Agro-environmental traceability in soils and tropical forests

• Grant number: 25/23945-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Program to Stimulate Scientific Vocations
• Start date: January 19, 2026
• End date: March 10, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Tsai Siu Mui
• Grantee: Gustavo Pires Ramos Cerqueira dos Santos
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Over a period of seven weeks (50 days), the student will develop activities planned by the INCT-MRFor center at CENA-USP, Piracicaba-SP. During the initial weeks, the candidate will have contact with all the subprojects proposed by the INCT: (1) "Isotopic and Nuclear Analysis Techniques for Agriculture and the Environment"; (2) "Nanofingerprinting - A New Tool for Traceability and Authenticity in Agriculture and the Environment"; (3) "Traceability of the Destination of Timber from Illegal Logging in Tropical Rainforests, Applying Forensic Isotopic Methods"; (4) "Biodiversity, Traceability, and Conservation of Soils and Native Tropical Forests." In the final weeks, the fellow will emphasize traceability techniques-based on DNA barcoding-and nanoparticle analysis, proposed by subprojects (2) and (4). The student is expected to gain practical experience in isotopic techniques, microbiology, molecular biology and bioinformatics, understanding the workflow from sample collection and preparation. At the Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory, students will conduct microbial isolation, DNA extraction from soil and tree species, and DNA sequencing data analysis. The training will provide an integrated view of the importance of techniques applied to solving problems related to biodiversity conservation, restoration and the use, monitoring of activities associated with illegal deforestation of native woods, and additional analyses of soil microbiomes of species considered at risk of extinction by IBAMA, which will strengthen his scientific training.