Graduated and licensed in Agronomic Engineering from the University of São Paulo (1971), with a master's degree (1974) in Sciences (Nuclear Energy in Agriculture) and a PhD (1978) in Agronomy (Soils and Plant Nutrition) from USP, specialization in Microbiology from the Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO-Canberra, Australia (1975), postdoctoral fellow in microbial ecology and in genetic studies of biological nitrogen fixation in common bean, at the University of California - Davis (1989-1992). Prof. Associate Professor in Plant Biotechnology (1997) and Prof. Holder of USP in 2006, develops research at the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology (CENA-USP). She was Director of CENA from 2014 to 2018, Deputy Director from 2018 to 2022 and Deputy Mayor of the USP Campus - Luiz de Queiroz from 2018 to 2023. PPG-Ciências from CENA/USP (both graded 7 by CAPESP). She supervised undergraduate students (125), postgraduate-51 Masters (3 in progress) and 50 Doctors (8 in progress), 17 Post-Doctors and 4 Young Researchers. Her research is based on microbiology and, especially, soil microbiology, the common thread that has guided his research throughout his career, leading to greater scientific successes in the area of sustainable agriculture through the management of agroecosystems with the use of bioinputs. Coordinated several projects (25) with international cooperation (US National Academy of Science BOSTID and National Science Foundation-FAPESP BIOTA, NWO-Netherland Scientific Organization) and with Brazilian collaborators from universities, research institutes and private companies, focusing mainly on environmental studies , conservation of biodiversity and sustainable agricultural production, in addition to the development of technologies to certify the safety of agricultural products for export purposes. Elected full member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences in May 2008 and of the World Academy of Sciences in November 2018, she has been a CNPq 1A researcher since 2004. She is the author/co-author of 256 articles in national and international journals, 2 books, 26 book chapters, is on the list of the most influential scientists in the world in Agricultural Sciences (2021, 2023), with h=55 (Web of Sciences), h=55 (Google Scholar), h=57 (ResearchGate), Scopus (47 ). She was a member of the Management Committee of the Agribusiness Sectoral Fund as the representative of the academic-scientific sector of the MCTI-DF (2012-2014, 204-2015), Member of CA- Agricultural Sciences (2009-2012, 2013-2014). Recipient of the Scientific and Technological Merit Medal by the Government of the State of São Paulo, USP Merit (2000), Scopus-Elsevier Latino Award (2008), Agricultural Engineer of the Year Award by the Association of Eng. Agronomists of the State of São Paulo (2017), 2050 Challenge Award by FAO - Agriculture and Food for a Sustainable Future (2018), Medal "Friend of the Navy" for participation in GT7-Brazilian Nuclear Program (GSI-DF in 2018), Indication "100 Most Powerful Women in Agribusiness" by Forbes Magazine (2021) with Trophy by the Secretary of Agriculture of the State of São Paulo (2021), Capes Thesis Award - Agricultural Sciences for student supervision (2014), Capes-Vale Award (2015) , USP Outstanding Thesis Award (Environmental Sustainability) (2022). Her career is strongly based on microbiology and molecular aspects of plant-microorganism interactions, with a focus on biodiversity conservation, soil quality and sustainable agricultural production. Research areas: Agronomy, with emphasis on microbiology and molecular microbial ecology, plant-microorganism interaction, management of sustainable agro-ecosystems with the adoption of bioinputs. Studies with common bean focus on the determination of tolerance to water stress in elite genotypes in association with microsymbionts. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)
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Brazil is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of food, feed, fiber and (bio)fuel. Estimates indicated that the country would need to increase food production in 40% to meet global demands by 2050. Meanwhile, tropical agricultural systems have to be important allies to sequester carbon (C) and reduce greenhouse gases emission, and consequently, contribute to mitigating clima…
The current proposal aims to target sustainable agriculture in the Amazon biome by evaluating agroforestry systems (AFS) models by connecting soil health with fruit quality. These AFS will be compared to other systems that adopt less conservationist agricultural practices. More specifically, it aims to deeply understand the microbial diversity of Amazonian soils as well as their chemical,…
Physical, chemical and biological processes maintain constant interaction between plant and soil. The effects of these processes are named plant-soil feedbacks and are little known in the the Amazon soils, being critical for restoring plant biodiversity and the properties of ecosystems. The objective of this work is to evaluate plant-soil feedbacks in the forest and in agricultural system…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
CENA / USP, Specialized Institute and Integration Organ of the University of São Paulo, currently has a body of 34 teachers hired in RDIDP, of which 8 are Professors (23.5%), 15 Associate Professors (44.1%) and 11 Professors Doctors (32.4%). Although CENA is classified as a Specialized Institute, the teaching activities (Undergraduate - ESALQ / USP courses and two CAPES Level 7 Postgradua…
The Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA) is one of the most important institutes of the University of São Paulo with excellence in teaching Graduate Studies and Research. Thus, it is of considerable relevance to prioritize improvement projects in the infrastructure of the institution. So, continuing this initiative, it was decided the CD/CENA (12/05/2016) that the resources of …
As described in the Annual Plan for Technical Reserve Application for Institutional Research Support 2015, CENA´s research development is remarkable in several aspect (publications, capacity on attracting funding agencies resources, projects involving post doc, etc.) and so we can expand these actions and always seeking for innovation and pioneering spirit. Therefore, we consider highly i…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
The food crisis caused by global climate changes generates opportunities for the development of innovative biotechnological practices, expanding the food production capacity. Plants, microorganisms and soil have a delicate physicochemical and biological network of interactions that contributes to the success of agricultural initiatives. These relationships have been studied in depth throu…
Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is one of Brazil's major environmental problems, with approximately 20% of its area already having been deforested. This can affect the role of the forest in the carbon cycle, leading to the release of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO), and altering its potential as a sink. Additionally, future temperature increases in the Amazon Basin…
The removal of primary forest leads to the loss of the topsoil and a decrease in the level of nutrients available to the plants, in addition to increasing the risk of clearings caused by falling trees. Forest recovery can take up to 175 years, depending on previous land use and management. This project proposes to study the rhizosphere microbiota of tree species used in the recovery of de…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
In forests, trees are responsible for defining the interactions that occur above and below ground. Through litter deposition, they provide the greatest source of organic matter on the soil, which supports communities of organisms capable of decomposing and returning organic and mineral components to the ecosystem. Highly degraded, the Atlantic Forest is the second largest tropical rainfo…
With the growing demand for more sustainable agriculture, efficient use of pastures becomes necessary. However, according to the diagnosis of pastures in Brazil, carried out by Embrapa in 2014, about 100 million hectares of pastures in the country are at some level of degradation. Phosphorus is one of the most limiting nutrients in tropical soils, therefore, plants and microorganisms play…
Methane is one of the main greenhouse gases, and its cycle is dependent on the action of microorganisms in several of its stages, which are the only natural sources and drains in relation to soils. Methanogenic archaea typically produce this gas, while methanotrophic bacteria consume it, using it as an energy source. Thus, understanding how methane fluxes and methanotrophic bacteria respo…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
The study of biodiversity offers a wealth of biotechnological solutions for improving biological processes. The diversity of microorganisms in different environments can provide valuable molecules and organisms that can lead to the development of processes and practices. The Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs), highly fertile soil formations in the Amazon basin enriched by pre-Columbian populati…
Wetlands are home to a great biodiversity, but these areas are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and comprises about 600 soda lakes, extreme environments that provide a unique habitat for haloalkaliphilic microorganisms. Limited data are available about the microbial diversity of these lakes, especially information regarding to …
Preliminary results from the ongoing FAPESP funded Ph.D. project 2018/14974-0 indicated that Amazonian floodplain and forest soils have distinct methane (CH4) emission and sequestration potential in response to flooding conditions. In addition, we observed an increase in the abundance of methanogens in response to warmer conditions. Given the great importance of floodplains soils in the c…
The Amazon basin constitutes 40% of the world's rainforest, participating in global climate regulation and atmospheric gases fluxes including methane (CH4). However, more than 15% of the Amazonian forest has been converted to agricultural use, of which 80% is pastures. The Amazon soils are also important sinks of atmospheric CH4, but the forest-to-pasture conversions turn then in net emis…
(Only some records are available in English at this moment)
| 4 / 4 | Ongoing research grants |
| 21 / 14 | Completed research grants |
| 4 / 4 | Ongoing scholarships in Brazil |
| 75 / 37 | Completed scholarships in Brazil |
| 1 / 1 | Ongoing scholarships abroad |
| 14 / 14 | Completed scholarships abroad |
| 120 / 75 | All research grants and scholarships |
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CV Lattes
ORCID