Diversity of fungi isolated from Antarctic marine samples and production of lipases and esterases

• Grant number: 14/26451-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2015
• End date: February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Lara Durães Sette
• Grantee: Emilia Arthur Notalgiacomo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Marine fungi from Antarctic represent a group of organisms still poorly explored considering the ecology and biotechnology point of view and they can represent a genetic resource still unknown that can be useful in discovering new compounds. Psychrophilic enzymes, produced by micro-organisms from Antarctic, can be used biotechnologically due to its stability in low and medium temperatures. Studies involving Antarctic microbial diversity can be interesting to industries, because biocatalysts obtained from these organisms can replace many biotechnological processes aiming the decreasing in the use of electric energy in industrial sector. In this context, the present project intend to select between 347 yeasts and 156 filamentous fungi isolated from Antarctic samples, the best producers of lipase and esterase and perform taxonomic studies from the main producers. The project development could result in the obtainment of new biocatalysts, as well to enhance the knowledge about the microbial diversity of the most extreme environment of the Earth. In addition, the project will enrich the microbial collection "Central of Microbial Resources of UNESP (Central de Recursos Microbianos da UNESP/CRM-UNESP)" and will expand the data about the biodiversity that is available in public databases, such as the speciesLink (CRIA/Fapesp) and SiBBr (MCTI).