Advisor
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María Eugenia Guazzaroni Professora DoutoraTel.: (16)3315-3680 E-mail: meguazzaroni@ffclrp.usp.br» |
General Outline
Biotechnology plays a crucial role in the development of biocatalysts or genes that can expand the limits of life for use in industry, agriculture, medicine, and power generation. Currently, there has been a growing demand for enzymes and microorganisms with better catalytic performance or tolerance to specific parameters of industrial processes.
Metagenomics takes advantage of the richness of the genetic and biochemical diversity present in the genomes of microorganisms found in nature and provides a set of new technologies aimed at screening new catalytic activities with potential biotechnological applications. However, the biased and low level of heterologous protein expression in Escherichia coli, along with the use of non-optimal metagenomic screening strategies, often results in a low success rate in identifying new enzymes or other genes of industrial interest.
In this sense, our research group aims to develop new tools to improve the recovery of target genes. Fundamentally, we carry out gene prospecting with biotechnological potential by screening metagenomic libraries using synthetic biology approaches.
Research Lines
1. Novel approaches to improve functional screening of biocatalysts in metagenomic libraries
2. Screening of new regulatory elements for use in Synthetic Biology
3. Screening of new genes expanding the limits of life in bacteria
4. Engineering yeast strains to improve stress-tolerance
5. Systems microbiology approaches for mapping the antibiotic resistance in Brazil
Publications
» Scholar
Opportunities
Students and researches from all levels are welcome to join the group. Master and PhD candidates should consider the Cell and Molecular Biology program from the Ribeirão Preto Medical School.
MetaGen Unit
Av. Bandeirantes 3900, FFCLRP-USP, Departmento de Biologia, Bloco 15. Bairro Monte Alegre, Riberão Preto-SP, Brazil.