Dr Brana Pantelić is an Assistant Research Professor at the IMGGE. His research is in the field of eco-biotechnology, with a special focus on biocatalysis and bioremediation. He obtained his BSc in Molecular Biology and Physiology in 2018 from the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, where he then completed his MSc in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (2019) and defended his PhD in biological sciences (2024). His doctoral thesis explored the use of microorganisms in the degradation of plastic polymers such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polyurethanes.

He began his career at IMGGE in 2019 as a Research Trainee and later a Research Assistant in the Group for Eco-biotechnology and Drug Development. He was appointed Assistant Research Professor in 2024. His scientific work focuses on using microorganisms and their enzymes to degrade plastics and develop biotechnological processes for up-cycling plastic waste into higher-value products. He is interested in applying genetic engineering, bioinformatic approaches like genome mining and metagenomics, and advanced chromatography to track degradation processes.

He was the principal investigator of the "3in1 Composting Enhancer for bioplastics" project. He has participated in numerous EU and national projects, including the BioICEP, BioECOLogics, Twinn4MicroUp and the Cozyme COST Action. He has advanced his expertise abroad as a visiting researcher at the University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands, and the Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland.

He is active in science communication and a long-time participant in the European Researchers' Night. He is a member of the Serbian Society for Microbiology, the Serbian Society for Molecular Biology, the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB), and the European Society of Applied Biocatalysis (ESAB).