Renata Angeli

Backbone dynamics of the antifungal Psd1 pea defensin and its correlation with membrane interaction by NMR spectroscopy.

Plant defensins are cysteine-rich cationic peptides, components of the innate immune system. The antifungal sensitivity of certain exemplars was correlated to the level of complex glycosphingolipids in the membrane of fungi strains. Psd1 is a 46 amino acid residue defensin isolated from pea seeds which exhibit antifungal activity. Its structure is characterized by the so-called cysteine-stabilized alpha/beta motif linked by three loops as determined by two-dimensional NMR. In the present work we explored the measurement of heteronuclear Nuclear Overhauser Effects, R1 and R2 (15)N relaxation ratios, and chemical shift to probe the backbone dynamics of Psd1 and its interaction with membrane mimetic systems with phosphatidylcholine (PC) or dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) with glucosylceramide (CMH) isolated from Fusarium solani. The calculated R2 values predicted a slow motion around the highly conserved among Gly12 residue and also in the region of the Turn3 His36-Trp38. The results showed that Psd1 interacts with vesicles of PC or PC:CMH in slightly different forms. The interaction was monitored by chemical shift perturbation and relaxation properties. Using this approach we could map the loops as the binding site of Psd1 with the membrane. The major binding epitope showed conformation exchange properties in the mus-ms timescale supporting the conformation selection as the binding mechanism. Moreover, the peptide corresponding to part of Loop1 (pepLoop1: Gly12 to Ser19) is also able to interact with DPC micelles acquiring a stable structure and in the presence of DPC:CMH the peptide changes to an extended conformation, exhibiting NOE mainly with the carbohydrate and ceramide parts of CMH.

Are Lipases Still Important Biocatalysts? A Study of Scientific Publications and Patents for Technological Forecasting.

The great potential of lipases is known since 1930 when the work of J. B. S. Haldane was published. After eighty-five years of studies and developments, are lipases still important biocatalysts? For answering this question the present work investigated the technological development of four important industrial sectors where lipases are applied: production of detergent formulations; organic synthesis, focusing on kinetic resolution, production of biodiesel, and production of food and feed products. The analysis was made based on research publications and patent applications, working as scientific and technological indicators, respectively. Their evolution, interaction, the major players of each sector and the main subject matters disclosed in patent documents were discussed. Applying the concept of technology life cycle, S-curves were built by plotting cumulative patent data over time to monitor the attractiveness of each technology for investment. The results lead to a conclusion that the use of lipases as biocatalysts is still a relevant topic for the industrial sector, but developments are still needed for lipase biocatalysis to reach its full potential, which are expected to be achieved within the third, and present, wave of biocatalysis.

Ferromagnetic levan composite: an affinity matrix to purify lectin.

A simple and inexpensive procedure used magnetite and levan to synthesize a composite recovered by a magnetic field. Lectins from Canavalia ensiformis (Con A) and Cratylia mollis (Cramoll 1 and Cramoll 1, 4) did bind specifically to composite. The magnetic property of derivative favored washing out contaminating proteins and recovery of pure lectins with glucose elution. Cramoll 1 was purified by this affinity binding procedure in two steps instead of a previous three-step protocol with ammonium sulfate fractionation, affinity chromatography on Sephadex G-75, and ion exchange chromatography through a CM-cellulose column.

MONITORAMENTO DE TECNOLOGIAS DO CAFÉ: UM PANORÂMA PARA O MELHORAMENTO GENÉTICO

No ano de 2012 o cafe representou ao Brasil 2,0% do valor total de exportacoes. Este resultado positivo tem sido reflexo de um esforco acumulativo ao longo dos anos da comunidade cientifica em aperfeicoar atraves de tecnicas de melhoramento genetico tal planta sendo o principal alvo o combate ao stress abiotico em consonância as alteracoes climaticas. Assim sendo, sequencias do DNA da coffea arabica vem sendo mapeadas para producao de cafeeiros resistentes ao estresse abiotico sendo o gene CAHB12 um dos mais recentemente pesquisados e ineditamente esclarecidos para o melhoramento deste ao estresse hidrico e salino. Atraves da ferramenta de busca de patentes Derwent Innovations Index desenvolveu-se uma estrategia de mapeamento de tecnologias similares a exploracao do gene CAHB12 da coffea arabica. Observou-se a nao existencia desta tecnologia em tal especie, porem identificaram-se outras sequencias para o mesmo proposito. O principal pais depositante de patentes sobre melhoramento genetico do cafe e os EUA e a maior empresa depositante a BASF. Mapearam-se tambem os principais grupos de pesquisa em melhoramento genetico do cafe no Brasil.

PRÁTICAS DE GESTÃO DA AGÊNCIA UFRJ DE INOVAÇÃO: DESENVOLVIMENTO DE FERRAMENTA DE SUPORTE À ANÁLISE DA PROPRIEDADE INTELECTUAL E INOVAÇÃO TECNOLÓGICA

Para estruturar o processo de analise de invencoes recebidas pela Agencia foi proposta a criacao de uma ferramenta de avaliacao. Esta consiste em uma analise inicial das invencoes e se baseia em criterios como: Aspectos Legais incluindo Propriedade Intelectual; Alinhamento a Politica de Desenvolvimento Produtivo; Maturidade Tecnologica e Potencial de Mercado e gera tres possiveis resultados: nao abertura de caso; abertura do caso para avaliar desenvolvimento da invencao e abertura de caso com registro de propriedade intelectual. Palavras-chave: ferramenta de avaliacao; transferencia de tecnologia; inovacao.