A recent paper published in the journal PLoS Biology reported the list of the currently 100,000 most influential scientists. It is an open access article you can read here.
The list includes nine professors/researchers at the Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo.
They are listed in alphabetical order here.
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-11-16 15:52:412020-11-16 15:52:41Nine Professors at the Instituto de Química de São Carlos - Universidade de São Paulo are amongst the 100,000 most influential scientists
Estão sendo oferecidas oportunidades para candidatos de pós-graduação para mestrado e/ou doutorado neste Grupo de Química Orgânica de Sistemas Biológicos.
O exame de avaliação pelo Instituto de Química de São Carlos será realizado no início de 2021, a ser divulgado em breve. Mantenha-se informado no link: http://www5.iqsc.usp.br/IQSC/pos-graduacao/
Candidatos com perfil acadêmico muito bom e sem reprovações têm oportunidade de solicitar bolsas FAPESP de mestrado e doutorado, com ingresso no Programa de Pós-Graduação do IQSC em fluxo contínuo.
Linhas de pesquisa incluem projetos que objetivam descobrir moléculas com atividade antibiótica contra bactérias patogênicas, atividade anti-Leishmania, anti-Chagas, anti-malária e anti-câncer. Estes são projetos colaborativos em química de produtos naturais e síntese orgânica (IQSC/UFSCar) e química de produtos naturais, síntese orgânica e química medicinal (IQSC/IFSC/UFSCar) com pesquisadores que desenvolvem bioensaios de investigação de mecanismo de ação na UNICAMP, Universidade de Franca e Institut de Biologie Structurale (Grenoble, França).
Projetos colaborativos também buscam desvendar a biossíntese de produtos naturais (IQSC/UNICAMP), desenvolver biotecnologia de produtos naturais (IQSC/FCF-USP-SP/ESALQ), e ferramentas para a descoberta de produtos naturais e automação com inteligência artificial (IQSC/ICMC).
Os projetos de pós-graduação são desenvolvidos com colaborações internacionais (University of British Columbia, Canada; University of Illinois, Chicago; University of Manchester; University of Hannover; Institut de Biologie Structurale (Grenoble, França)).
————-
Opportunities are being offered to graduate candidates for MSc and/or PHd degrees. The enrolment evaluation exam by the Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos will be held in early 2021. Keep posted at: http://www5.iqsc.usp.br/IQSC/pos-graduacao/
Candidates with a very good academic profile and no course failures will have the opportunity to apply for FAPESP scholarships, for admission to the IQSC Graduate Program in a continuous flow.
Research lines include projects that aim to discover compounds with antibiotic activity against pathogenic bacteria, anti-Leishmania, anti-Chagas, anti-malaria and anti-cancer activity. These are collaborative projects in chemistry of natural products and organic synthesis (IQSC / UFSCar) and chemistry of natural products, organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry (IQSC / IFSC / UFSCar) with researchers who develop bioassays with the investigation of mechanism of action at UNICAMP, Universidade de Franca and Institut de Biologie Structurale (Grenoble, France).
Collaborative projects also seek to unveil the biosynthesis of natural products (IQSC / UNICAMP), develop biotechnology of natural products (IQSC / FCF-USP-SP / ESALQ), and tools for the discovery of natural products and automation with artificial intelligence (IQSC / ICMC).
The projects are developed with international collaborations (University of British Columbia, Canada; University of Illinois, Chicago; University of Manchester; University of Hannover; Institut de Biologie Structurale (Grenoble, France)).
————
Additional information can be requested to Professor Roberto Berlinck (rgsberlinck@iqsc.usp.br).
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-10-29 04:47:162020-10-29 05:55:22Oportunidades para Estudantes de Mestrado e Doutorado - Opportunities for MSc and PhD Students
A importância da ciência para o combate à COVID-19 é fruto de uma das maiores realizações da humanidade: a construção do conhecimento. Essa construção foi possível pelo trabalho conjunto de cientistas e pelo apoio da sociedade, principal beneficiária dos avanços científicos.
A Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) foi estabelecida com as mesmas premissas, de fomentar o desenvolvimento científico, em prol da sociedade paulista. Prevista na Constituição de 1947 do Estado, foi criada em 1960 e estabelecida em 1962. Desde seu início, a FAPESP objetiva apoiar a pesquisa científica e tecnológica através de auxílios à pesquisa e bolsas de estudo.
O bom gerenciamento de recursos pela FAPESP permite financiar projetos com pesquisadores brasileiros de diferentes áreas atuando na fronteira do conhecimento. A constituição do Estado de São Paulo de 1989 determinou 1 % da receita tributária como orçamento anual da FAPESP. Deste montante, a Fundação destina somente 5% do orçamento para despesas de administração. Em 2019, 35,5% dos dispêndios da Fundação foram destinados a projetos que originam novas ideias e contribuem para o progresso científico. Pesquisas com potencial para inovação de produtos e processos e aumento da competividade econômica foram 57,7% dos dispêndios. Vários projetos financiados pela FAPESP resultam em impacto social, pois contribuem para o bem-estar e a qualidade de vida da população, para diminuir as desigualdades e colaborar no estabelecimento de políticas públicas.
Em 1997, o projeto Genoma FAPESP levou só dois anos para concluir o sequenciamento genético da bactéria Xyllela fastidiosa, responsável pela doença “amarelinho” que ataca a citricultura brasileira. Cientistas brasileiros assimilaram a expertise para sequenciamento genético, com protagonismo no diagnóstico de doenças raras. O genoma do vírus SARS-CoV-2, causador da COVID-19, foi sequenciado em tempo recorde por pesquisadores apoiados pela FAPESP. Pesquisadores do estado de São Paulo, financiados pela FAPESP, participam de estudos de fase clínica 3 de vacinas para a COVID-19, em parceria com instituições do exterior. Outros projetos objetivam prevenção, diagnóstico e tratamento da COVID-19. Respiradores e Tomógrafos de impedância elétrica resultam de financiamentos do programa FAPESP de apoio à Pesquisa Inovadora em Pequenas Empresas (PIPE), já sendo utilizados em diversos países para a recuperação e monitoramento pulmonar contínuo em pacientes graves por método não-invasivo.
O Programa BIOEN, para pesquisa de biocombustíveis, realizou o mapeamento de 99% do genoma da cana-de-açúcar em 2019 participando de consorcio internacional, com financiamento da FAPESP. Os resultados viabilizam processos biotecnológicos de melhoramento genético para incrementar a produção de açúcar, etanol e de insumos químicos de fonte renovável. O programa BIOTA, de pesquisas relacionadas à biodiversidade, levou ao estabelecimento de diversas políticas públicas que subsidiaram a legislação atual do estado para conservação da biodiversidade. Programas em áreas estratégicas mais recentes são o de eScience e DataScience e o de Mudanças Climáticas.
Programas de pesquisa com empresas, como os de Pesquisa Inovadora em Pequenas Empresas (PIPE), Pesquisa em Parceria para Inovação Tecnológica (PITE) e os Centros de Pesquisa em Engenharia/Centros de Pesquisa Aplicada (CPE/CPA), são de interesse para o setor industrial. Vários desses projetos são realizados com empresas do setor automotivo, farmacêutico, petrolífero, de cosméticos, agronômico, sucro-alcooleiro, de informática e de inteligência artificial.
Grande parte dos pesquisadores diretamente envolvidos nos projetos financiados pela FAPESP são estudantes de graduação, pós-graduação e pesquisadores de pós-doutorado. A FAPESP financia bolsas de estudo para a formação desses pesquisadores, que serão profissionais altamente capacitados para o setor produtivo e acadêmico. Em 2019, a FAPESP investiu 30% de seu orçamento em bolsas de estudo, atribuídas em processo de rigorosa seleção. Tanto para bolsas de estudo como para auxílios à pesquisa o compromisso financeiro é integral. Uma vez aprovado o projeto, a FAPESP cumpre seu financiamento, baseado em relatórios anuais de desempenho. Projetos de sucesso têm compromissos de 1 a 11 anos, o que garante a realização de pesquisa ousada, bem estruturada e conduzida, que traz resultados relevantes para a ciência, para a economia e para a sociedade.
Próxima a completar seus 60 anos, a FAPESP demonstra ser possível o financiamento de pesquisas que trazem inúmeros benefícios, não somente para São Paulo, mas para todo o Brasil e outros países.
Um eventual corte de 30% do orçamento da FAPESP para 2021, previsto no PL-627, anexo IX, página 395, comprometeria quase que irreversivelmente o apoio futuro da FAPESP a projetos científicos, tecnológicos, em parceria com empresas, muitos dos quais voltados para a saúde pública, já em andamento. A sociedade que contribui de maneira decisiva para o funcionamento da FAPESP é diretamente beneficiária dos resultados dos projetos financiados. E a sociedade espera que problemas difíceis de serem solucionados, como o da COVID-19, possam ser cada vez melhor enfrentados e solucionados, com o preparo e o conhecimento dos pesquisadores de São Paulo. A não-aprovação da emenda do PL-627 que leva ao confisco de 30% da receita da FAPESP para 2021 constitui comprometimento da Assembleia Legislativa em manter os recursos da FAPESP, agência de fomento imprescindível para o desenvolvimento do estado de São Paulo e do Brasil.
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-10-28 09:38:542020-10-28 10:14:38O Financiamento da FAPESP e o combate à pandemia da COVID-19
A new review published in Natural Product Reports discuss the chemistry and biology of guanidines isolated from microorganisms, animals and plants. It was a team effort with Darlon I. Bernardi, a PhD student in my group, Professors Taicia Fill and Igor Jurberg both at the Instituto de Química of UNICAMP, and Alessandra A. G. Fernandes, a PhD student at Professor Igor’s group. Excluding the three years literature survey, which had to be systematically done, the manuscript preparation took 3,5 months. Needless to say that working in the review was simultaneous to the COVID-19 pandemic start in Brazil, a situation that considerably affected the academic activities in the Brazilian universities. Nevertheless, our team was very focused and did work very hard to organize and prepare the manuscript, which corresponds that second largest survey on natural guanidines in this review series. The largest one was the first review, published in 1995 in Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Compounds.
The 2017-2019 literature analysis showed a change in the research of guanidines natural products. Currently there is a considerable effort to better understand the biosynthesis and ecological roles of natural guanidines, instead of biodiscovery. Several aspects of guanidine secondary metabolites chemistry and biology are discussed in detail in our review, which can be read here.
A multi-institutional collaborative effort has recently resulted in the discovery of eight new flavonoid dimers from the Brazilian red propolis with anti-proliferative activity on cancer cells. These results have been published recently in the Journal of Natural Products.
This project started a few years ago when Professor Ronaldo A. Pilli (Instituto de Química – UNICAMP, Brazil) contacted me to develop a collaborative project involving Professor Severino Alencar’s PhD student Thais Banzato (both at ESALQ-USP).Working together with the teams of Dr. Debora Vendramini-Costa (Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA), Prof. Ronaldo Pilli and of Prof. João Ernesto de Carvalho (Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas – UNICAMP), Thais and Prof. Severino discovered that red propolis extract displayed good antiproliferative activity on different cancer cells. Nevertheless, the red propolis extract presented a complex mixture of components that needed to be separated using bioassay-guided isolation.
Thais worked during several months at the Instituto de Química de São Carlos, together with Drs. Juliana R. Gubiani and Afif F. Monteiro (both as post-doctoral researchers at that time) and Darlon I. Bernardi (PhD student). The efforts of these four lab members was noteworthy, since the isolation of structurally closely related flavonoid dimers was challenging. Moreover, structure analysis showed a few structure variations that needed a very careful spectroscopic assignment. This was a true team effort, that ultimately led to the discovery of propolones A–D (1–4), propolonones A–C (5–7) and propolol A (8).
The antiproliferative activity of the major metabolites, propolone B (2) and propolonone A (5), was evaluated on glioma cells (U-251), breast cancer cells (MCF7), ovarian cancer cells expressing a multiple drug resistance phenotype (NCI-ADR/RES), and prostate (PC-3) cancer cells. Propolone B (2) and propolonone A (5) presented antiproliferative action on NCI-ADR/RES, indicating that 2 and 5 may overcome the multidrug resistance mechanism.
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-09-20 08:46:292020-09-20 08:51:50Flavanoid Dimers from Brazilian Red Propolis have Anti-Proliferative Activity on Cancer Cells
In a collaborative article with the group of Dr. Andréa Dessen (Bacterial Pathogenesis Group, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France) and researchers from the CNPEM (Campinas, Brazil) Phytobios (São Paulo, Brazil), UNIFESP (Brazil), UFSCar (Brazil) and UNICAMP (Brazil), we described earlier this year the antibiotic activity of merulinic acid C and other anacardic acids, isolated from the mushroom Aurantiopileus mayanensis (Ginns, D.L. Lindner & T.J. Baroni, 2011, Meruliaceae).
Aurantiopileus mayanensis. T. J. Baroni 10228. Basidiomata, in situ. (Ginns, J., Lindner, D.L., Baronia, T.J., & Ryvarden, L. Aurantiopileus mayanensis a new genus and species of polypore (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) from Belize with connections to existing Asian species. North American Fungi, 2010, 5, 1-10).
Merulinic acid C is an anacardic acid, a well-known class of natural products, first isolated from the cashew nut, Anacardium occidentale. Merulinic acid C was isolated along with several additional anacardic acid derivatives from the mushroom. These compounds have double bonds in different positions of a side chain. It was thus necessary to unambiguously establish the position of the unsaturations. A procedure was developed using derivatization with dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), followed by GC–MS analysis. This information was confronted with UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS analysis of the same compounds. In this way, we developed a fragmentation method to establish the position of double bonds in unsaturated chains with no need of derivatization. This method was established by Juliano Slivinski, Vitor Freire, Ariane Bertonha and Laura Ióca at the QOSBio group, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Merulinic acid C was identified as the most active anacardic acid derivative obtained against antibiotic-resistant enterococci, among a series of additional anacardic acids, also isolated by researchers at LNBio, CNPEM, from A. occidentale. Fluorescence microscopy analyses showed that merulinic acid C targets the bacterial membrane without affecting the peptidoglycan and causes rapid cellular ATP leakage from cells. Merulinic acid C was shown to act synergistically with gentamicin against Enterococcus faecium. Read here the article “Merulinic acid C overcomes gentamicin resistance in Enterococcus faecium“.
Last Thursday, April 17th, Mirelle Takaki presented and defended her PhD thesis. It was a virtual defense, because of the current restrictions of social contact. The PhD committee was composed by Professors Camila M. Crnkovic (Universidade de São Paulo), Mario Palma (Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, campus Rio Claro), Edson Rodrigues Filho (Universidade Federal de São Carlos) and Moacir Rossi Forim (Universidade Federal de São Carlos), and included myself.
It was an excellent opportunity to discuss Mirelle’s project and results. The expertise of the committee’s members was very important to address many aspects of Mirelle’s work. It was a great time of science discussion – Mirelle and I thank very much for the Professors’ willingness and time to read and evaluate Mirelle’s PhD work.
Mirelle’s first project focused on developing methods to investigate and better understand the role of fungal secondary metabolites in promoting phytopathogenicity. Her approach was largely based on metabolomics, but also on modern isolation and identification tools such as HPLC-SPE-NMR. Results from this project are really interesting and need final experiments to be completed. This project was developed in collaboration with Professor Roger Linington, at the Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, where Mirelle did work during one year.
A second project was also developed by Mirelle, on predatory-prey relationships of marine invertebrates. Mirelle’s approach to this problem was also based on metabolomics, but also on isolation/identification and total synthesis, in collaboration with Professor Sarpong’s group at the University of California, Berkeley. Some final results also need to be obtained in order to close this second project.
We hope to submit Mirelle’s manuscripts for publication soon.
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-04-23 11:47:232020-04-23 11:54:04Mirelle Takaki’s PhD in Chemistry, at Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo
The SARS-Cov-2 pandemia mobilized several research teams in Brazil. The São Paulo state funding agency, FAPESP, is continuously updating the Brazilian scientific research task force towards the better understanding the virus and the search for medical treatments. During the last weeks, several news appeared in the Agência FAPESP News. Selected topics are the following.
Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2 (yellow), isolated from a patient, emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab (image: NIAD / HIH)
In animal testing, experimental Ebola vaccine based on platform developed by US pharmaceutical company in partnership with Brazilian researchers conferred immunity against hemorrhagic virus with single dose (image: Wikimedia Commons).
Researchers, small businesses and startups will receive BRL 30 million for projects to develop diagnostic kits, therapies and therapeutic procedures, ventilators, personal protective equipment for health workers and solutions for health services, among others (image: TPHeinz / Pixabay).
Using a novel technological platform, researchers at the University of São Paulo plan to produce a candidate vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 for testing in animals in the next few months (image representing a VLP conjugated with an antigen / adapted from an illustration to an article published by the research group in the journal Vaccines in July 2019).
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-04-11 16:20:122020-04-11 16:20:12Brazilian research to fight the SARS-Cov-2 pandemia
Our most recent article reports the results of a long-term screening which was developed during several years of method optimization, producing pre-fractionated extracts, obtaining bioassay results, selecting strains for isolation work and finally obtaining results. The achievements have been published in the 2020 January issue of the Journal of Natural Products, titled “Water-Soluble Glutamic Acid Derivatives Produced in Culture by Penicillium solitum IS1-A from King George Island, Maritime Antarctica“. Six new tryptophan-glutamic acid derivatives have been isolated and identified from the aqueous extract of the fungus growth medium. Our approach in using a mixture of XAD-2, XAD-4 and XAD-7 proved effective in capturing the compounds from the aqueous medium. The resins fraction was subsequently fractionated by C18 reversed-phase chromatography in order to obtain cleaner fractions suitable for HPLC-UV-MS analysis and bioassay testing. The metabolites have been isolated using different stationary phases, such as Sephadex LH20, Sephadex G-15, phenyl-derivatized SiOH, C8 derivatized SiOH (HPLC), C18 derivatized SiOH (HPLC). The majority of the compounds showed some fluorescence that hampered the bioassays evaluation. Read the full article here.
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-04-11 15:57:362020-04-11 15:59:45Hydrophilic metabolites produced by Penicillium solitum from Antartica
Dr. Camila M. Crnkovic, a former Post-Doctoral Researcher in the group and now assistant professor at the Universidade de São Paulo, will present a poster on the first results of her post-doctoral project, “Improving and diversifying the production and investigating the biosynthesis of phomactins by the cultured fungus Biatriospora sp. CBMAI 1333”.
Mirelle Takaki, a PhD student who will soon present her thesis, will present a poster titled “The use of molecular network and in-house platforms to investigate the metabolic differences between endophytic and phytopathogenic Colletotrichum fungi”. Her poster results from a collaboration of our group with Professor Roger Linington’s group at the Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. Mirelle completed a one year visiting studentship at Professor Linington’s group in 2019.
Laura P. Ióca, a PhD student who was a one year visiting student at Professor Alessandra Eustáquio’s group at the University of Illinois, Chicago, will present a poster entitled “A novel family of NRP-PK affect motility and biofilm formation in the marine bacterium Pseudovibrio brasiliensis”. Her poster results from a collaboration between Professors Alessandra Eustáquio, Laura Sánchez and Aleksej Krunic groups at UIC with our group in Brazil.
I will be presenting a poster by various students working in Brazil, including Vitor F. Freire (PhD student), Fernando B. Graça (undergraduate student), Dr. Ariane F. Bertonha, Darlon I. Bernardi (PhD student), Lucas R. Silva (undergraduate student), along with a large team of collaborators. The poster, titled “New Biologically Active Marine-Derived Peptides of Fungal and Animal Origin” will show a series of peptides and peptidic derivatives recently isolated in our group.
We are very much looking forward to attend and participate in the exciting forthcoming 2020 GRC-MNP!
https://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.png00Roberto Berlinckhttps://qosbioiqsc.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Logo-1-300x97.pngRoberto Berlinck2020-02-22 15:25:522020-02-22 15:25:52Presentations at the 2020 Gordon Research Conferences on Marine Natural Products
Você precisa fazer login para comentar.