The Sociomicrobiology Group published in „Journal of Biotechnology“ a paper entitled  „Novel polygalacturonase PG-BG31 prevents biofilm formation and increases antibiotic efficacy against catheter-associated Escherichia coli“.

A novel enzyme, polygalacturonase PG-BG31, from Pedobacter sp., stops E. coli from forming stubborn biofilms on catheters — a major issue in urinary tract infections (UTIs). It showed significantly higher activity than known biofilm-inhibiting enzymes such as proteinase K and DNase, and increased the effectiveness of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim. PG-BG31 is active in urine-like conditions and is safe for human cells and model organisms. The application of this enzyme could be a game-changer in treating catheter-related UTIs.

This research is part of the dissertation of Marija Atanasković, who is doing her PhD in IMGGE under the mentorship of Dr. Lidija Šenerović. The study was carried out in collaboration with the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Chemistry.