Dr. Valeria Maia Merzel

Microbial Resources Division

Bachelor in Biological Sciences and Master and PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology by Campinas State University (UNICAMP). Currently, she is Senior Researcher, awarded with a Research Productivity scholarship (Level 1B /CNPq), Director of the Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Pluridisciplinary Research Center (CPQBA) and full professor of the Postgraduate Course in Genetics and Molecular Biology (IB / UNICAMP), supervising master's and doctoral students. Her research interests are focused on understanding composition, functioning and distribution patterns of natural or engineered microbial communities, mainly petroleum-associated environments, with emphasis on hydrocarbon biodegradation processes. Recent studies are also being directed towards unravelling stress resistance molecular mechanisms underlying microbial life under the extreme conditions, in addition to bioprospecting microbial diversity in Antarctic environments.

ACADEMIC EDUCATION

  • PhD in Genetics and Moclecular Biology (IB/UNICAMP, 1999);
  • Master in Genetics and Moclecular Biology (IB/UNICAMP, 1993);
  • Bachelor in Biological Sciences (IB/UNICAMP, 1988);

SPECIALITIES

  • Analysis of the composition and functioning of microbial communities through Omics approach, with emphasis on hydrocarbon biodegradation processes and mechanisms that support life in extreme and/or impacted environments.

RESEARCH OF AREA

  • Microbial Ecology and Metagenomics;
  • Petroleum biodegradation;
  • Environmental Microbiology;
  • Microbial Bioprospecting.

LINES OF RESEARCH

  • Investigation of the composition and functioning of microbial communities, with focus on petroleum-associated environments and hydrocarbon biodegradation metabolic pathways;
  • Genetics of hydrocarbon biodegradation;
  • Bioprospecting the uncultivated biodiversity through functional metagenomics, with emphasis on bioremediation;
  • Microbial interactions and the genetic mechanisms responsible for microbial survival in extreme environments.

ACADEMIC EDUCATION

SPECIALITIES

  • PhD in Genetics and Moclecular Biology (IB/UNICAMP, 1999);
  • Master in Genetics and Moclecular Biology (IB/UNICAMP, 1993);
  • Bachelor in Biological Sciences (IB/UNICAMP, 1988);
  • Analysis of the composition and functioning of microbial communities through Omics approach, with emphasis on hydrocarbon biodegradation processes and mechanisms that support life in extreme and/or impacted environments.

RESEARCH OF AREA

LINES OF RESEARCH

  • Microbial Ecology and Metagenomics;
  • Petroleum biodegradation;
  • Environmental Microbiology;
  • Microbial Bioprospecting.
  • Investigation of the composition and functioning of microbial communities, with focus on petroleum-associated environments and hydrocarbon biodegradation metabolic pathways;
  • Genetics of hydrocarbon biodegradation;
  • Bioprospecting the uncultivated biodiversity through functional metagenomics, with emphasis on bioremediation;
  • Microbial interactions and the genetic mechanisms responsible for microbial survival in extreme environments.

SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION

PROFESSIONAL RESUME

CONTACT

Email: vmaia@cpqba.unicamp.br

Phone: (+55)19-2139-2874