Characterization of microbial consortia associated with Amazonian cyanobacteria

• Grant number: 24/19488-8
• 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: Vinícius Tesch Mazotti
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas. Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Belém , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Amazon biome harbors a great diversity of microorganisms, which have been poorly explored to date, concealing a vast biotechnological potential. Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms known for their potential to produce bioactive compounds with diverse applications. They are often associated with a variety of bacteria that remain firmly attached, making it challenging to obtain axenic cultures. These microbial consortia act synergistically in symbiosis and are supported by specific metabolic pathways that occur during interactions, ensuring the environmental adaptation of microbial communities through well-defined and harmonious strategies, such as the exchange of metabolites, microbial adhesion, and defense mechanisms against biotic and abiotic factors. Such microbial associations further increase the biotechnological potential associated with cyanobacteria. Since the physical separation of these organisms is challenging, high-throughput sequencing strategies coupled with bioinformatics tools have provided new perspectives in exploring the full potential of these microbial communities. In this project, we propose to proceed with the taxonomic and metabolic characterization of the profile of cyanobacteria and associated heterotrophic bacteria from unicyanobacterial consortia obtained from different niches within the Amazon biome, using genome-resolved metagenomics. (AU)