Mining of cyanobacterial biosynthetic gene clusters associated with Amazonian freshwater sponges

• Grant number: 24/18282-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Program to Stimulate Scientific Vocations
• Start date: January 06, 2025
• End date: February 25, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Maria Paula Cruz Schneider
• Grantee: Francisco do Rego
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Belém , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Amazon is one of the world's wealthiest and least explored biomes, hiding great microbial diversity. This diversity is associated with different habitats, including other organisms, where they live as symbionts. Sponges are one of the leading and most important organisms in the holobiont concept, presenting associations mainly with archaea and bacteria. Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotic microorganisms known for their potential to produce bioactive compounds with diverse applications. Among the compounds produced, secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, alkaloids, and polyketides stand out, which gives them advantages over other organisms that live in the same niche. Marine sponges are a promising source of bioactive compounds, which can be used to produce new drugs and medicines. To date, the production of bioactive compounds from freshwater sponges remains underexplored. Here, we propose exploring the potential for synthesizing natural products in cyanobacteria isolated from Amazonian freshwater sponges.