Ita Gruic Sovulj and Dan S. Tawfik from the Weizmann Institute of Science published the paper The evolutionary history of the HUP domain in Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IF = 7.71).

Congrats.

Bartol Božić, a recent graduate of our lab, has joined our group as a PhD student.

Big welcome.

Vladimir received EMBO Short-Term Fellowship to visit prof. Jeff Errington lab, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Great Britain. During three months, he will study morphological steps in Bacilli sporulation using state-of-the art cell biology methods.

Congrats!

Ita Gruic Sovulj and Dan S. Tawfik from the Weizmann Institute of Science published the review paper How evolution shapes enzyme selectivity – lessons from aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases and other amino acid utilizing enzymes in The FEBS Journal (IF = 4.74).

Congrats.

Igor Zivkovic and Ita Gruic Sovulj, in collaboration with Johann Moschner and Beate Koksch, published the paper Mechanism of discrimination of isoleucyl‐tRNA synthetase against nonproteinogenic α‐aminobutyrate and its fluorinated analogues in The FEBS Journal (IF = 4.74).

Congrats.

Bartol Božić has joined out lab to work on his Master Thesis.

Welcome.

Valentina, recent graduate of the Faculty of Science, joined our lab as a PhD student to work on a research grant "Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases as gatekeepers of the standard genetic code".

Big welcome

Alojzije recently defended his Master Thesis and has joined our lab as a PhD student on a research grant "Investigation of substrate and editing specifity in aminoacyl tRNA synthetases and the mechanism of antibiotic action“.

Welcome Alojzije

Mirna Bilus, Marko Mocibob, Igor Zivkovic, Nevena Cvetesic and Ita Gruic Sovulj, in collaboration with Maja Semanjski and Boris Macek (Proteome Center Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen, Germany), Dan S. Tawfik (Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel), and Agnes Toth-Petroczy (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany), published the paper On the Mechanism and Origin of Isoleucyl-tRNA Synthetase Editing against Norvaline in the Journal of Molecular Biology (IF = 4.89).

CONGRATS!

Mario Kekez, Vladimir Zanki, Ivana Kekez, Jurica Baranasic, Dubravka Matković-Čalogović, Ita Gruic Sovulj and Jasmina Rokov Plavec, in collaboration with Vesna Hodnik and Gregor Anderluh from the National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, and Anne-Marie Duchêne from Institut de biologie moléculaire des plantes (IBMP), France, published the paper Arabidopsis seryl‐tRNA synthetase: the first crystal structure and novel protein interactor of plant aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetase in the FEBS Journal (IF = 4.53).

The paper describes the first crystallographic structure of a plant aaRS, and the SerRS:BEN1 complex, one of the first protein complexes of plant aaRSs discovered so far, a rare example of an aaRS interacting with an enzyme involved in primary or secondary metabolism.

CONGRATS!

We are looking for highly motivated student to join our team as a PhD student. For more information, please contact prof. Gruić Sovulj

Lucija Pavlak has joined out lab to work on his Master Thesis. Welcome.

Alojzine Brkić has joined out lab to work on his Master Thesis. Welcome.

Traditionally, on the occasion of the Day of the Faculty of Sciences (April 21st), students choose one of the professors and reward him, or her, with the "Brdo" award. The "Brdo" award is awarded to the best professor according to the students' votes at a particular department. This year we are proud that the recipient of this award was Ita.

Congratulations Ita!

"Since my early age, my favorite question was 'Why?'. At this stage, I am still often searching for the right answer to this delicate question. ...". The World Bank interviewed Ita on the occasion of the International Women's Day, as an example of the extraordinary woman in science. You can read full interview with Ita here

CONGRATULATIONS!

Aleksandra Maršavelski has joined our group as an Assistant Professor.

Welcome, Aleksandra!

Ivan Antičević and Anita Mihalak have joined our lab to work on their Master Thesis Projects.

Big welcome!

Ita Gruić-Sovulj, Igor Živković and Jasmina Rokov Plavec visited prof. Gregor Anderluh and his group at National Institue of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Also, Ita gave an interesing talk "Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases: canonical roles with non-canonical substrates".

Igor attended the Symposium of Students of Doctoral studies of the Faculty of Science where he gave a poster presentation Kinetic partitioning in the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase synthetic site determines non-cognate amino-acid discrimination mechanism. He also won the Award for the best poster presentation!

Congrats!

Morana Dulić, Nevena Cvetešić, Igor Živković, Branimir Bertoša and Ita Gruić-Sovulj, in collaboration with Andrés Palencia and Stephen Cusack from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory from Grenoble, published the paper Kinetic Origin of Substance Specificity in Post-Transfer Editing by Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase in the Journal of Molecular Biology (IF = 4.33).

Because of the excellent comments by reviewers, this paper was selected as the prominent paper in the JMB, and has been accompanied by a commentary, which you can read here.

In addition to this, paper is presented on the cover of the latest issue of the journal, which was illustrated by our student Toni Lijić.

CONGRATS!

Jurica Baranasic and Igor Živković have joined our lab to work on their Master Thesis Projects.
Katarina Belacic, Anja Kostelac, Marta Bosnjakovic and Andrea Hlousek Kasun will work on projects for Rector's award.