In Silico Identification of Genes Associated with the CRISPR-Cas System in the Human Intestinal Microbiota of Obeses

• Grant number: 24/05797-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Nascimento Lemos
• Grantee: Barbara da Paixão Perez Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Gut dysbiosis is considered one of the factors involved in complex diseases, such as human obesity. Recent studies based on massive DNA sequencing indicate that obese patients have lower microbial diversity. However, many functional aspects of microbial communities have been poorly explored, such as the diversity of genes associated with the CRISPR-Cas system, which is a microbial defense system against bacteriophages that stores information from infection histories. In this context, the general objective of this project is to identify and quantify the CRISPR-associated genes present in the intestinal microbiota of obese humans and compare them with non-obese humans. The analytical focus of this project will be based on comparative \textit{in silico} analyses from public databases of genetic sequences and genomes reconstructed from metagenomes. It is expected to identify the orientation of the CRISPR array, the annotation of cas proteins, and the classification of their different subtypes. With this, we will be able to verify whether the microbiota of obese people has a greater or lesser diversity of CRISPR compared to that present in non-obese people, as well as indicate potential new genome editing biotechnologies. This project will also contribute to the training of human resources in Data Science, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, in the interdisciplinary context of Ilum (School of Science) at the Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM).