VeReDo Project Symposium – Prague 2026
Redox Disequilibrium in the Clouds of Venus: A Sign of Life?
The VeReDo Project Symposium will take place on February 18–20, 2026, at the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, in Prague, Czech Republic. The meeting will be held in the Brdička Lecture Hall.
The symposium is organized within the framework of the VeReDo – Redox Disequilibrium in the Clouds of Venus: A Sign of Life? project, a FWF-WEAVE joint Czech–Austrian research initiative funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR; Reg. No. 24-12656K, PI: Martin Ferus) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF; Grant No. I6857, PI: Peter Woitke).
The VeReDo project focuses on redox disequilibrium pairs (RDPs) in the atmosphere of Venus, such as combinations of oxidized and reduced species that may indicate ongoing chemical activity and, potentially, biological processes. While redox disequilibria are well established on Earth, their interpretation on other planets remains controversial. VeReDo is the first project to address these questions for Venus through a combined experimental, observational, and modeling approach, aiming to critically assess both abiotic and potential biotic sources of key atmospheric species.
The symposium will bring together experts in planetary atmospheres, spectroscopy, laboratory and computational simulations, photochemistry, and space missions, with a particular focus on the scientific context of upcoming Venus missions, including ESA’s EnVision and NASA’s DAVINCI. The meeting will provide a platform for presenting project results, discussing open questions related to Venusian redox chemistry, and fostering collaboration across disciplines and national borders.
The detailed scientific program will be announced soon.
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The J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, is one of the leading Czech research institutions in physical chemistry, spectroscopy, and planetary science, with long-standing involvement in space instrumentation, laboratory astrophysics, and international space missions. Hosting the symposium in Prague reflects the institute’s active role in the Venus research and its contribution to European planetary exploration efforts.
The Austrian partner, the Institute of Space Research (IWF) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Graz, is a world-renowned center for space plasma physics, planetary atmospheres, and space instrumentation. IWF Graz has a strong heritage in ESA and NASA missions and plays a leading role in atmospheric modeling, space-based observations, and the interpretation of planetary data, making it a key contributor to the VeReDo project.
In addition to the core Czech–Austrian collaboration, the VeReDo project closely cooperates with internationally recognized research institutions, including the Institute for Chemical Physics and Materials Science (IPCF‑CNR), represented by Giuseppe Cassone and Franz Saija, and the University of Cambridge, represented by Paul Rimmer, among other collaborators. This broad international network ensures a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective on Venusian redox chemistry and planetary habitability.
