Team:USP-EEL-Brazil/Team

We are one of the few Brazilian teams participating in iGEM and this is the third time that we represent the Lorena School of Engineering of the University of São Paulo (USP-EEL) in this international competition.

When we were thinking about the name of our project, we wanted to pay homage to Brazilian culture and especially the indigenous culture of our country. Thus, the name Honorato was attributed to the project, which has the origin of an indigenous folk legend.

In addition, our team's mascot directly represents the problem we face. The snake is directly related to the legend of Honorato and highlights the current scenario of snakebite accidents that occur in Brazil. Every year, the number of accidents involving snakes increases, and the most affected are mainly citizens living in rural areas of the country.

Jean Lucas Ribeiro

Hi there! My name is Jean, I'm 23 years old and a student of Biochemical Engineering at USP-EEL. Because of my work at Synthetic Biology Club (CBSin), I became interested in iGEM and learning more and more about Synthetic Biology. Every day I am fascinated by the possibilities that it can provide to the world. It has been a joy and a giant learning experience to lead this team in iGEM 2021.


Attributions:

  • Team Leader
  • Marketing
  • Human Practices

Fábio Nigro Hoffman Leal

Hi there! I am Fábio and I am a Biochemical Engineering Student. Since Highschool I had in my mind that I wanted to be a scientist and a professor to create and to share knowledge to the world, nowadays I know I am on the right path to it. One thing I can highlight about me is how much I love how wonderful life is in its molecular way, and all the possibilities Synthetic Biology provides to us. I am also an enthusiast in paleontology and my favorite dinosaur is Herrerassaurus. Just wanna say I love my dog, Crispr so much <3.


Attributions:

  • Co-Team Leader
  • Financial
  • Dry-Lab

Ana Paula Contelli Xavier

Hi, people call me Paula. I am 19 years old. My mother once told me that she always knew that my profession would involve wearing a lab coat. She was right. Now I am doing science while I graduate in chemical engineering at USP. I am in love with the area of biotechnology and its possibilities, and I hope to continue working with this. Currently, I can say that I am living a dream..


Attributions:

  • Marketing Leader
  • Human Practices
  • Wiki Design
  • Dry-Lab

Danniel Lisardo Oliveira Da Silva

Born and raised in Brazil, currently I'm studying chemical engineering at University of São Paulo (USP-EEL). I worked in research, lab practice, people management and project management. I'm a questioning and friendly person who loves to learn about things and people who can broaden my comprehension horizon about the world. I love science, cinema, football and music and I'm searching to develop myself in the biotech area.


Attributions:

  • Human Practices Leader

Débora Landau

My name is Débora, I am 19 years old and I always dreamed of becoming a scientist. From the moment I started the Biochemical Engineering course at EEL-USP, I was interested in the Synthetic Biology Club (CBSin). So, I joined the Club and later on the iGEM team. Everything was always very motivating and made me want to persist in this academic career during graduation and also for the rest of my life. Synthetic biology changed the way I approached science and inspired me to continue on the path of research.


Attributions:

  • Financial
  • Marketing

Felipe Machado Reis

Hello, my name is Felipe, I'm a 22 years old graduate student of Chemical Engineering at USP. I joined the Synthetic Biology Club (CBSin), so I could join the iGEM team, because labs, science and learning have always been my passion, I can say for sure it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Aside from that, this project has always captivated me, and I truly believe in its potential and the good it can do.


Attributions:

  • Marketing
  • Dry-Lab

Gabriel Kimijima Itaziki
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Hi! I'm Gabriel. Since I was a kid, I always loved science and related subjects. While growing up I had an increasing interest in chemistry, mathematics, biology and physics, which led me to be a biochemical engineering student. I joined the synthetic biology club and the IGEM team in 2020, hoping to learn a bit more and grow professionally and personally. My dream is to become a researcher so I can better understand how the world works and I believe that the future technology is bio based, it was nice sharing a bit of my history with you!


Attributions:

  • Dry-Lab Leader
  • Human Practices

Giovanni Henrique Silva

Hey! My name is Giovanni, I'm 20 years old and I'm a Biochemical Engineering student at USP. Since high school, I've always wanted to do something related to biology that could transform people's lives and make the world a better place. So, when I joined USP and later the Synthetic Biology Club I saw the opportunity to realize one of my dreams with this iGEM project. Our project and our effort are a great example of a Rocky Balboa quote that I carry with me since I joined college: “It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.”


Attributions:

  • Financial
  • Marketing
  • Wiki Design

Júlia Cassoli da Silva

Hello! My name is Julia and I'm 20 years old. Back when I was a little kid, all my favorite shows and cartoons were all related to science and one curiosity about me is that even after all these years I still keep my 6th grade science notebook and I just can't look at it without breaking a smile, because it reminds of how much I've enjoyed those classes and how fascinated I've always been by science and its power. Currently I'm a Chemical Engineering student at University of São Paulo and with the Synthetic Biology Club and with the iGEM team I saw the opportunity of not only learning but also spreading knowledge which makes me really thankful and happy. I've learned a lot since 2019 when I joined the team and I wouldn't change this whole experience for anything else.


Attributions:

  • Financial Leader
  • Human Practices

Mariana Tai de Araújo Dalosta

Hey! My name is Mariana, but the team calls me by my middle name, Tai. I am 19 years old and I am a Biochemical Engineering student at USP. Since school time, I have always loved learning and teaching, but from the moment I got into college, I really realized that the more you learn, the more content you have to learn, and this is fascinating! And the best way to do it is by sharing information, that is why I joined the Synthetic Biology Club! I got into the Team not only because I love what we can do with SynBio and want to develop my skills, but because I want to show possibilities to the world and learn from it.


Attributions:

  • Marketing
  • Human Practices

Simone Marques Aguiar

Hello everyone! My name is Simone and I am 23 years old. Since I was a kid I've always liked science and biology and in high school I was enchanted by chemistry, so today I'm in the fifth year of undergraduate Biochemical Engineering at the University of São Paulo. I think it's amazing the potential that biotechnology has to revolutionize the world and every time I learn something new I'm amazed! From the first moment I met the staff of the Synthetic Biology Club EEL-USP, I felt welcomed by incredible people, which made me want to see this entity grow more and more and spread the knowledge of synthetic biology. At iGEM I saw an opportunity to continue with my life purpose and help somehow improve a small part of the world (little by little we can improve the whole world :). I have learned a lot on this journey and I am extremely grateful for it!


Attributions:

  • Financial
  • Dry-Lab

Wendel Mancuso Felibero

Hello, how are you? My name is Wendel. Since I entered college in 2019, I have been enchanted with the Synthetic Biology Club and its various projects. Despite not being very good in biology, I was always involved in the most varied projects of the club, always aiming for personal development. Today I can say that I am very proud to be part of the iGEM team and that I found more than researchers, I also found friends.


Attributions:

  • Human Practices

Prof. Dr. Fernando Segato

Fernando Segato is an Associate Professor at the School of Engineering of Lorena, University of São Paulo (EEL-USP). He has a degree in Pharmacy and Biochemistry (2002), PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology of Microorganisms from Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo (2008) and post-doctorate in biotechnology and development of expression systems from Oklahoma State University, United States, was a researcher in biotechnology at the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland. He has experience in Genetics, with emphasis on Molecular and Microorganism Genetics, working mainly on the following topics: filamentous fungi, heterologous expression of proteins of biotechnological and industrial interest, interference RNA, drug resistance, prospecting and characterization of enzymes of biotechnological interest, structural biology, degradation of lignocellulosic materials, proteome and transcriptome of thermophilic microorganisms. In 2014, he was responsible for the Implementation of the research and development line in synthetic and molecular biology in the Department of Biotechnology and since then he has been coordinating the SyMB Lab (https://sites.usp.br/symb/), having participated in some editions of the iGEM (Genetically Engineering Machines Competition) in Boston, with obtaining medals in 2016 and 2018.

Prof. Dr. André Ferraz

Full Professor, Lorena School of Engineering, University of São Paulo (2017). Bachelor in Chemistry (1987) and PhD in Sciences (Organic Chemistry) from the State University of Campinas (1991). Post-doctorate in the area of Wood Chemistry at the Universidad de Concepción, Chile (1996). He held the position of head of the Department of Biotechnology (periods 2011-2013 and 2013-2015) and coordinator of the graduate program in Industrial Biotechnology at EEL/USP in the periods 1992-1995, 1997-2001, 2015-2017 and 2017-2019. He serves as a reviewer for about 20 different journals, including Industrial Crops and Products, Bioresource Technology, Biotechnology for Biofuels, BioEnergy Research, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, PLOSOne, Enzyme and Microbial Technology, Holzforschung, BMC Plant Biology, International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, Energy and Fuels, and Química Nova. He has served as a member of scientific committees of international events such as Lignobiotech - Biotechnology Applied to Lignocelluloses since 2012, International Symposium on Wood and Fiber and Pulping Chemistry between 2003-2007 and 2017. He has experience in the area of chemistry of wood and other lignocellulosic materials, with emphasis on biotechnology, acting mainly on the following topics: recalcitrance of the lignified cell wall, wood biodegradation, biorefineries, oxidative enzymes, hydrolytic enzymes and their biomimetic systems, topochemistry of components in lignified cells, preparation and application of lignin and its derivatives.

Paula Macedo Cunha

Degree in Biological Sciences from State University of the North of Rio de Janeiro (UENF-2015). Master in Biosciences and Biotechnology (UENF-2017), with emphasis on Cellular and Molecular Biology. Worked as a biology teacher at CEDERJ (2015-2019) and currently she is a Doctoral student in Industrial Biotechnology at the University of São Paulo (USP-EEL), where she work with production and heterologous expression of therapeutic human proteins. Has experience in the area of Genetic Transformation of Microorganisms for the Production of Proteins of Interest to the Pharmaceutical Industry and its application in Cell Biology, specifically in Drug Testing for Cancer Treatment.

Gabriela Berto

Degree in Forest Engineering from the School of Agronomic Sciences, UNESP-Botucatu (2011). Specialist in Environmental Management, ESALQ-USP (2014). Master in Biotechnology (2016) from the School of Engineering of Lorena (EEL-USP), where he worked with heterologous expression of active enzymes in cellulose using filamentous fungus as expression system. PhD (2020) from the Engineering School of Lorena (EEL-USP), in the area of enzyme application technology in the production of nanocellulose. Currently she is a researcher in a partnership project between Petrobras - EEL-USP. She has experience in Industrial Biotechnology with emphasis on protein prospecting, microorganism transformation, heterologous expression, purification, biochemical characterization and application of active enzymes in lignocellulosic materials and production technology and characterization of nanocellulose.

Lucas Boldrini

Biotechnologist graduated at UFSCar. Currently, he is a Master’s student at The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology. Former Research Visitor in Neurobiology at EMBL and Scientific Department Coordinator at Zenith Aerospace. In addition, he was a team membem of iGEM São Carlos 2019.

João Alvarenga

João Pedro do Valle Alvarenga is a student of Engineering Physics at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and a researcher in Scientific Computing at the Institute of Physics of São Carlos (IFSC-USP). His fields of interest include cryptography, chaos and computational mathematics.

Camila Lima

Hey!! I’m Camila, 23 years old. Since I was a little human being I was passionate about biology and chemistry, and so I decided to start my biochemical engineering degree to continue my many plans to change the world. In 2016 I joined the synthetic biology club and that changed my whole course during graduation. I found that wearing a lab coat and developing computer programs, doing science could become increasingly accessible and meaningful to society. In 2018 I was part of the USP EEL Brazil L’aquase team to produce laccase to degrade estrogen hormones in water, together with my scientific initiation on modeling enzymatic bioreactors. Currently, I study the influence of wavelengths on pullulan production with a reduction in the concomitant production of melanin in the Laboratory of Biopolymers, Biorreactors and Processes Simulation (LBBSIM) and I develop the production of polyhydroxybutyrates for polymeric coatings of controlled-release drugs.