Metagenomic approach for the microbiological characterization of the Canastra cheese chain

• Grant number: 17/24510-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - Brazil
• Start date: February 20, 2018
• End date: February 19, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Bernadette Dora Gombossy de Melo Franco
• Grantee: Bernadette Dora Gombossy de Melo Franco
• Visiting researcher: Gustavo Augusto Lacorte
• Visiting researcher institution: Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais (IFMG). Campus Bambuí, Brazil
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07914-8 - FoRC - Food Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The main goal of this proposal is to receive Professor Gustavo Augusto Lacorte, from the Instituto Federal Minas Gerais (IFMG), Bambuí Campus, MG, as a visiting researcher of the Food Research Center (FoRC), aiming at consolidating a new research topic on microbiological characterization of Canastra cheese and its components. Queijo Canastra is a local product from the Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, which faces many challenges for proper valorization in the national and international markets. Prof. Gustavo Lacorte is the leading researcher of "GPq Canastra" CNPq Research Group, composed mainly by IFMG-Bambuí Campus researchers, whose main objective is the development of scientific research to support the Canastra Cheese production chain. The researcher's visit is strategic to the FoRC's research plans, considering his strong insertion among the Canastra Cheese producers and ongoing partnerships with the Canastra Cheese Producers' Associations and EMATER-MG, which guarantees access to the data and biological material that are crucial for the full development of the researches. This project is a relevant extension activity for the Brazilian cheese production sector. The work plan for Prof. Gustavo Lacorte includes: (i) coordination and execution of collection of biological material and data from the Canastra Cheese producers; (ii) assistance in the coordination and execution of the molecular characterization of the bacterial communities in the biological materials; (iii) intermediation of FoRC with the cheese production sector for dissemination of the acquired knowledge, and (iv) short courses and disciplines linked to the Graduate Program in Food Science of FCF-USP, related to the topic and to the application of molecular tools in food microbiology research. (AU)