Alex Graça Contato

PhD graduate from the Graduate Program in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), University of São Paulo (USP), with a sandwich period at Oklahoma State University (OSU), Stillwater, OK, USA. Holds a Masters degree in Biological Sciences (Cellular and Molecular Biology) and a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry from the State University of Maringá (UEM), Paraná, Brazil. Former member of the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) for Bioethanol and the Genetics Society of America (GSA). Guest editor for the journal Processes (IF: 2.8) in the special issue "Bioprocess Design and Biomass Production Processes" and for the journal Nutrients (IF: 4.8) in the special issue "Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Potential of Natural Products". During the PhD program (20182023), he explored lignocellulolytic enzymes produced by filamentous fungi for application in the saccharification of sugarcane varieties. The two highest producers of xyloglucanases and lichenases were optimized using factorial design and scaled up for fermentation in bioreactors. These enzymes were immobilized on ion-exchange supports, biochemically characterized, and expressed through molecular biology. Additionally, secretomics and co-culture experiments with the fungi were conducted. His dissertation was selected to represent the Graduate Program in Biochemistry at FMRP-USP in the USP Outstanding Dissertation Award and the CAPES Dissertation Award - 2024 Edition. He conducted a teaching internship in the Cellular Biology course offered to the Biological Sciences program at USP. Currently, he is Young Researcher in Biochemistry of Microorganisms at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), supervising undergraduate and graduate research students. He also serves as a reviewer for funding agencies and leading international journals. He was one of the creators of the extension project "MycoTalk," a success during the pandemic with videos on YouTube. His research interests lie in Biochemistry of Microorganisms, Biotechnology, Fermentation, Microbiology, Biochemical Engineering, and Bioenergy, with an emphasis on enzymology, lignocellulosic biomass, bioreactors, biofuel production (such as bioethanol), and bioremediation. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)