Parceria: Bruno Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira (Sandwich PhD student): PhD student, Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Prof. Dr. Alan D. W. Dobson (Co-supervisor during Sandwich PhD): Full Professor, School of Microbiology/Environment Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Prof. Dr. Marinella Silva Laport (PhD supervisor): Associate Professor, Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
PROJECT TITLE: Genomic characterization of bacteria associated with the marine sponge Plakina cyanorosea: insights into the symbiotic lifestyle and the production of potential biocatalysts.

Destaques: The sponge microbiome has been already confirmed as a paramount source of industrially-relevant biocatalysts. In our project, we endeavoured in the genomic exploitation for potential enzymes in cultivable bacteria isolated from marine sponges, recently discovered in the Brazilian Southeast coast. A bacterial strain belonging to the Pseudoalteromonas genus was unveiled as a prolific source of marine polysaccharide(MP)-degrading enzymes, such as agarases, alginate lyases and carrageenan-sulfatases. These MP-catabolic enzymes have a myriad of applications in industry, including biorefinery, preparation of nutraceuticals and bioactive molecules. Therefore, futures studies by our research group in collaboration with the group led by Prof. Dr. Alan Dobson will be committed to the isolation, purification and biochemical characterization of these MP-degrading enzymes using this sponge-derived Pseudoalteromonas as a model. Our main aim is to apply these MP-degrading enzymes in two main fronts: biofuel production from macroalgae-derived biomass and as potential antimicrobial/antibiofilm agents. In a wider scenario, we are pioneering the research on this group of marine biocatalysts in Brazil and hope that a long-term partnership with our Irish collaborators will be fruitful in terms of scientific output and novel intellectual properties.

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