Supervisor
Prof. Dr. Roman Jerala
Prof. Dr. Roman Jerala leads the Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, where his research focuses on developing synthetic biological mechanisms to regulate gene expression in mammalian cells. The core research themes of his group encompass engineered mammalian cellular signalling circuits, targeted cancer immunotherapy, de novo protein design, and advanced gene therapy technologies. He remains actively engaged in driving each of these core research paths, collaborating closely with every researcher across his entire group. Supported by two European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants, he maintains a high-level research environment equipped with advanced molecular tools and methodologies. Doctoral candidates under his supervision develop rigorous scientific thinking and problem-solving skills while gaining practical expertise in structural biology and cell regulatory engineering using state-of-the-art molecular cloning techniques.
Selected publications
Rihtar E. et al. | Repurposing nuclear receptors for ligand-responsive liquid condensate formation and gene regulation.
Nat Commun (2026), DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69099-4
Plaper T. et al. | Designed allosteric protein logic.
Cell Discovery (2024), DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00635-y
Praznik A. et al. | Regulation of protein secretion through chemical regulation of endoplasmic reticulum retention signal cleavage.
Nat Commun (2022), DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28971-9
Lainšček D. et al. | Coiled-coil heterodimer-based recruitment of an exonuclease to CRISPR/Cas for enhanced gene editing.
Nat Commun (2022), DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31386-1
Research group website: https://www.ki.si/en/departments/d12-department-of-synthetic-biology-and-immunology/department-introduction/