Group Members

PhD sudents at the Faculty of Chemistry:

  • Milan Mišić
  • Danilo Četić
  • Katarina Slomo
  • Ratko Pavlović, Apicentar Ltd. Belgrade

Research Area

Particular interest are two groups of enzymes - hydrolases (amylase, cellulase, xylanase, inulinase and protease) and oxidoreductases and their biotechnological applications. We are focused on enzyme production, purification, characterization and improvement by molecular biology techniques, immobilization and chemical modification. Main sources of these enzymes are fungi and bacteria (known producers as well as soil isolates) that secrete them naturally or they are genetically modified to produce recombinant enzymes. The enzymes from those two classes are mainly involved in the raw biomass utilization, for obtaining complete and sustainable biomass conversion processes. Innovative enzyme solutions can potentially improve efficient biomass utilization, and hence significantly contribute to the transition to a bio-based economy by offering environmentally friendly technologies for the production of biofuels, added value chemicals, and materials from biomass resources. The discovery and characterization of new enzymes and processes provides a foundation for the development of enzyme technology for the improved use of renewable biomass resources which are provided by agriculture or are from the industry as waste and residual materials.

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Research areas:

  • Amylase from Bacillus licheniformis that digests concentrated raw starch (a new development in the field of obtaining bioethanol from starch).
  • Production of industrially important enzymes from Trichoderma sp. and Aspegillus sp. for obtaining dietary fiber, prebiotics and bioethanol.
  • Production of proteases, especially those that use solid substrates such as zein and keratin from bacteria and fungi, and their use in obtaining bioactive peptides and biocomposite materials.
  • Development of sophisticated methods for identifying the complexity of isoenzyme forms in a mixture of enzymes produced by microbes.
  • Enzyme stabilization by protein engineering techniques as well as immobilizations on inert carriers and / or chemical modification.
  • Laccase and peroxidases that remove phenolic compounds and dyes from wastewater and applications in lignin degradation.
  • Development of methods for removal of dyes from wastewater based on the use of new biomaterials.
  • Monitoring the biological activity of small molecules through interactions with DNA spectrofluorimetric and electrophoretic methods.
  • Study of digestive enzymes of insects (useful - bees and protected species).

Publications

  • Božić, N., Rozeboom, H.J., Lončar, N., ... Janssen, D.B., Vujčić, Z. Characterization of the starch surface binding site on Bacillus paralicheniformis α-amylase, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2020, 165, pp. 1529-1539
  • Grujić, M., Dojnov, B., Potočnik, I., ... Kubicek, C.P., Vujčić, Z. Superior cellulolytic activity of Trichoderma guizhouense on raw wheat straw, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2019, 35(12), 194
  • Lončar, N., Drašković, N., Božić, N., ... Vujčić, Z., Fraaije, M.W. Expression and characterization of a dye-decolorizing peroxidase from pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1, Catalysts, 2019, 9(5), 463
  • Miocinovic, J., Tomic, N., Dojnov, B., ... Djekic, I., Vujcic, Z. Application of new insoluble dietary fibres from triticale as supplement in yoghurt - effects on physico-chemical, rheological and quality properties, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2018, 98(4), pp. 1291-1299
  • Janovic Barbara S, Collins Andrew R, Vujcic Zoran M, Vujcic Miroslava T, Acidic horseradish peroxidase activity abolishes genotoxicity of common dyes, Journal of Hazardous Materials, (2017), vol. 321, pp. 576-585

Partners

Projects

  • "Novel cost-efficient adsorptive procedure for dye removal following green chemistry principles", Proof-of-concept project, principal investigator: Aleksandra Margetić, PhD, senior research associate ICTM