Dr Nikola Ojkic
Lecturer
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Bacterial cell size regulation, Biophysics, Antibiotic resistance, Microbiology
Interests
My group investigates biochemical and biophysical principles of bacterial cell shape and size control. We aim to understand how different core cellular components such as DNA, membranes, cell wall and ribosomes control bacterial cell shapes. We are also interested in how bacteria respond to different environmental and stress conditions and how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics.Our group uses multi-disciplinary approaches that combine microbiological experiments, imaging, image analysis, biophysical modelling and computer simulations. By understanding how bacterial cells transform their physiology, metabolic pathways, cell shape and size under different antibiotic perturbations, we will be able to develop new strategies for effectively killing pathogenic bacteria.
We are also interested in how bacterial cells respond to starvation while making long-lasting bacterial spores. We collaborate with sporulation expert Javier López-Garrido and his group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany.
Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology2024
Differential growth regulates asymmetric size partitioning in Caulobacter crescentusNg TW, Ojkic N, Serbanescu D and Banerjee S
Life Science Alliance, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press vol. 7 (8), e202402591-e202402591.
28-05-2024
2022
Antibiotic Resistance via Bacterial Cell Shape-ShiftingOjkic N, Serbanescu D and Banerjee S
Mbio, American Society For Microbiology vol. 13 (3), e00659-e00622.
26-05-2022
2021
Cellular resource allocation strategies for cell size and shape control in bacteriaSerbanescu D, Ojkic N and Banerjee S
The Febs Journal, Wiley vol. 289 (24), 7891-7906.
30-10-2021
Phase separation in the outer membrane of Escherichia coliBenn G, Mikheyeva IV, Inns PG, Forster JC, Ojkic N, Bortolini C, Ryadnov MG, Kleanthous C, Silhavy TJ and Hoogenboom BW
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 118 (44)
29-10-2021
Bacterial cell shape control by nutrient-dependent synthesis of cell division inhibitorsOjkic N and Banerjee S
Biophysical Journal, Elsevier vol. 120 (11), 2079-2084.
08-04-2021
Mechanical feedback promotes bacterial adaptation to antibioticsBanerjee S, Lo K, Ojkic N, Stephens R, Scherer NF and Dinner AR
Nature Physics, Springer Nature vol. 17 (3), 403-409.
04-01-2021
2020
Nutrient-Dependent Trade-Offs between Ribosomes and Division Protein Synthesis Control Bacterial Cell Size and GrowthSerbanescu D, Ojkic N and Banerjee S
Cell Reports, Elsevier vol. 32 (12)
01-09-2020
A Roadblock-and-Kill Mechanism of Action Model for the DNA-Targeting Antibiotic CiprofloxacinOjkic N, Lilja E, Direito S, Dawson A, Allen RJ and Waclaw B
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, American Society For Microbiology vol. 64 (9), 10.1128/aac.02487-10.1128/aac.02419.
20-08-2020
2019
Surface-to-volume scaling and aspect ratio preservation in rod-shaped bacteriaOjkic N, Serbanescu D and Banerjee S
Elife, Elife vol. 8
28-08-2019
2018
Reduced adhesion between cells and substrate confers selective advantage in bacterial colonies(a)(a) Contribution to the Focus Issue Evolutionary Modeling and Experimental Evolution edited by José Cuesta, Joachim Krug and Susanna Manrubia.Watson C, Hush P, Williams J, Dawson A, Ojkic N, Titmuss S and Waclaw B
Epl (Europhysics Letters), Iop Publishing vol. 123 (6)
01-09-2018
Chromosome Translocation Inflates Bacillus Forespores and Impacts Cellular MorphologyLopez-Garrido J, Ojkic N, Khanna K, Wagner FR, Villa E, Endres RG and Pogliano K
Cell, Elsevier vol. 172 (4), 758-770.e14.
01-02-2018
2016
Cell-wall remodeling drives engulfment during Bacillus subtilis sporulationOjkic N, López-Garrido J, Pogliano K and Endres RG
Elife, Elife vol. 5
17-11-2016
2014
Bistable Forespore Engulfment in Bacillus subtilis by a Zipper Mechanism in Absence of the Cell WallOjkic N, López-Garrido J, Pogliano K and Endres RG
Plos Computational Biology, Public Library of Science (Plos) vol. 10 (10)
30-10-2014
2012
α-Actinin and fimbrin cooperate with myosin II to organize actomyosin bundles during contractile-ring assemblyLaporte D, Ojkic N, Vavylonis D and Wu J-Q
Molecular Biology of The Cell, American Society For Cell Biology (Ascb) vol. 23 (16), 3094-3110.
27-06-2012
2011
Model of myosin node aggregation into a contractile ring: the effect of local alignmentOjkic N, Wu J-Q and Vavylonis D
Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, Iop Publishing vol. 23 (37)
23-08-2011
EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS OF ACTIN NETWORKS BASED ON OPEN ACTIVE CONTOUR MODELSXu T, Li H, Shen T, Ojkic N, Vavylonist D and Huang X
2011 IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging: From Nano to Macro. vol. 1, 1334-1340.
30-03-2011
2010
Kinetics of Myosin Node Aggregation into a Contractile RingOjkic N and Vavylonis D
Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 105 (4)
20-07-2010
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Molecular Cell BiologyAlteration in bacterial cell envelope structure as the mechanism of antibiotic resistance and cell deathNikola Ojkic
£562,114 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01-12-2024 - 30-11-2027