Bioprospecting and identification of new antibacterial molecules obtained from microorganisms in the MicroBioBank collection

• Grant number: 24/07190-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Daiane Cristina Sass
• Grantee: Eduarda Araujo dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/12590-3 - Microbial biobanks: promoting innovations for scientific research and technological development (MicroBioBank), AP.TEM

Abstract

Bacterial infections are becoming increasingly treatment-resistant, constituting one of the greatest global threats to public health. Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are pathogens of particular concern as they are multidrug-resistant and pose a threat in hospitals. Agricultural pathogens such as Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, which causes citrus canker in all commercially important citrus varieties, causes significant losses in fruit production and quality and is a major threat to citrus production. Studies suggest that bacteria and fungi, especially those originating from unusual or extreme environments, may be effective and sustainable alternatives for obtaining molecules with unique structures and potential for controlling bacterial diseases. This project aims to conduct the bioprospection and identification of innovative antibacterial molecules of interest to health and agribusiness produced by microorganisms from the MicroBioBank collection, which includes microorganisms from Antarctica, the deep sea, and fungi associated with food and insects. To this end, 1,000 extracts will be produced from the MicroBioBank collection, the extracts will be fractionated, totaling 10,000 samples, which will be evaluated against three target bacteria (A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa and X. citri) and chemically mined. The fractions containing the promising bioactive compounds will be subjected to purification and chemical structural analysis steps to identify innovative molecules with antibacterial activity.