| Grant number: | 13/22136-1 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct) |
| Start date: | July 01, 2014 |
| End date: | February 28, 2018 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Microbiology |
| Principal Investigator: | Paolo Marinho de Andrade Zanotto |
| Grantee: | Nicholas Di Paola |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
Abstract Metagenomic approaches have demonstrated a huge array of unknown viruses present in the environment and in human populations. Fragmentation and encroachment of tropical rainforests in Brazil have exponentially increased chances for human exposure to diverse, exotic and novel zoonotic viruses. Several South-Atlantic tropical rainforests border small human populations that have access to densely populated metropolises and international seaports. Given the large potential for spill-over, we will collect serum samples from communal zones that geographically have the greatest contact with these tropical hotspots. In this project, we aim to identify novel viruses using (1) a deep-sequencing approach and (2) an in silico approach via Hidden Markov Model profiling. We hope to further characterize putative novel viruses by attempting to culture them in cells for future research and to determine the prevalence of human infection through serology. (AU) | |
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