ProspecMar Network: Prospecting Marine Natural resources

• Grant number: 23/08735-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Leticia Veras Costa Lotufo
• Grantee: Leticia Veras Costa Lotufo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Gabriel Padilla ; Glaucia Maria Machado Santelli ; João Agostinho Machado Neto
• Associated researchers: Alan Cesar Pilon ; Ana Jérsia Araújo ; Ana Paula Siqueira Dornellas ; Anali del milagro Bernabe Garnique ; Anna Rafaela Cavalcante Braga ; Bianca Del Bianco Sahm ; Carla Zilberberg ; Carlos Eduardo Leite Ferreira ; Daniela Barretto Barbosa Trivella ; Diego Veras Wilke ; Dulce Helena Siqueira Silva ; Eliana Hiromi Akamine ; Elthon Gois Ferreira ; Guilherme Ortigara Longo ; Ian Castro-Gamboa ; Jeamylle Nilin Gonçalves ; José Delano Barreto Marinho Filho ; Kelly Ishida ; Larissa Alves Guimarães ; Luciana Biagini Lopes ; Marcelo José Pena Ferreira ; Maria Tarciana Vieira Fortaleza ; Norberto Peporine Lopes ; Paula Christine Jimenez ; Paula Rezende Teixeira ; Paulo Antunes Horta Junior ; Paulo Cézar Vieira ; Ricardo Roberto da Silva ; Ronaldo Bastos Francini Filho ; Sharon Prince ; Susana Patrícia Mendes Loureiro ; Tito Monteiro da Cruz Lotufo ; Vanderlan da Silva Bolzani ; William Fenical

Abstract

Marine Biotechnology studies are of strategic importance for the development of Brazil, a country that has the second largest continuous coastline in the world. In this context, technologies aimed at the sustainable use of marine ecosystem services involving biological, genetic, chemical and ecophysiological resources are essential for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and other United Nations goals agreed for the Ocean Decade. However, we still have gaps in basic knowledge and the sustainable use of these resources remains a challenge that is difficult to solve. The ProspecMar Network - Prospection of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Services from Marine Biodiversity -, with a multidisciplinary character, involves researchers from 3 Institutions from São Paulo state (USP, UNIFESP, UNESP) and 10 collaborators institutions from other states (UFU, UFRJ, UFF, UFSC, UFC, UFPI, UFS, UFDPar, UFRN and IFPA), has been working for more than a decade in partnership with the National Research Network on Marine Biodiversity (SISBIOTA-Mar) and the Long Duration Ecological Program - Oceanic Islands (PELD -ILOC). This collaboration was structured on three fundamental pillars, including understanding the ecological relationships in the marine environment, understanding the connectivity, genetic diversity and evolutionary aspects of the marine environment, and prospecting for marine products based on the understanding of their role in ecological relationships. The group of researchers gathered as a team for this thematic project works mainly on the third pillar, whose main objectives are:1. Contribution to the biological, genetic and chemical characterization of Brazilian marine biodiversity, especially invertebrates and microorganisms.2. Bioprospecting of active substances: studies guided by biological activity (especially those focused on anticancer and antimicrobial activity) and targeted studies using different proteins (IAPs, TBX2, proteasome, stathimin) with functions described in cancer biology.3. Preclinical study of active substances (seriniquinones, prodiginins, chromomycins, eponemycins) including description of mechanisms of action, development of nanostructured formulations and validation of activity in in vivo models.4. Studies of responses of holobiont systems to understand response patterns to environmental changes, integrate the information obtained using multiparametric analysis.5. Contribute to the development of processes and products for the Bioremediation of eutrophic environments6. Development of activities related to Scientific Dissemination, and programs to promote Education in BiodiversityAs main results, we intend to advance in the study of the 4 classes of substances identified in our previous thematic process (2015/17177-6: Integrated approach in the sustainable prospection of marine natural products: from diversity to anticancer substances) as modulators of the target proteins of interest . These subprojects are in different stages of progress, and in this stage we will focus on the use of in vivo methodologies as well as on the development of formulations to advance in pre-clinical development. In addition, we will expand the MicroMarin microorganism bank, perform the isolation of bioactive substances with a view to developing prototypes of anticancer and antimicrobial drugs, as well as optimizing the production of preservatives of microbial origin that can be used in the cosmetics industry. At the same time, we will invest in the development of environmental impact indicators using knowledge of coralline holobiont systems and their ecophysiological responses to global changes. All these strategies are subject to intellectual protection, add value to our biodiversity, and contribute to the promotion of conservation of Brazilian marine ecosystems. (AU)