Graduated and licensed in Agricultural Engineering from the University of São Paulo (1971), with a master's degree (1974) in Sciences (Nuclear Energy in Agriculture) and a doctorate (1978) in Agronomy (Soils and Plant Nutrition) from USP, specialization in Microbiology from the Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO-Canberra, Australia (1975), post-doctorate in microbial ecology and genetic studies of biological nitrogen fixation in beans, at the University of California - Davis (1989-1992). Prof. Associate Professor in Plant Biotechnology (1997) and Prof. Graduated from USP in 2006, he carries out research at the Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory (CENA-USP). She was Director of CENA from 2014 to 2018, Vice-Director from 2018 to 2022 and Vice-Mayor of the USP Campus - Luiz de Queiroz from 2018 to 2022. She was president of PPGI-Ecologia Aplicada between 2004-2005 and currently, of PPG- Sciences from CENA/USP (both with grade 7 by CAPES). She supervised undergraduate students (125), postgraduate students - 51 Masters (2 in progress) and 50 Doctors (10 in progress), 14 Post-Doctors and 5 Young Researchers. His research is based on microbiology and, especially soil microbiology, the common thread that has guided his research throughout his career, leading to greater scientific successes in the area of sustainable agriculture through the management of agroecosystems using bioinputs. Coordinated several projects (25) with international cooperation (US National Academy of Science BOSTID and National Science Foundation-FAPESP BIOTA, NWO-Netherland Scientific Organization) and with Brazilian collaborators from universities, research institutes and private companies, focusing mainly on environmental studies , biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultural production, in addition to the development of technologies for certifying the safety of agricultural products for export purposes.Elected full member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences in May 2008 and of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in November 2018, she has been a researcher at CNPq 1A since 2004. She is the author/co-author of 255 articles in national and international journals, 2 books, 26 book chapters, is on the list of the most influential scientists in the world in Agricultural Sciences (2021, 2023), with h=55 (Web of Sciences), h=55 (Google Scholar), h=57 (Research Gate) , Scopus (47). She was a member of the Management Committee of the Agribusiness Sector Fund as a representative of the academic-scientific sector of MCTI-DF (2012-2014, 204-2015), member of CA-Ciências Agrárias (2009-2012, 2013-2014). Recipient of the Scientific and Technological Merit Medal by the Government of the State of São Paulo, USP Merit (2000), Scopus-Elsevier Latino Award (2008), "Agronomic Engineer of the Year" Award by the Association of Agricultural Engineers of the State of São Paulo (2017 ), 2050 Challenge Award by FAO - Agriculture and Food for a Sustainable Future (2018), "Friend of the Navy" Medal for participation in the GT7-Brazilian Nuclear Program (GSI-DF in 2018), "100 Most Powerful Women in Agribusiness" nomination by Forbes Magazine (2021) with Trophy by the Secretariat of Agriculture of the State of São Paulo (2021), Medal of Agronomic Merit in 2023 by CREA, Capes Thesis Award - Agricultural Sciences for student supervision (2014), Capes-Vale Award (2015 ), USP Highlight Thesis Award (Environmental Sustainability) (2022).Her career is based heavily on microbiology and molecular aspects of plant-microorganism interactions, with a focus on biodiversity conservation, soil quality and sustainable agricultural production. Research areas: Agronomy, with an emphasis on microbiology and molecular microbial ecology, plant-microorganism interaction, management of sustainable agro-ecosystems with the adoption of bioinputs. Studies with common bean focus on determining tolerance to water stress in elite genotypes in association with microsymbionts. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)
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Brazil is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of food, feed, fiber and (bio)fuel. Estimates indicated that the country would need to increase food production in 40% to meet global demands by 2050. Meanwhile, tropical agricultural systems have to be important allies to sequester carbon (C) and reduce greenhouse gases emission, and consequently, contribute to mitigating clima…
The current proposal aims to target sustainable agriculture in the Amazon biome by evaluating agroforestry systems (AFS) models by connecting soil health with fruit quality. These AFS will be compared to other systems that adopt less conservationist agricultural practices. More specifically, it aims to deeply understand the microbial diversity of Amazonian soils as well as their chemical,…
Plants and soils are in constant interaction, and net effects of all physical, chemical and biological processes that contribute to these interactions are resulting in a so-called 'plant-soil feedback' that is known to be critical for the restoration of original plant communities and ecosystem properties. The previous land use on sites where the Atlantic Forest is to be restored has alter…
Physical, chemical and biological processes maintain constant interaction between plant and soil. The effects of these processes are named plant-soil feedbacks and are little known in the the Amazon soils, being critical for restoring plant biodiversity and the properties of ecosystems. The objective of this work is to evaluate plant-soil feedbacks in the forest and in agricultural system…
CENA / USP, Specialized Institute and Integration Organ of the University of São Paulo, currently has a body of 34 teachers hired in RDIDP, of which 8 are Professors (23.5%), 15 Associate Professors (44.1%) and 11 Professors Doctors (32.4%). Although CENA is classified as a Specialized Institute, the teaching activities (Undergraduate - ESALQ / USP courses and two CAPES Level 7 Postgradua…
The Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA) is one of the most important institutes of the University of São Paulo with excellence in teaching Graduate Studies and Research. Thus, it is of considerable relevance to prioritize improvement projects in the infrastructure of the institution. So, continuing this initiative, it was decided the CD/CENA (12/05/2016) that the resources of …
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is one of Brazil's major environmental problems, with approximately 20% of its area already having been deforested. This can affect the role of the forest in the carbon cycle, leading to the release of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO), and altering its potential as a sink. Additionally, future temperature increases in the Amazon Basin…
Interactions between plants, microorganisms, and soil occur continuously and can have positive or negative effects, known as plant-soil-feedback (PSF), but are still poorly understood in Amazonian soils. Agroforestry systems (AFS) are crucial for food security; however, they are dependent on natural processes and ecosystem services to maintain their sustainability and productivity. Furthe…
In the scientific-technological context, the development of forensic analysis methodologies, proposed here for an IC internship at CENA/USP for undergraduate Gabriel da Silva Ramos, will make it possible for the intern to have access to fundamental inferences for investigations and resolutions of environmental crimes and illegal trade in biological products, clarifying aspects of criminal…
The Amazon has one of the most biodiverse biomes in the world and plays an essential role in global climate regulation. However, the expansion of agricultural activity in the region has led to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity in large portions of the biome. The loss of plant native cover caused by deforestation and the increasing exposure of the region's highly weathered and infe…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
The 'detritusphere', the zone of soil under direct influence of decaying litter, is a dynamic zone rich in organic matter, microbial biomass, and activity, with high rates of organic matter flow. This interface is crucial in the Amazon region, where most of the soils are highly weathered with low organic matter and nutrient content, making the organic matter turnover from aboveground to b…
Microbial activity in soils is driven by the compositions of the soil-dissolved organic matter (DOM) that diffuses from the litter layer or the roots directly into the soil. However, the chemical diversity of the organic molecules transferred into the soil solution can vary depending on the tree community composition and plant diversity. In agroforest systems (AFS), the plant diversity an…
The study of biodiversity offers a wealth of biotechnological solutions for improving biological processes. The diversity of microorganisms in different environments can provide valuable molecules and organisms that can lead to the development of processes and practices. The Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs), highly fertile soil formations in the Amazon basin enriched by pre-Columbian populati…
The study of microbial biodiversity has expanded to include molecular analysis that generate big data on a complex community's diversity. The processing of these analysis can produce very interesting and informative results on ecological and biological aspects of local environmental conditions. However, to process this data, bioinformatics tools are required with an extensive know-how of …
Wetlands are home to a great biodiversity, but these areas are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and comprises about 600 soda lakes, extreme environments that provide a unique habitat for haloalkaliphilic microorganisms. Limited data are available about the microbial diversity of these lakes, especially information regarding to …
Preliminary results from the ongoing FAPESP funded Ph.D. project 2018/14974-0 indicated that Amazonian floodplain and forest soils have distinct methane (CH4) emission and sequestration potential in response to flooding conditions. In addition, we observed an increase in the abundance of methanogens in response to warmer conditions. Given the great importance of floodplains soils in the c…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
| 3 / 3 | Ongoing research grants |
| 23 / 16 | Completed research grants |
| 1 / 1 | Ongoing scholarships in Brazil |
| 81 / 43 | Completed scholarships in Brazil |
| 3 / 3 | Ongoing scholarships abroad |
| 15 / 15 | Completed scholarships abroad |
| 126 / 81 | All research grants and scholarships |
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CV Lattes
ORCID