Diversity and plasticity of Penicillium fungi of polar and tropical origin

• Grant number: 25/02271-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Lara Durães Sette
• Grantee: Eduardo César Pécora Paes
• 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

The present study aims to investigate the metabolic changes of Penicillium in response to environmental stress, focusing on different temperatures (polar and tropical), as well as to advance knowledge about the genetic, taxonomic, and chemical diversity of this genus and to reveal whether there are signatures (biomarkers) due to the adaptive capacity of these fungi. Experiments on genetic diversity will be conducted using MSP-PCR fingerprinting, along with molecular, conventional (macro and micromorphological), and chemical taxonomic analyses. Metabolic extracts of Penicillium from the same species, sourced from tropical and polar environments, will be obtained at various temperatures, analyzed, and integrated with genomic sequencing data to elucidate metabolic changes associated with temperature tolerance and adaptation. The results of this study will be significant for understanding adaptive phenomena and may lead to the discovery of new bioactive compounds, as well as contribute to the knowledge of the diversity and taxonomy of these microorganisms.