Team:Brasil-USP/Team/Members
Team Members
Team
Table of contents
Our team is composed of professors, undergraduate and postgraduate students from University of São Paulo, Brazil. More details about each of them - such as the functions in iGEM project and main areas of research can be found bellow.
Instructors
Ana Paula Ulian de Araújo
University of São Paulo/USP Professor
Her areas of expertise are biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics, with emphasis in heterologous expression, protein purification and structure characterization using circular dichroism and fluorescence. Currently, her research is focused in ribosomes inactivators protein (RIPs) and human septins. She also teaches Molecular and Cellular Biology for undergraduate and graduate courses. Ana Paula has supported the whole progress of the project, advising on circuit design and providing the infrastructure of the Biophysics group for our circuits experiments. Whenever possible, she also attended our meetings at night, being the most present instructor of our team.
Richard Charles Garratt
University of São Paulo/USP Professor
Richard Charles Garrat is high experienced in structural biology using crystallographic techniques for proteins and molecular modeling. His area of research is focused in septins, superoxide dismutases, purine rescue pathway in parasites, nuclear receptors, planning vaccines and drug design based on protein structure, protein engineering and the development of educational tools for teaching structural biology. He helped our team in circuit design, more specifically in chimerical protein study.
Advisors
Otavio Henrique Thiemann
University of São Paulo/USP Professor
His experience is based in biochemistry, with emphasis in Molecular Biology and Structural Parasites, especially Leishmania and Trypanosoma. He studies mainly Molecular Cloning, Target Validation, Structural Biology, Protein Translation, Synthesis of selenocysteine and Virus Structure. Otavio provided the infrastructure of the Laboratory of Structural Biology for our Molecular Biology experiments.
Cristina Kurachi
University of São Paulo/USP Professor
She has experience in Biophotonics area, with an emphasis on interaction of light in biological systems, optical diagnosis and photodynamic therapy applied to cancer and infected tissues. Cristina has research areas that involve the development of biomedical instrumentation and clinical protocols to apply photonic techniques. She advised us in some of the aspects of the project and provided the infrastructure of the Optics labs.
Valtencir Zucolotto
University of São Paulo/USP Professor
Valtencir Zucolotto, better known as Xuxa, works in the development and characterization of nanomaterials and biosensors for simple and rapid diagnosis. He also investigates the effect of these nanomaterials in humans cells and in ecologic systems. He provided the infrastructure of the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology group for our characterization experiments.
Juliana Cancino Bernardi
University of São Paulo
Postdoctoral in Nanotechnology
Juliana works in the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group. Her research is focused on the following topics: synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for biomedical applications; development and characterization of electrodes modified with biomolecules to use as sensors and biosensors in medicine; Development of new methods for studying the toxicity of nanomaterials by means of membrane models and molecular biology. She supported our team in the characterization experiments, specially in the use of flow cytometry.
Student Members
Laís Canniatti Brazaca
Applied Physics PhD Student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
She currently works in the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology group developing biosensors for biomedical applications. Her main contributions to our project were: funding searching, organizing team’s tasks, reviewing wiki texts; and in the biosafety and finance areas.
Why iGEM: Besides iGEM being a great opportunity to work in a highly developing area and to interact with amazing people from all over the world, it also stimulates the development of new abilities, as organizing a team and developing a project fully – which not only includes wet lab and discussions, but also searching for funding, dealing with finances, developing a website, etc. That said, I believe that iGEM is a great opportunity for professional and personal development; and that’s why I’m a recurrent participant.
Graziele Vasconcelos
Undergraduate Student in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
She works in the Molecular Biotechnology group, studying structure-activity relationship of drugs. On her spare time, she helps the iGEM project’s experimental part, working in DNA circuit construction. She believes that Science can turn the world into a better place for everyone.
Why iGEM: I believe that making part of a project which aims to use synthetic biology in order to solve an environmental problem can be really challenging, therefore, is an amazing experience for personal development.
Paula Maria Pincela Lins
Undergraduate Student in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
On her last year of college, she works in the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology group, with synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Paula always tries to help the team whenever she can, and her main contributions to the project were: literature review in modeling and devulcanization, project presentation in Jamboré, and searching for sponsors to the team.
Why iGEM: I believe that the team gives me the opportunity to develop new abilities. Studying synthetic biology helped me to expand my horizons, going out of my comfort zone. I lost my fears of presentation, which is a big step for me. Learning that, this competition is a great opportunity to increase my professional and personal experiences. I never thought I would enjoy studying modeling and working in Entrepreneurship!
Thiago Schiavo Mosqueiro
PhD candidate in Physics
Thiago is finishing his PhD in computational neuroscience, investigating mostly how the Brain conveys and codifies information. Although in a larger scale (millimeters to meters), mathematical modeling always has been Thiago’s passion, having briefly experienced Solid State physics, Financial Market, Neuroscience and Population Dynamics. He helped in the organization and discussion of results and designed all the predictions models of our project.
Why iGEM: Science itself is reaching that point where there aren’t anymore boundaries separating different areas of expertise anymore. In this sense, Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology appear to be the flagship towards multidisciplinarity. For this transition, modeling and data analysis are certainly on the spotlight. I thought iGEM would give me a chance to strengthen my knowledge base and expand my skills on modeling and data analysis. I could learn a lot with my teammates and contribute to make this huge project happen!
Letícia Camargo Tavares
Undergraduate in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Leticia is currently working in the Medicinal and Computational Chemistry Group with neuronal ensembles involved in the context-induced reinstatement of ethanol seeking in rats. She has been helping the team mainly in scientific researches for project development, in topics such as : construction of the kill switch system, product transformation and bioreactors. She also aided iGEM by writing, revising texts and searching for sponsors.
Why iGEM: My participation in iGEM competition is giving me the opportunity to learn much more than I would learn just in the classroom. It has improved my ability to think and to join together different knowledge fields in order to build a whole project. Furthermore, it has been a really great experience to work with a team that has the same passion as mine: Science!
Fabiane Fantinelli Franco
Undergraduate in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Fabiane is currently in the last year of her course. She works at the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group in the synthesis of magnetic and metallic nanoparticles for biomedical applications. She has helped iGEM by writing and revising texts, studying modeling and searching for sponsors.
Why iGEM: It is important to expand your knowledges and discover new areas. Therefore, iGEM seemed as an opportunity to explore a subject I have never worked with before and it proved to be as instigating as I expected. I have learned and I am still learning a lot, whether in the synthetic biology field or working as a group. I am excited to contribute to science and the environment with this project.
Mariana Lopes Garcia
Applied Physics Master student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Mariana works in the Medicinal and Computational Chemistry Group in São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC), studying computational models on quantitative prediction of small molecules bioactivity against malaria. Her contributions to the team were mainly: studying modelling, developing images for folders/banners/wiki and Jamboré’s organization.
Why iGEM: Since I found out about iGEM last year, I wanted to be part of it because I saw passionate people who believed in our potential to do great things. The exchange of experiences is one of the most important parts in group work: with our team I learned more about synthetic biology, modelling and even entrepreneurship. I believe that iGEM is an unmatched opportunity to represent Brazilian young students in an international competition and that we are doing our best to make this project be awesome.
Ana Laura de Lima
Applied Physics PhD Student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
She is currently studying Trypanosoma brucei spliceosome as part of her PhD project in the Laboratory of Structural Biology. She helps in many areas of the iGEM project, but her main focus is on planning and executing wet lab experiments and on anything that involves drawing (wiki design, t-shirt, logos and the mascot). Her specialty is disturbing the weekly meetings with non-important topics.
Why iGEM: I decided to be part of iGEM mainly due to its contribution to my knowledge in molecular sciences and for the possibility to work in solving problems that affect society. Also, I spent the whole year of 2014 hearing my friends talking about how great it was the competition.
Ivan Rosa e Silva
Applied Physics PhD Student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Ivan is currently studying Trypanosoma brucei spliceosome at the Laboratory of Structural Biology of the Crystallography Group as part of his PhD thesis project. He was part of Brasil-SP wet-lab team in IGEM 2014 and is now helping our team with wet-lab, genetic circuit design and literature review. His contributions to the team are mainly related to molecular biology experiments design.
Why iGEM: I joined iGEM teams in 2014 and 2015 because I was interested in developing projects that aim to tackle major problems in human health and environment using synthetic biology.
Karen Freire Carvalho
Undergraduate student in Biotechnology
Karen, who is at the last year of her bachelor’s degree, has worked with Molecular Biology and is currently developing a project in the Microbiology field, which involves isolating and studying biosurfactant producing bacteria. She has helped the iGEM team mainly working in the wet lab, but she also aided by seeking contacts of potential sponsors and collaborators around the world and with text writing and revising.
Why iGEM:As it is my last year at college, I wanted to do something really special. When I heard of the possibility of being part of the team I recognized the perfect opportunity for that - and I couldn’t have been more right about it. It has been a wonderful experience, never thought I would be able to learn this much about so many things in so little time!
Cristiane Casonato Melo
Applied Physics Master student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
She works in the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology group with the development and citotoxicology assessment of nanoparticles for biomedical applications. She has contributed to the team by helping with Jamboré’s organization, performing sponsors related tasks, carrying out literature review in bioreactors and modelling and participating on human practices and entrepreneurship activities.
Why iGEM: I think iGEM is a great opportunity not only to learn more about synthetic biology but also to do it. It also provides you the chance to improve other skills such as organizing events, working in a team and dealing with sponsors and deadlines, besides many others that are important for everyone’s professional life.
Camila Barbosa Bramorski
Undergraduate in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Camila currently works in the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology group developing biosensors for biomedical applications that promise to diagnose and run tests in a cheaper, simpler and faster way than nowadays technologies. It is her second year on iGEM and she is very dedicated on finding a moment during the team meetings to make a (not always that funny) joke and she doesn't care if it costs her integrity. Besides that, she contributed with: starting the team, sponsorship tasks and meetings, human practices, Jamboré presentation, entrepreneurship, product transformation, circuit's study and scientific research.
Why iGEM: If I had to summarize iGEM in one word I would say "complete". Not the most impactful word but it fits perfectly. I will tell a short story of what is iGEM from my point of view and then it will be very clear “why iGEM”: iGEM starts with reading and learning about things you have never heard before. Synthetic biology lies on the border of knowledge, putting together different areas and it makes you think "This is magical. I am so doing this". There are so many creative projects that there seems to be no limits to creativity, and this is where the fun begins. The next step is to talk to your colleagues and start a team and, sooner than you expect: goodbye comfort zone. You have to present your ideas, to spread what is iGEM, what is synthetic biology and of course, what is your project to the public, to the university, to companies - and the list never ends. You start to improve your public communication skills. Then you need to help with the project development, read many scientific papers, and learn how to search and read them in a optimized way. The more you read, the more you realise you know nothing. Breathe, you are not alone. You share all the moments with your team and day by day you feel a friendship getting stronger. During the development of the project, you will need help and it will make you get in touch with awesome people. Probably for the first time in your academic life, you will talk to the community about your project and see, by your eyes, how it impacts the society and the planet. You will come back to the lab feeling even more motivated, as now you are sure that you are changing the world. You want the project to become real, so you take the next step and think about how to apply it, and it might bring you the first shot of real life and business. In the end of it, you will travel to the Giant Jamboree and live one of the most challenging and enriching experiences ever. You have learned (at least a little bit) of everything. Finances, design, documents, biology, physics, chemistry, engineering, communication, HTML, languages, entrepreneurship, poster, presentation, events, modeling, laboratory experiments and more. There is no way to tell in a few words how much you will learn and experience with iGEM. As I said, it is complete. That is my "why iGEM" and I am very glad of being part of it.
Jennifer Machado Soares
Undergraduate in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Jennifer is in the third year of her bachelor’s degree. Her contribution to our team has been mainly in wet lab and patent writing.
Why iGEM: For me, iGEM is an opportunity to learn more about Synthetic Biology, where we can discuss problems about biology, physics and chemistry. This multidisciplinarity is exactly the proposal of my undergraduate course, and that’s why I decided to join the competition this year. Being able to work in such a complete project and to return this knowledge to the society is gratifying.
Éverton Edésio Dinis Silva
Applied Physics PhD Student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Éverton is conducting his PhD at São Carlos Institute of Physics, in the laboratories of the Biophysics Group “Sérgio Mascarenhas”. The focus of his research is understanding signal transduction systems that control c-di-GMP, an important bacterial regulator. His main contribution to the project were in literature review, the design of DNA circuits and execution of lab experiments.
Why iGEM: The competition is a great opportunity to learn about new topics in molecular biology and other areas. Additionally, I can have contact with some applied science in real time, turning iGEM into an exciting experience.
Deborah Cezar Mendonça
Undergraduate in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Deborah works at the Crystallography Group in the structural analysis of Superoxide Dismutases of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, etiological agent of citrus canker. She is in the last year of her course. Her contributions to the team are mainly in experimental area, in particular the execution and organization of wet lab experiments, besides the literature review about exportation systems.
Why iGEM: This is an opportunity to experience a new area of knowledge that has become very important in Biotecnology. Moreover, it is an space to practice our own ideas, expand knowledge and learn interesting new subjects that can be used in future projects.
Victor Henrique Rabesquine Nogueira
Undergraduate in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
He’s been working with synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials and biosensors in the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group. On his second year in the competition, he helped whenever he could. His main contributions were on human practices events, and Jamboré organization.
Why iGEM: The opportunity of being part, again, of an iGEM team and get really into a synthetic biology issue was amazing, specially because of the chance to learn a lot about all the aspects a transdisciplinary project like this can reach. Besides, the impact on our society this project can cause is also a great motivation.
Bruno Andrade Ono
Applied Physics Master student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Bruno works with photodynamic therapy for the treatment of melanoma at the Research Center in Optics and Photonics - CePOF. On the team, he has helped to plan and discuss characterization results and, as everyone, in the development of the DNA circuit. He has also assisted on the organization of the third Jamboré, the meeting between iGEM brazilian teams.
Why iGEM: For me it is fascinating to program an organism in order to solve diverse problems in the society. One of the reasons why this is fascinating, is because it can generate considerable short-term impact. In addition, iGEM is a competition that brings together people from different areas of science and provides that each of them leave a contribution and enrich the project.
Laís Ribovski
Applied Physics PhD Student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
Laís is a PhD student in nanomedicine, currently working with cancer, biosensors, nanoparticles for drug delivery and synthetic biology and, as many team members, she also does her research at the Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group (GNano). As a participant of the 2014 iGEM edition, she likes to encourage new iGEMers to give them best and keep the team motivated. Her contributions to the team and project are mainly in fund raising, manage team’s work, characterization experiments, literature review and proofreading.
Why iGEM: iGEM is a place where you can be creative, meet great people and do some awesome teamwork, besides you can learn a lot from others.
Camila Maria dos Santos Boralli
Undergraduate in Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
On the last year of graduation, Camila is currently studying about Trypanosoma brucei spliceosome as a part of her scientific project. Her main contribution to the team was in the experimental part, more specifically in the execution of the wet-lab experiments. Additionally, she has helped with the literature review in exportation systems.
Why iGEM: I became interested in being part of the team last year, when I found out about the competition. For me, iGEM is a great opportunity to learn a lot about synthetic biology itself, and how to apply that knowledge. Moreover, I believe that being part of this team will increase my personal and professional experiences.
Danilo Keiji Zampronio
Masters Student
Physical and Biomolecular Sciences
From a wet lab slave in 2014 to a policy and practices member in 2015. What an interesting shift of activities. Danilo is an enthusiastic person graduated in Physics and Biomolecular Sciences and is currently starting his Masters project in bacterial bioplastic production at the University of Sao Paulo. Recently he has moved from São Carlos (hometown of the iGEM team) to São Paulo, which makes it a bit harder to directly participate in the wet lab and meetings, but whenever he comes to São Carlos he is always gushing rainbows of happiness to try boosting up the team’s stamina.
Why iGEM: The answer is simple and deep at the same time. In iGEM we can be real creative researchers without having to present all the academic credential! iGEM is Science at it’s most fun and genuine form.