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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 projects
- IMGGE work program for 2020
Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, 451-03-68/2020-14/200042, 2020
Principal Investigator: Dr Jelena Begovic, IMGGE
Participants from IMGGE: all employed researchers -
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
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, dr Sandra Vojnovic, dr Aleksandar Pavic - Covalent modification of carbon materials using enzymes
Program "Pokreni se za nauku", Phillip Morris Company, 2019-2020
Principal Investigator: Dr Aleksandra Mitrovic, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Jelena Milovanovic - Bio Innovation of a Circular Economy for Plastics (BioICEP)
International project No. H2020-870292, European Comission, 2020-2023
Coordinator: Dr Margaret Fournet, Athlone Institute of Technology
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic - Novel solutions for effective oral candidiasis treatment
МATCHING GRANTS Program, Innovation Fund, 2019-2021
Principal Investigator: Katarina Joncic-Savic, Phytonet dоо
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Aleksandar Pavic, dr Lidija Senerovic, dr Ivana Moric, dr Lidija Djokic, dr Nada Stankovic - Development of efficient antifungals based on microbial secondary metabolites
Research project within scientific and technological cooperation between Republic of Serbia and Federal Republic of Germany 2020-2021
Principal Investigator: Dr Sandra Vojnovic, IMGGE
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, dr Tatjana Ilic-Tomic - Establishing the zebrafish-cystic fibrosis model of mixed Staphylococcus aureus MRSA43300 - Candida albicans SC5314infection
Program "Pokreni se za nauku", Phillip Morris Company, 2019-2020
Principal Investigator: Dr Aleksandar Pavic, IMGGE
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Dusan Milivojevic, dr Ivana Aleksic - Improvement of enzymes' anti-biofilm activity by immobilization on nanocellulose
Proof of Concept, Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, 5124, 2020-2021
Principal Investigator: Dr Lidija Djokic, IMGGE
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Lidija Senerovic, dr Sanja Jeremic - Bio-coloration of textile using bacteria
Proof of Concept, Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, 5114, 2020-2021
Principal Investigator: Dr Tatjana Ilic-Tomic, IMGGE
Participant from IMGGE: Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic -
De-novo sequencing of 82 selected strains with biomass-degrading and bioremediation potential
JGI Community Science Program, US DOE, FP00010829, 2020-2023
Principal Investigator: Dr MIlica Ciric, IMGGE
Participant from IMGGE: Dr Lidija Djokic
Selected publications
- Production of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and its application as a solid support in transition metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions
Jeremic S, Djokic L, Ajdačić V, Božinović N, Pavlovic V, Manojlović DD, Babu R, Senthamaraikannan R, Rojas O, Opsenica I, Nikodinovic-Runic J
Int J Biol Macromol 2019;129:351-360 - 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
Mandic M, Spasic J, Ponjavic M, Nikolic MS, Cosovic VR, O'Connor KE, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Djokic L, Jeremic S
Polym Degrad Stab 2019;162:160-168 - Wild edible onions - Allium flavum and Allium carinatum – successfully prevent adverse effects of chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin
Pavić A, Mitić-Ćulafić D, Jasnić N, Nikolić B, Simin N, Vasiljević B, Jelena Knežević-Vukčević J
Biomed Pharmacother 2019;109:2482-2491 - Silver(I) complexes with 4,7-phenanthroline efficient in rescuing the zebrafish embryos of lethal Candida albicans infection
Pavic A, Savić ND, Glišić BĐ, Crochet A, Vojnovic S, Kurutos A, Stanković DM, Fromm KM, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Djuran MI
J Inorg Biochem 2019;195:149-163 - Anti-quorum sensing activity, toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and phytochemical characterization of Trapa natans leaf extracts
Aleksic I, Ristivojevic P, Pavic A, Radojevic I, Čomić LR, Vasiljevic B, Opsenica D, Milojković-Opsenica D, Senerovic L
J Ethnopharmacol 2018;222:148-158 - Biofilm-forming ability and infection potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from animals and humans
Milivojevic D, Šumonja N, Medić S, Pavic A, Moric I, Vasiljevic B, Senerovic L, Nikodinovic-Runic J
Pathog Dis 2018;76(4):fty041. - Genomics-Based Insights Into the Biosynthesis and Unusually High Accumulation of Free Fatty Acids by Streptomyces sp. NP10
Schneider O, Ilic-Tomic T, Rückert C, Kalinowski J, Genčić MS, Živković MZ, Stankovic N, Radulović NS, Vasiljevic B, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Zotchev SB
Front Microbiol 2018;9:1302 - Streptomyces spp. in the biocatalysis toolbox
Spasic J, Mandic M, Djokic L, Nikodinovic-Runic J
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018;102(8):3513-3536 - Anti-biofilm properties of bacterial di-rhamnolipids and their semi-synthetic amide derivatives
Aleksic I, Petkovic M, Jovanovic M, Milivojevic D, Vasiljevic B, Nikodinovic-Runic J, Senerovic L
Front Microbiol 2017;8:2454 - Polyhydroxyalkanoate-based 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid and its derivatives as a platform of bioactive compounds
Radivojevic J, Skaro S, Senerovic L, Vasiljevic B, Guzik M, Kenny S, Maslak V, Nikodinovic-Runic J, O’Connor K
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016;100(1):161-172
Contact
Head Office / Mailing address:
Vojvode Stepe 444a,
11042 Belgrade 152, Serbia
Tel: +381 11 3976034
Faks: +381 11 3975808