8. 12. 2024
Chemical modifications of natural substances
Bojarová Lab
The highly interdisciplinary research in the Laboratory of Biotransformation integrates the chemical and biological disciplines and molecular biocatalysis and focuses on innovative approaches. It includes biotransformations and chemical modifications of natural compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, antibiotics, etc.), carbohydrates and glycoconjugates, organic nitriles, as well as the study of microorganisms on the use of their enzymes for biotransformations. New chemoenzyme synthetic methodologies, the search for new enzymes and novel enzymatic reactions, advanced mutagenesis approaches, modern structural analysis methods and separation procedures are generating a range of new compounds which are subsequently tested for various biological activities within the laboratory or in collaboration with external academic partners. The research is formally structured into several sub-teams, but there is a strong collaboration between them. The lab maintains extensive collaborations – intramural, national and international – expanding the portfolio of methods and improving the visibility of our research.
What’s new?
Focus of research
« Swipe to view more bookmarks »
Biocatalysis
The Biotransformation Laboratory uses microorganisms as sources of enzymes for biotransformation reactions of natural substances. The group maintains an extensive library of enzymes ( glycosidases, glycosyltransferases, arylsulfotransferases, nitrilases, etc., about 200 items) and a collection of production microorganisms that are essential for our work.
read more
Glycobiology
The “White Team” is involved in the synthesis of bioactive oligosaccharides and glycomimetics by enzymatic, chemical or chemoenzymatic methods. It makes appropriate use of a broad spectrum of knowledge from in silico molecular modelling of proteins, molecular biology, protein expression and purification, enzymology, nanomaterial science, glycobiology and especially carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry.
read more
Flavonoids and metabolomics
The “Yellow Team” deals with (poly)phenols, flavonoids and flavonolignans and some other natural substances – their chemistry, chemical and enzymatic modification, separation, characterization and biological activity. In recent years, the main focus has been on 2,3-dehydroflavonolignans, hydrocarpins and various semi-synthetic flavonoid derivatives, where their modulatory effect on multidrug resistance in bacteria and cancer cells is being investigated.
read more
Biotransformation of cyanide, nitriles and aldoximes
The “Blue Team” focuses on the enzymes of microbial cyanide and nitrile metabolism. In recent years, the focus has been, for example, on the environmentally friendly preparation of nitriles, which are used in pharmaceutical synthesis, as solvents or as flavouring agents in cosmetics and cleaning products.
read moreOur Team
Meet the members of our Biotransformation Laboratory team
Bojarová Lab
