Characterization of organellar genomes of Padina Adanson species (Dictyotaceae, Phaeophyceae) from the Brazilian coast

• Grant number: 24/15630-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Principal Investigator: Priscila Barreto de Jesus
• Grantee: Paulo Paz do Nascimento Junior
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03234-1 - Evolution and diversification of Phaeophyceae: exploring genomic data to understand the taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of brown algae, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

Brown algae (Phaeophyceae), which are predominant in cold waters, include species of the genus Padina, which are common in tropical regions and are economically important as sources of alginates, useful for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Ten species are reported for Brazil, most of which have not yet been included in molecular studies, with their phylogenetic positioning unknown and their circumscription unclear, with the potential to reveal underestimated diversity. Sampling of Padina specimens along the Brazilian coast is already underway. Type specimens will also be sampled and specimens from other regions of the world will be requested for destructive sampling and DNA collection. The organellar genomes will be sequenced, assembled, and their architecture will be characterized and compared. The study will contribute to the understanding of the evolutionary history of the clade, delimitation and diversification of the genus, through the construction of organellar phylogenies and study of gene synteny.