Bioprospecting of new microorganisms and biosynthetic gene clusters associated with the intestinal microbiota of herbivores from Brazilian biodiversity

• Grant number: 24/05551-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Gabriela Felix Persinoti
• Grantee: Giulio Mendes Braatz
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/04891-3 - Enzymatic mechanisms from the microbiome of aquatic herbivores for depolymerization and metabolism of complex carbohydrates, AP.TEM

Abstract

The gut microbiota of mammals plays a central role in various biological processes critical for host health. This microbial diversity is also widely recognized as a reservoir of diverse enzymes with great biotechnological potential. However, many metabolic pathways and molecular strategies that have evolved within these microbial communities remain elusive. Here it is proposed to apply bioinformatics strategies for the analysis and integration of multi-omic data from microbial communities associated with the gastrointestinal tract of poorly studied Brazilian aquatic herbivore species as the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) and the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). To gather a deep understanding of microbial diversity and metabolic capabilities, we aim to identify their biosynthetic potential by identifying biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and novel enzyme families with promising biotechnological applications. An integrative approach combining metagenomics with complementary omics, as metatranscriptomics will be employed to uncover novel microorganisms and BGCs that may have evolved within these diverse microbial communities. The discovery of new BGCs, with their potential to unveil unprecedented metabolic capabilities, is key for expanding our knowledge of microbial biodiversity, for discovering new bioactive compounds, and understanding microbial biology. These discoveries can be applied to the development of new technologies, such as metabolic engineering and artificial biosynthesis of natural molecules, with positive impact on human health, agriculture, and industry.