I have been a mentor to five PhD students, three within period after last election that successfully completed their PhDs. The topics of PhDs were the activation of innate immune response. Two students from secondary school working under my supervision were awarded Prešern award (2014) for their work describing internalization of the DNA conjugated to protein matrix. Furthermore I have been a member of mentoring team for the undergraduate students which very successfully participated at the international competition of synthetic biology at MIT, USA (see (v) international awards). Furthermore, I have been lecturing a course Microbiology, at the University of Maribor, and at the high school Fizioterapevtika. I am lecturing a course Protection of Intellectual Property at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty. PhD students: FORSTNERIČ V., LEBAR T.; Undergarduate students: LEBEN K.; PLAPER T.; KUNŠEK A.; References: LEBAR, Tina. Načrtovanje genskih regulatornih omrežij na osnovi DNA vezavnih proteinov : doktorska disertacija = Designing gene regulatory circuits based on DNA binding proteins : doctoral dissertation. Ljubljana: [T. Lebar], 2017. XIII, 91, [52] f., ilustr. https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?id=94274. [COBISS.SI-ID 3867924] FORSTNERIČ, Vida. Vloga domene D0 flagelina pri aktivaciji receptorja TLR5 : doktorska disertacija = The role of the D0 domain of flagellin in activation of TLR5 : doctoral dissertation. Ljubljana: [V. Forstnerič], 2017. X, 89, 18 str., ilustr. https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?id=92676. [COBISS.SI-ID 290505216] LEBEN, Katja, KRESE, Rok, PLAPER, Tjaša, FRANKO, Nik, MAGDEVSKA, Lidija, GRADIŠEK, Miha, MERLJAK, Estera, ROŠKAR, Samo, JERALA, Nina, CEROVIĆ, Kosta, PRAZNIK, Arne, PUŠNIK, Žiga. IGEM 2016 : giant jamboree, October 27-31, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA. [COBISS.SI-ID 1537310915] LEBEN, Katja. Vpliv povezave ligandov Toll-u podobnih receptorjev na aktivacijo imunskega sistema : magistrsko delo. Ljubljana: [K. Leben], 2016. VI, 43 str., ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 1537134531] PLAPER, Tjaša. Stimulacija inflamasoma NAIP/NLRC4 s flagelinom divjega tipa ter flagelinskimi mutantami : magistrsko delo : magistrski študij - 2. stopnja = Stimulation of inflamasomme NAIP/NLRC4 with wild type flagellin and flagellin mutants : M. Sc. Thesis : Master Study Programmes. Ljubljana: [T. Plaper], 2016. XIV, 70, [3] f., ilustr. http://www.digitalna-knjiznica.bf.uni-lj.si/biologija/du2_plaper_tjasa.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 4067663] KUNŠEK, Ana. Vpliv različnih agonistov Tollu podobnih receptorjev na aktivacijo dendritičnih celic : diplomsko delo. Ljubljana: [A. Kunšek], 2015. 33 str., ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 1536474307]
D.09 Tutoring for postgraduate students
COBISS.SI-ID: 3867924We showed that a chimeric flagellin can be used as an adjuvant in the preparation of a vaccine against bacteria Helicobacter pylori. The chimeric protein consists of a segment of the flagellin of Salmonella typhimurium that activate innate immunity and from the part of the flagellin of H. pylori that presents antigen. The novelty ios that single molecule of the chimeric flagellin is composed of innate immunity activator and antigen which significantly improves synthesis of antibodies against H. pylori. Described innovative procedure was protected by a patent. Furthermore, we showed that the improved synthesis of biosynthetic products can be achieved by ordered assembly of biosynthetic enzymes guided by DNA template. We protected the innovation by patent application and published the results (Nucl. Acid. Res.). The collaboration with DSM Food Technology is based on this achievement and the discovery of coiled-coils that can be used as scaffold to tether the biosynthetic enzymes. My contribution: participated on experimental design and preparation of patent application. References: JERALA, Roman, PIRHER, Nina, IVIČAK-KOCJAN, Karolina, AVBELJ, Monika, BENČINA, Mojca, HORVAT, Simon, ČEH, Eva, KOČAR, Vid, KOLAR, Katja, LONZARIĆ, Jan, LASIČ, Ana, MORI, Jerneja, SMOLE, Anže. Chimäre Flagelline für Vakzine : AT 509354 (B1), 2015-05-15. Wien: Österreichisches Petentamt, 2015. 57 str., ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 4381466] TURNŠEK, Jernej, ILC, Tina, TOMŠIČ, Nejc, JERALA, Roman, AVBELJ, Monika, BENČINA, Mojca, MORI, Jerneja, STOŠICKI, Tjaša, ŽNIDARIČ, Matej, BORDON, Jure, PETRONI, Mattia, GABER, Rok, KOPRIVNJAK, Tomaž, ANDERLUH, Gregor, VOVK, Irena, GLAVNIK, Vesna. Improved synthesis of biosynthetic product by ordered assembly of biosynthetic enzymes guided by the nucleotide sequence motif template : patent : AT512453 (B1), 2015-05-15. Wien: Österreichisches Petentamt, 2015. 118 str., ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 5480730]
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 4381466I was invited speaker at scientific meetings: the Congress of Slovenian Biochemical Society, Slovenian immunological Society meeting, and Slovenian Association of Allergology meeting. The work on innate immunity was presented at these meetings. Furthermore, I was invited to present our work at the University of Nova Gorica and at the University of Agriculture Latvia in the scope of Erasmus Lectures. Furthermore, to improve public awareness of science and to promote understanding our scientific findings, achievements and results are promoted to the public via the news, and interviews. Involvement in the international arena is seen through bilateral projects and informal cooperation with foreign researchers. Several publications derived from said co-operation (Toivari et al. Metabol Engineer 2012, Valkonen et al., Fungal Genet Biol 2014, Valkonen et al., Appl Environ Microbial 2013, Binder et al. FEBS Lett 2015). References: BENČINA, Mojca (intervjuvanec), JERALA, Roman (intervjuvanec). Visokemu šolstvu smo nastavili ogledalo : sodelovanje v oddaji Epilog, POP TV, 15. 10. 2015. BENČINA, Mojca. Kako prepoznati in podpreti potencialno inovacijo : predavanje na Internem izobraževanju za raziskovalce KI z naslovom Od ideje do podjetja, Podjetništvo kot alternativna karierna možnost za raziskovalca, Korak za korakom od raziskovalca do podjetnika, 27. januar 2016. [COBISS.SI-ID 5863962] Priložnost za inovativna podjetja in motivacija za mlade raziskovalce. Finance, ISSN 1318-1548, 13. okt. 2015, št. 199, str. 22. [COBISS.SI-ID 5865498] BENČINA, Mojca. Imunološke zgodbe mladih : vabljeno predavanje na 6. simpoziju Slovenskega imunološkega društva, 15. 12. 2016, Medicinska fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani. [COBISS.SI-ID 6076954]
D.08 Management and development of research activities
COBISS.SI-ID: 5863962I am building a technology transfer management support system at the National Institute of Chemistry. Being a head of Commission for Innovations and representative of Intellectual Property for Slovenia and the EU I am involved in the implementation of protection of innovation and technology transfer into the economy. For building up the business awareness of employees on the potentials of intellectual property and its dissemination, the Technology Transfer Office and Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia with my help have been organizing series of lectures on the topic of entrepreneurship for researchers. References: BENČINA, Mojca. Intellectual property and European Patent : lecture at the event From lab to applied science: the industrial biotechnology challenges, University of Nova Gorica, 14. January, 2014. [COBISS.SI-ID 5665050]
F.34 Consultancy
COBISS.SI-ID: 5665050In years 2006-2010, 2012, 2016 the team of undergraduate students (I was a member of mentor team) was part of the international competition of synthetic biology iGEM held at the elite university MIT, USA. In years 2006, 2008 and 2010 our team won the “Grand Prize” award at the iGEM competition. In years 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2016 we won first place in the fields of Medicine and health (2007, 2009, 2012), Nanomaterials (2010) and Fundamental Sciences (2016). I was a member of team of mentors. My contribution: helped developing an idea and experiments, preparation of final presentation and helped with experiments using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. References: Titles of projects: 2016 Sonicell (http://2016.igem.org/Team:Slovenia) LEBEN, Katja, KRESE, Rok, PLAPER, Tjaša, FRANKO, Nik, MAGDEVSKA, Lidija, GRADIŠEK, Miha, MERLJAK, Estera, ROŠKAR, Samo, JERALA, Nina, CEROVIĆ, Kosta, PRAZNIK, Arne, PUŠNIK, Žiga. IGEM 2016 : giant jamboree, October 27-31, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA. [COBISS.SI-ID 1537310915]
E.02 International awards
COBISS.SI-ID: 1537310915