Mina Mandić, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor in the Sociomicrobiology Group, at the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGE), University of Belgrade (UB). She is dedicated to exploring microbial enzymes and their applications in biotechnology and bioremediation, in search of solutions that contribute to the development of sustainable technologies and environmental protection. Her work is particularly focused on identifying enzymes capable of degrading persistent environmental pollutants, including synthetic compounds such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

She earned her PhD in Molecular Biology in 2021 from the Faculty of Biology (FB), University of Belgrade. In her doctoral thesis, “Biotechnologically relevant enzymes in strains of Pseudomonas genus: Identification and recombinant expression of laccases and lipases”, Mina explored the biotechnological potential of novel laccases and lipases for the degradation of synthetic dyes and biopolymers.

After completing her studies in Molecular Biology and Physiology, Mina volunteered at the Department of Microbiology, FB, UB, gaining valuable research experience. She began her formal scientific career in 2013 as a research trainee at IMGGE’s Laboratory for Microbial Molecular Genetics and Ecology and became a research assistant in 2015. Since 2021, she has been working as an Assistant Research Professor.

As part of her doctoral research, Mina was awarded a Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) Research Grant in 2017. From 2023 to 2025, she was the principal investigator of two Proof of Concept projects. The project entitled “Enzymes for detection of per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals” (PFASens), was financed by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia.

She is a member of the Serbian Society for Microbiology and FEMS.