Study of the chelator capacity of Brazilian marine sponge extracts

• Grant number: 18/06809-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Breno Pannia Esposito
• Grantee: Nickolas Kavaliauska Zito
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Metal ions are highly versatile species in biochemistry, with a wide variety of metals crucial to biological processes. However, the overloading of the so-called essential metals can trigger damage, often due to the fact that there are no strategies dedicated to their natural elimination. This project aims at the prospection of extracts of Brazilian marine sponges in order to obtain chelators for essential metal ions (eg iron, copper and manganese). This project is one of the activities of this group to continue the Project of Research Fellowship Abroad (FAPESP 13 / 13166-4), when the coordinator visited the University from Queensland (Australia).