doc. dr. sc. Bojan Žunar

Title:	Assistant Professor
Location:	626
Public phone number:	+385 1 4605 153
Internal phone number:	1153
E-mail:	E-mail
Department:	Laboratory for Biochemistry
Graduation year:	2011
PhD graduation year:	2017
Employed since:	2012

Teaching

graduate

• Biochemical Analysis (53248) - Lecturer in charge
• Biochemical Analysis (53614) - Lecturer in charge

Biography

• 2012 – 2017: Doctoral Studies in Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb.
• 2011: Master's Degree in Bio-Industrial Techniques, University of Orleans.
• 2011: Master's Degree in Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb.
• 2009: Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology Engineering, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb.

List of select publications

Šupljika, N., Paić, A., Novačić, A., Martinić Cezar, T., Vallée, B., Teparić, R., Stuparević, I., Žunar, B. (2025) Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mub1, a substrate adaptor of E3 ubiquitin ligase Ubr2, modulates sensitivity to cell wall stressors through multiple transcription factors. The FEBS Journal, 1-21. (https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.70091, IF: 5.5, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology: Q1)

Martinić Cezar, T., Marđetko, N., Trontel, A., Paić, A., Slavica, A., Teparić, R., Žunar, B. (2024). Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of natural osmolyte glucosyl glycerol from sucrose and glycerol through Ccw12-based surface display of sucrose phosphorylase. Journal of Biological Engineering, 18:69, 1–14. (https://doi.org/10.1186/s13036-024-00468-7, IF: 5.7, Biochemical Research Methods: Q1, Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology: Q1)

Martinić Cezar, T., Lozančić, M., Novačić, A., Matičević, A., Matijević, D., Vallée, B., Mrša, V., Teparić, R., Žunar, B. (2023). Boosting N-terminally anchored yeast surface display via structural insights into S. cerevisiae Pir proteins. Microbial cell factories, 22, 174; 1-17. (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-023-02183-2, IF: 4.3, Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology: Q1)

Žunar, B., Ito, T., Mosrin, C., Sugahara, Y., Bénédetti, H., Guégan, R., Vallée, B. (2022). Confocal imaging of biomarkers at a single-cell resolution: quantifying 'living' in 3D-printable engineered living material based on Pluronic F-127 and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biomaterials Research, 26(1), 1-15. (https://doi.org/10.1186/s40824-022-00337-8, IF: 15.9, Biomedical Engineering: 3/98 = Q1).

Žunar, B., Mosrin, C., Bénédetti, H., Vallée, B. (2022). Re-engineering of CUP1 promoter and Cup2/Ace1 transactivator to convert Saccharomyces cerevisiae into a whole-cell eukaryotic biosensor capable of detecting 10 nM of bioavailable copper. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 214, 114502. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2022.114502, IF: 12.5, Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology: 10/159 = Q1).

Science memberships

• Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (since 2021)
• Croatian Association of Genetic Engineers (member since 2011)
• Croatian Microbiological Society (member since 2013)
• Croatian Society of Biotechnology (member since 2015)

List of select projects

• Strengthening Synthetic Biology in the Croatian Research System through the Development of Humanized Biosensors and Microbial Factories for Detection and Production of Estrogen-like Compounds (croESTRO) (Principal Investigator, Ministry of Science and Education, NPOO.C3.2.R2-I1.06.0024, 2023–2026).
• Addressing copper pollution in South Europe by robustifying whole-cell copper biosensors through cell wall engineering (robustiCo) (Principal Investigator, Croatian Science Foundation, IP-2024-05-5224, 2024-2027).
• Modification of the Cell Wall of Probiotic Yeast for Effective Exposure of Sweet-Tasting Proteins on the Cell Surface: Next-Generation Low-Calorie Sweeteners (SWEET-YEAST) (Collaborator, Croatian Science Foundation, IP-2022-10-6851, Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Igor Stuparević, PhD, 2023–2027).
• Biotechnological Application of Heterologous Protein Incorporation into Yeast Cell Walls (PRODIS) (Collaborator, Croatian Science Foundation, IP-2019-04-2891, Project Leader: Prof. Vladimir Mrša, PhD, 2020–2023).
• Tracking Pollutants in Water Currents with Bio-Sensors Built with Laminar Compounds and Yeast Strains (MONITOPOL) (Collaborator, La Région Centre Val de Loire, APR-IR Monitopol, 2017 00117247, Project Leader: Régis Guégan, 2020–2021).
• Sustainable Production of Biochemicals from Secondary Lignocellulosic Raw Materials  (Biorefinery-NFLRM) (Collaborator, Croatian Science Foundation, IP-2018-01-9717, Project Leader: Prof. Božidar Šantek, PhD, 2018–2020).
• Sustainable Production of Bioethanol and Biochemicals from Waste Agricultural Lignocellulosic Materials (SPECH-LRM) (Collaborator, Croatian Science Foundation, IP-2013-11-9158, Project Leader: Prof. Božidar Šantek, PhD, 2014–2018).
• Enhancing the Competitiveness of Croatian Scientists in Molecular Biotechnology (Collaborator, European Structural Funds, HR.3.2.01-0074, Project Leader: Assist. Prof. Anamarija Štafa, PhD, 2014–2015).
• Palindromes in Genomes and Mechanisms of Gene Replacement in Yeast (Collaborator, Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, MZT 0580477-2258, Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Ivan Krešimir Svetec, PhD, 2012–2014).

Past employments

• 2025 - present: Associate professor in the Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology.
• 2023 - Present: Visiting researcher at the Laboratory for Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, UK.
• 2022 - 2025: Assistant professor at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in the Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb.
• 2020 - 2021: Researcher at the Centre for Molecular Biophysics (CBM, CNRS, Orléans, France).
• 2017 - 2019: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in the Laboratory for Biology and Microbial Genetics, University of Zagreb.
• 2012 - 2017: Research assistant at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in the Laboratory for Biology and Microbial Genetics, University of Zagreb.

Awards and acknowledgments

• 2025: University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology Award for a published scientific paper in the highest-ranked journal in the field of Biotechnology in the previous year (https://doi.org/10.1186/s13036-024-00468-7).
• 2024: University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology Award for a published scientific paper in the highest-ranked journal in the field of Biotechnology in the previous year (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-023-02183-2).
• 2023: Annual Award of the Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for Young Scientists for 2022 (Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology).
• 2022: University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology Award for a published scientific paper in the highest-ranked journal in the field of Biotechnology in the previous year (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2022.114502).
• 2023: Annual Award for Young Scientists and Artists for 2022 (Association of University Teachers and Other Scientists in Zagreb).
• 2019: Bronze Medal at the International Innovation Fair ARCA 2019 for the innovation “Genetic Transformation of Yeasts of the Schwanniomyces Genus” (Authors: Matanović, A., Svetec Miklenić, M., Žunar, B., Štafa, A., Svetec, I. K.).
• 2016: Bronze Medal at the International Innovation Fair ARCA 2016 for the innovation “Efficient Genetic Transformation Procedure of Dekkera/Brettanomyces bruxellensis Yeast” (Authors: Svetec Miklenić, M., Žunar, B., Lončar, A., Nestić, D., Štafa, A., Svetec, I. K.).
• 2011: Rector's Award for the student paper “Interdependence of Intrachromosomal Recombination and Chromosome Duplication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast.”
• 2011: Dean's Commendation for Achievements in the 1st Year of the Master's Study Program “Molecular Biotechnology.”
• 2008: Dean's Award.

Scientific publications (CroRIS)