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Research
BIOACTIVE MOLECULES, BIOCATALYSTS AND BIOMATERIALS FROM MICROBIAL RESOURCES
Research interests of the Laboratory for Microbial Molecular Genetics and Ecology (LMMGE) are biotechnology, molecular genetics, biochemistry and ecology of microorganisms and microbial communities.
Our laboratory has unique collection of Streptomyces and other bacteria species which serve us as the source of novel bioactive compounds and biotechnologically relevant enzymes.
With lab members’ backgrounds in microbiology, molecular genetics, synthetic chemistry, veterinary science, fermentation technology, and biocatalysis, and long standing collaborations with industrial microbiologists, biochemical engineers, medical mycologists, and chemists in particular, allows us to address interesting problems such as:
- Biotechnology (offering sustainable and greener solutions to synthesis of valuable molecules and biomaterials including waste conversion to value-added materials);
- Production and characterization of bioactive compounds (Streptomyces culture collection);
- Novel approaches in antimicrobial treatments (microbial communication modulating molecules; virulence modulating agents; host-pathogen interactions; activity against microbial biofilms; antifungal therapy);
- Biocatalysis (discovery and engineering of novel biocatalysts for the production of chiral molecules, and improvement of biocatalytic processes);
- Bioremediations (aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals) and biodeteriorations (cultural heritage paintings, books, monuments);
- Taxonomic assessment of microbial communities using metagenomic approaches and taxonomic identification of bacterial isolates through 16S sequence analysis.
Laboratory for microbial molecular genetics and ecology is continually seeking for new collaborations and is offering services that include microbiological analysis, analysis and characterization of bioactive molecules in different model systems such as C. elegans and D. rerio, and directed evolution of enzymes.
Current project
- Microbial diversity study and characterization of beneficial environmental microorganisms
MESTD, OI 173048, 2011-2019
Principal Investigator: Dr Branka Vasiljevic, IMGGE - Combinatorial libraries of heterogeneous catalysts, natural products, modified natural products and their analogues: the way to new biologically active agents
MESTD, OI 172061, 2011-2019
Principal Investigator: Dr Niko Radulovic, PhD, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Nis - New synergistic strategy to treat chronic wound infections
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), CRP/SRB16-02, 2017-2019
Principal Investigator: Dr Lidija Senerovic, IMGGE -
Functionalization of biopolymers
Bioplastech Ltd., Dublin, Ireland
Principal Investigator: Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, IMGGE - Synthesis and application of new chemotherapeutics based on natural products and metal complexes
Strategic project of SASA, 01-2019, 2019-2022
Principal Investigator: Prof dr Bogdan Solaja, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade - An evaluation of Delphinol®, a natural plant remedy, for the topical use in UV light protection
Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, 262, 2018-2019
Principal Investigator: dr Aleksandar Pavic, IMGGE - Covalent modification of carbon materials using enzymes
Principal Investigator: Dr Aleksandra Mitrovic, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade
Program "Pokreni se za nauku", Phillip Morris Company, 2019-2020
Selected publications
- Jeremic S, Djokic L, Ajdačić V, Božinović N, Pavlovic V, Manojlović DD, Babu R, Senthamaraikannan R, Rojas O, Opsenica I, Nikodinovic-Runic J. Production of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and its application as a solid support in transition metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions. Int J Biol Macromol. 2019;129:351-360.
- Mandic M, Spasic J, Ponjavic M, Nikolic MS, Cosovic VR, O'Connor KE, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Djokic L, Jeremic S. Biodegradation of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) using whole cells and cell free protein preparations of Pseudomonas and Streptomyces strains grown on waste cooking oil. Polym Degrad Stab. 2019;162:160-168.
- Pavić A, Mitić-Ćulafić D, Jasnić N, Nikolić B, Simin N, Vasiljević B, Jelena Knežević-Vukčević J. Wild edible onions - Allium flavum and Allium carinatum – successfully prevent adverse effects of chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. Biomed Pharmacother. 2019;109: 2482-2491.
- Pavic A, Savić ND, Glišić BĐ, Crochet A, Vojnovic S, Kurutos A, Stanković DM, Fromm KM, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Djuran MI. Silver(I) complexes with 4,7-phenanthroline efficient in rescuing the zebrafish embryos of lethal Candida albicans infection. J Inorg Biochem. 2019;195:149-163.
- Aleksic I, Ristivojevic P, Pavic A, Radojevic I, Čomić LR, Vasiljevic B, Opsenica D, Milojković-Opsenica D, Senerovic L. Anti-quorum sensing activity, toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and phytochemical characterization of Trapa natans leaf extracts. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018;222:148-158.
- Milivojevic D, Šumonja N, Medić S, Pavic A, Moric I, Vasiljevic B, Senerovic L, Nikodinovic-Runic J. Biofilm forming ability and infection potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from animals and humans. Pathog Dis. 2018;76: doi: 10.1093/femspd/fty041.
- Spasic J, Mandic M, Djokic L, Nikodinovic-Runic J. Streptomyces spp. in the biocatalysis toolbox. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2018;102:3513-3536.
- Schneider O, Ilic-Tomic T, Rückert C, Kalinowski J, Genčić MS, Živković MZ, Stankovic N, Radulović NS, Vasiljevic B, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Zotchev SB. Genomics-based insights into the biosynthesis and unusually high accumulation of free fatty acids by Streptomyces sp. NP10. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1302.
- Aleksic I, Petkovic M, Jovanovic M, Milivojevic D, Vasiljevic B, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Senerovic L. Anti-biofilm properties of bacterial di-rhamnolipids and their semi-synthetic amide derivatives. Front Microbiol. 2017; doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02454.
- Radivojevic J, Skaro S, Senerovic L, Vasiljevic B, Guzik M, Kenny S, Maslak V, Nikodinovic-Runic J, O’Connor K. Polyhydroxyalkanoate-based 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid and its derivatives as a platform of bioactive compounds. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2016;100(1):161-172.
Contact
Vojvode Stepe 444a
P.O BOX 23
11010 Belgrade, Serbia
Tel: +381 11 3976034
Faks: +381 11 3975808