Professor
Team leader
Dra. Valéria Maia Merzel
Bachelor in Biological Sciences and Master and PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology by Campinas State University (UNICAMP). I am currently Senior Researcher and Associate Director of the Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Pluridisciplinary Research Center (CPQBA) and full professor of the Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology (IB / UNICAMP), supervising master's and doctoral students. My research interests are focused on understanding composition, functioning and distribution patterns of natural or engineered microbial communities, mainly petroleum-associated environments, with emphasis on hydrocarbon biodegradation processes. Recent studies are also being directed towards unravelling stress resistance molecular mechanisms underlying microbial life under the extreme conditions, in addition to bioprospecting microbial diversity in Antarctic environments in the search for enzymes or secondary metabolites for biotechnological applications.
PostDoc Researcher
Dra. Milene Barbosa Gomes
Atualmente atuando como Pesquisador associado no Centro Pluridisciplinar de Pesquisas Químicas, Biológicas e Agrícolas (CPQBA/UNICAMP). Possui graduação em Ciências Biológicas pela Universidade Severino Sombra (USS), especialização em Saúde Pública pela Universidade Estácio de Sá e Métodos Moleculares para estudo da Diversidade em Bactérias Entomopatogênicas pelo Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ). Mestrado em Ciências Veterinária pela Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) e doutorado em Genética e Biologia Molecular pela UNICAMP. Possui experiência na área de Coleções de Culturas de Micro-organismos, Microbiologia Ambiental e Genética de Micro-organismos, atuando nos seguintes temas: isolamento e identificação de micro-organismos, manutenção de coleções de culturas, prospecção (screening) e caracterização de compostos ou atividade de interesse biotecnológicos com ênfase em biossurfactantes, estudo de genomas para caracterização da diversidade taxonômica e funcional de micro-organismos utilizando plataformas de sequenciamento em larga escala.
PostDoc researcher
Dra. Vera Tainá Mota
Since 2010 I am researching in the field of bioprocess engineering and microbiology applied to wastewater treatment. I got my Ph.D. in Sanitary Engineering from the University of São Paulo (USP), and my MSc. in Environmental Engineering and BSc. in Biology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). My post-doc research comprises the investigation of microbiomes from anaerobic reactors used for wastewater fermentation and biohydrogen production through omics approaches (metagenomics and metatranscriptomics).
project: Omic approaches of acidogenic reactors without alkalinizers for the production of organic acids and hydrogen
Ph.D Student
Kelly J. H. Martinez
Meu projeto de mestrado esteve focado na caracterização taxonômica e funcional de uma pluma de contaminação com querosene de aviação em uma refinaria de SP, usando técnicas de sequenciamento em grande escala e ferramentas bioinformáticas. Atualmente Doutoranda em Genética e Biologia Molecular no Instituto de Biologia da UNICAMP.
Ph.D Student
William Medeiros
I completed my BSc in Biology at the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA). During that time, I had the opportunity to do an exchange program for one year in the US, studying at Arizona State University. Later, I completed my MSc in Biotechnology at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP). Since August of 2020, I am working with Dr. Valeria Maia Merzel’s team at the GEMM labs. I am interested in studying the composition and functioning of microbial communities and their biosynthetic potential for natural products using metagenomic approaches. Currently, we are studying the biosynthetic gene cluster diversity of Antarctic microbiomes.
Project: Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Biosynthetic Genes of Natural Products in Microbiomes of Antarctica
MyResearch in 3min: Click here
Ph.D Student
Jéssica Bianca da Silva
I'm graduated in Biological Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. During my graduation, I kept my studies in Cellular and Molecular Biology through an exchange program at NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal, for a period of two years. Then, I had my master's degree under Dr. Valéria Maia Merzel supervision, at CPQBA / UNICAMP, developing the project: “Genetic potential of the microbiome in sediments of the Deception and Livingston Islands in the Antarctic Maritime for the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons”. Currently I'm a PhD student by the Genetic and Molecular Biology program, at Unicamp University, also with Dr. Valéria Maia Merzel's research team. My research focuses on the taxonomic and functional diversity of the microbiome of the Antarctic ecosystems associated with the degradation of organic pollutants.
Project title: “Functional and biogeographic profiles of the microbiome present in the snow of King George Island, in Antarctic Maritime”.
Ph.D Student
Yesenia Melissa Santa Cruz Vasquez
Master in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). ParticipateI in the project entitled “Multi-omics applied to the knowledge and exploration of Antarctic microbiomes”. At the present studying doctorate in the Division of Microbial Resources of the Pluridisciplinary Center for Biological Chemical Research and Agricultural (CPQBA) -UNICAMP.
Project: Polyphasic study of the production of chitinases by bacteria from Antarctica: Optimization, Genomics, Chemical Characterization and evaluation of biotechnological potential.
Ph.D student
Patrícia Regina Kitaka
I’m a Biologist at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), with academic and industrial work experience on genetic screening and physiological evaluation of microorganisms, especially yeast and bacteria strain with high performance to produce biofuels. Currently, I am a Ph.D student in Genetics and Molecular Biology Post Graduate Program at UNICAMP. I've a solid background in molecular biology, microbial molecular identification, genetics, and fermentation. I am also a specialist member on CIBio (Biosafety Internal Committee) and I filed a patent for natural composition as a solution to control bacterial contamination in the bioethanol fermentation industry. My research experience includes also: manipulating GMO microorganisms in the Biotech Labs, Plant Cell Tissue Culture, Enzymology, GPL (Good Laboratory Practices) and Quality Control Systems.
Project: Potential use of essential oils to control bacterial contamination in the bioethanol industry
Ph.D student
Victor Borin Centurion Biruel
Bachelor in Biomedicine, I am currently doing my doctorate at the Microbial Resources Division of the Pluridisciplinary Center for Chemical, Biological, and Agricultural Research (CPQBA), linked to the Graduate Program of Genetics and Molecular Biology of the Institute of Biology (IB) at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). At the moment, I am in Padova – Italy, doing a Ph.D. sandwich for one year at the Center for Innovative Biotechnologies (CRIBI), Department of Biology, University of Padova (UNIPD), under the supervision of Professor Stefano Campanaro. My research interests are bioinformatics, multi-omics, extremophiles, stress and resistance genes, and polar biology.
Project: Mechanisms of stress adaptation of the microbiome in sediments of the Deception volcanic island in the Maritime Antarctica.
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Master student
Angie Alejandra Calderon Fajardo
I did my bachelor in Microbiology at the University of Pamplona, Colombia. Also, I did an exchange program at the Institute of Biology of the State University of Campinas where I led the project entitled "Evaluation of the potential of Antarctic bacteria for the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons”. Currently, I am a Master student in Genetics and Molecular Biology of Microorganisms at the Biology Institute of the State University of Campinas.
Master student
Carla Thais Moreira Paixão
Bachelor in Biotechnology from the Federal University of Pará-UFPA (2018). Former Science Without Borders fellow in the United States at the University of Florida and the University of North Florida (2014-2015). Currently, I am a master's student in the Genetics and Molecular Biology Program at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) with an emphasis on microbial genetics at the Pluridisciplinary Center for Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Research. I have experience within the area of microbiology and biotechnology, with an emphasis on environmental microbiology and molecular biology working mainly on: genomics of bacteria from the oil industry, microorganisms that produce biosurfactants and bacterial diversity in marine environments.