes through the bottom-up, model-based generation of LCIs and LCAs for setting up a vertically integrated 5 GWp/a PV industrial site, including the manufacturing of silicon ingots, wafers, solar cells, and PV modules, on a 50 ha greenfield location. Two comparative LCAs are performed. The first compares the annualized environmental impacts of the developed LCI sets with four existing inventories in the Ecoinvent v3.8 database. The second comparative LCA explores the environmental impact differences concerning the industrial site when using different building systems for the factories. Here, the reference system with a steel structure is compared with two alternative building systems: precast concrete and structural timber. The results show that the wafer, cell, and module factories’ annualized environmental impacts with the Ecoinvent LCIs are strongly overestimated. For the ingot factory, the opposite result is identified. The impacts of all four factories show reductions of between 11.7% and 94.3% for 14 of the 15 impact categories. High mean environmental impact shares of 79.0%, 78.2% and 79.2% for the steel, precast concrete and timber structural building systems, respectively, are generated at the product stage. The process and facilities equipment generates 54.2%, 54.4% and 58.2% of the total product and construction stages’ mean environmental impact shares. The proposed alternative timber building system reduces the environmental impacts in 14 of the 15 evaluated categories, with reductions ranging from 1.1% to 12.4%.

Experimental and numerical modeling of photovoltaic modules temperature under varying ambient conditions

In this work, comprehensive three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation, of fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena around a free-standing polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module is carried out. The objective is to provide accurate calculation of module’s temperature as a key parameter to estimate its power output. Therefore, experiments were conducted at the university of El Oued, south-east Algeria, to collect the necessary dataset for simulations. Considering different heat transfer mechanisms, modeling absorbed solar energy within the cells, and after mesh refinement study and model validation, simulations were performed and different parameters have been investigated. Results show that more accurate module temperature (Tback) estimation can be achieved based on numerical simulations. It was also found that numerical simulation overcome other models from literature and provides better results, achieving an R2 of 0.995 and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.822. Results also indicate that, solar radiation (G), ambient temperature (Ta) and wind speed (Ws) tend to have the major impact on Tback, an increase of 100W/m2 in G can produce an increase of 4°C in Tback at low wind speeds, and about 2.4°C for relatively higher Ws. Ta also tends to yield linear increase in Tback, expecting 5.8°C rise, for 6°C increase in Ta at 700W/m2 and 1m/s of solar radiation and wind speed, respectively. Additionally, a regression-based model was proposed for engineering applications, providing accurate results with an R2 of 0.989, a MAE of 1.009, which is 10% more accurate than the best model from literature.

Daylight photoluminescence imaging of photovoltaic systems using inverter‐based switching

AbstractDaylight photoluminescence imaging of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules is demonstrated for modules embedded in rooftop and utility‐scale systems, using inverters to electrically switch the operating point of the array. The method enables rapid and high‐quality luminescence image acquisition during the day, unlocking efficient performance and quality monitoring without the need to connect specific electrical hardware or to make any modifications to the system wiring. The principle of the measurement approach is discussed, and experimental results from a 12‐kWDC residential rooftop system and from a 149 MWDC utility‐scale photovoltaic power plant are presented. Measurements were performed using commercial inverters without modifications to the inverter hardware or firmware. In the case of the utility‐scale power plant, the daylight photoluminescence image acquisition of modules connected to a central inverter was obtained from a remote piloted aircraft. Data analysis includes the conversion of photoluminescence image data into implied voltage differences.

Effect of a radiative cooling emitter with indium tin oxide near-infrared heat mirror on the performance of photovoltaic module

ABSTRACT Recent research on cooling photovoltaic (PV) modules through radiative cooling methods has attracted significant interest, due to the temperature reduction that enhances the power generation of PV modules. This study uses a transparent-radiative heat mirror (TRHM) for cooling silicon PV modules, utilizing a combination of an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to enable visible light transmission while reflecting unnecessary heating photons. Fabricated by a low-cost method, the novelty honeycomb-like surface microstructure of PDMS enhances the material’s emissivity. Combined ITO layer with honeycomb-like PDMS, the film results in a reflectivity of 0.65 in the near-infrared range (1.1–2.5 μm, NIR) and an emissivity of 0.93 in the mid-far infrared range (8–13 μm, MIR). PV modules covered with TRHM (PV-TRHM) demonstrated a significant emissivity of 0.90 in MIR, leading to a temperature of 44.2°C, which has a 7.2°C reduction compared to the 53.6°C bare PV. Additionally, a 0.81% increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) was achieved. These approaches hold promise for efficient PV heat management in engineering projects.

Environmentally friendly recycling process for crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules: Airflow separation and AlCl3·6H2O + H2O2 etching system

The disposal of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules (c-Si PV modules) at the end of their service life (EoL) is a pressing issue that requires attention. In this study, an environmentally friendly and efficient recycling method was proposed, involving pyrolysis, airflow separation, and AlCl3·6H2O + H2O2 etching. After removing the backsheet, EoL c-Si PV modules were pyrolyzed to eliminate ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) as an encapsulant. A gas/solid fluidized bed was employed to separate solar cells and glass particles mixed together after pyrolysis. The findings of the study indicate that, under specific parameters including a bed height of 6 cm, an airflow velocity of 58.82 m3/(L·h), and a separation time of 5 min, the separation process achieved remarkable efficiencies. Notably, the recovery efficiency and product purity for samples with particle sizes of d > 4 mm and 2 < d ≤ 4 mm were recorded at 100 % / 99.37 % and 100 % / 95.50 %, respectively. The experimental results demonstrated that, under the conditions of 0.6 mol/L AlCl3·6H2O, 2 % H2O2, and a temperature of 80℃ for 30 min, a significant removal of 95.32 % for Ag and 99.77 % for Al was achieved. This finding illustrates the effectiveness of the selected reagents in the etching process. The insights gained from this paper contribute valuable knowledge to the optimization and understanding of the separation and etching processes employed in solar cell separation.

Influence of Material Models on the Numerical Predictions of Thermomechanical Behavior of Silicon Photovoltaic Modules

Silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules are made using different materials, namely glass, EVA, silicon, and a backsheet material such as PET. To develop a numerical thermomechanical PV module model capable of providing accurate predictions, the influence of the material models on the predictions must be analyzed. A two-dimensional, thermomechanical, finite-element (FE) model of PV modules was created, and it was able to reproduce some experimental measurements. It was then used to study the influence of the material models on the numerical predictions. Attention was given to the material models of EVA and silicon. Firstly, the material model of EVA was considered, and the predictions of the following models were compared: linear elastic, temperature-dependent linear elastic, and viscoelastic. Secondly, as the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) plays a major role in the thermomechanical behavior, the influence of its temperature dependence on the predictions was compared. The numerical results show that it is necessary to use a viscoelastic EVA model to reproduce the experimental data of the change in cells gap. It was also found that the temperature dependence of the CTE of EVA and silicon has significant influence on the module deflection and stress, hence it should be taken into consideration in future numerical studies.

Material intensity and carbon footprint of crystalline silicon module assembly over time

The growing solar photovoltaic (PV) installations have raised concerns about the life cycle carbon impact of PV manufacturing. While silicon PV modules share a similar framed glass-backsheet structure, the material consumption varies depending on module design, manufacturer, and manufacturing year, leading to varying carbon emissions. However, current life cycle assessment (LCA) studies and public inventory databases of silicon PVs lack an assessment of the variability in commercialized solar module designs and their potential impact on module reliability and carbon footprint. The present study aims to address this research gap by providing a temporal analysis of aluminum and glass intensity in crystalline silicon modules produced from 2006 to 2021. The material inventory data is obtained from specification sheets of 167 crystalline silicon modules produced by 31 manufacturers. Subsequently, we use the collected material inventory to estimate the carbon footprint of manufacturing silicon modules in multiple countries over the past decade. The results reveal a 30% reduction in the aluminum intensity used for frames from 2010 to 2021, while the solar glass thickness remains relatively constant. Additionally, the comparison among manufacturer tiers indicates that more reliable modules tend to use more materials for module production. Moreover, the comparative life cycle assessment of modules manufactured in various countries demonstrates a significant impact of local electricity mixes on the carbon footprint of module manufacturing. Modules manufactured in China exhibit the highest carbon emissions, followed by Malaysia (4–9% lower than China), South Korea (15–16% lower than China), the US (17–18% lower than China), Thailand (19–21% lower than China), Turkey (18–21% lower than China), and Vietnam (25–30% lower than China). Overall, the present study highlights the importance of up-to-date data on material inventory and local electricity mixes in evaluating the environmental impacts associated with PV manufacturing. Lastly, we advocate for integrating the variability of module designs and manufacturing locations within low-carbon solar module criteria and guidelines, recognizing the importance of adaptability in achieving sustainable solar manufacturing.

Assessment of the Performance and Defect Investigation of PV Modules after Accelerated Ageing Tests

Photovoltaic (PV) modules' degradation behaviour, together with outdoor field condition and fault diagnostics, consist valuable data in evaluating efficiency and establishing long-term reliability of a PV system. However, since PV modules commonly come with 25 (even over) years of warranty, testing modules in field for that long period is not feasible. Thus, due to time constraints, many accelerated aging tests have been recently introduced for testing reliability and durability of PV modules. Scope of the presented study is the assessment of the performance degradation and fault (defect) propagation mechanisms with regard to three monocrystalline silicon (mc-Si) PV modules, through a specific thermal cycle accelerated ageing test. The parameters that were experimentally evaluated towards the accelerated ageing process of this study, were: i) the thermal signature evolution and/or propagation of any diagnosed defects, especially in two modules, by means of infrared (IR) thermographic measurements, ii) the overall performance degradation of each module, by means of electrical I-V measurements, together with iii) specific morphological characteristics, by means microscopy imaging. The intended study gave useful and promising results in assessing the effect of the applied thermal cycles upon the modules’ thermal behaviour, electrical efficiency and morphology.

Recent developments of polymer-based encapsulants and backsheets for stable and high-performance silicon photovoltaic modules: materials nanoarchitectonics and mechanisms

This review offers a detailed look at materials in encapsulation and backsheets for crystalline silicon photovoltaic (c-Si PV) modules, along with recent research advancements for performance enhancement.

Research Collaboration of ITENAS Bandung – Indonesia and MATE Godollo – Hungary on the Photovoltaic Thematic Field: Achievements and Future Plan

Since the agreement was signed officially in 2013, Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung (ITENAS Bandung) – Indonesia and Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE Godollo) – Hungary have implemented a lot of scholarly activities, and one of them is research collaboration in the field of solar energy, especially in the thematic field of photovoltaic (PV). A set of experimental facilities has been developed and constructed to support related research. Basic facilities to understand the principle of electricity generated by PV, i.e., having the solar power plant (SPP) laboratory scale have been fulfilled by both universities. MATE Godollo has a 10 kWp SPP installation and uses polycrystalline and amorphous silicon PV modules, meanwhile, ITENAS Bandung has 1 kWp SPP and uses monocrystalline silicon PV modules. In this paper, a set of activities related to PV research collaboration between ITENAS Bandung and MATE Godollo will be elaborated, including the output and the outcome of the activities, and plan activities involving other university partners, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra – Slovakia and Czech University of Life Science Prague, Czech Republic.