Characterization of the cyanobacteria Rhabdoderma lineare: a physiological, biochemical and metabolic approach

• Grant number: 20/12575-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2021
• End date: August 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Applied Botany
• Principal Investigator: Ana Teresa Lombardi
• Grantee: Nicolás Ignacio Valdez
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/07988-5 - Bioprospecting, characterization and optimization of Brazilian microalgal strains for CO2 biofixation and bioproducts of commercial importance, AP.TEM

Abstract

Cyanobacteria consists of a group of procariotic photosynthetic microorganisms with high diversity. They are simple but efficient in fixing CO2, which makes them promising for the biological mitigation of the gas. In addition, cyanobacteria produce biochemically active secondary metabolites that can be isolated and applied in the most varied areas. However, they are still little explored. Metabolomics, which seeks to identify metabolites, appears as a tool for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of metabolites in biological samples, including microalgae and cyanobacteria. This project aims at characterizing the biomass of the cyanobacterium Rhabdoderma lineare in relation to its physiology, considering photosynthesis, biochemical compounds and secondary metabolites. For that, we will grow them in laboratory controlled cultures and analyze population growth, photosynthetic parameters (maximum and effective quantum yields, light curve and CO2 fixation), intracellular concentration of total proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, and of pigments (carotenoids , chlorophyll a and phycocyanin), as well as its antioxidant potential (DPPH method). We will also make a profile of secondary metabolites through metabolomics, an analysis that will have the collaboration of Profa. Dr. Camila Crnkovic from the University of São Paulo. This study is a contribution to a better understanding of the physiology of the Cyanobacteria Rhabdoderma lineare, and to the area of bioprospecting and bioactive compounds.