CCMAR Seminars: “Uncultivable” microorganisms as source of new antimicrobial compounds
CCMAR SEMINARS
20th September 2017, at 1:30 pm
Amph. -1.8 (bdg 8)
“Uncultivable” microorganisms as source of new antimicrobial compounds
Fortunato Palma Esposito
(National Research Council (CNR) of Naples, Italy)
Abstract
In an era characterized by the alarming spread of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria and by the lack of new antibiotics subjected to the clinical trials, is clear and urgent the need of identifying new bioactive compounds. Marine environment represent an enormous source of new strains, which, in response to extreme environmental conditions and in billion years of evolution, have developed enormous quantity of different compounds, especially secondary metabolites with unique biological activities. Nowadays, the bioprospecting of novel marine natural products is the purpose of many biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries, but there is the need to fill the gap caused by the microbial uncultivability. If we will be able to have access to the real microbial biodiversity discovering new strains, we will increase the possibilities to isolate previously unknown secondary metabolites.
Short CV
Current position
- PhD STUDENT in BIOTECHNOLOGY at CNR (Naples, Italy | Nov 2014 - Nov 2017)
Experiences abroad
- BIOTECHNOLOGIST at GEOMAR-Biotech (Kiel, Germany | Nov 2015 - Feb 2016)
Winner of the German scholarship "DAAD": I performed the purification and identification of antibacterial compounds isolated from Antarctic bacteria
- MaCuMBA Summer School: Isolation & Cultivation of Marine Microorganisms (Texel, The Netherlands | July 2015)
I learned the most innovative techniques for the isolation and cultivation of marine bacteria and fungi trained by the most expert European researchers
- VISITING PhD STUDENT at MicroDish BV (Utrecht, NLD | May 2015)
In this company I learned how to use novel devices for the isolation of microorganisms
Education and training
- MASTER'S DEGREE in INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY (University of Naples Federico II | Mar 2011 – Dec 2013)
Thesis title: “Bioprospecting of new lipases from polluted marine environments”
In this project I isolated lipases from marine microorganisms for biotechnological purposes
- BACHELOR'S DEGREE in MOLECULAR and INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY (University of Naples Federico II | Sep 2007 – Mar 2011)
Thesis title: “Interaction essays between p63 protein and the oncogene YB-1”
I worked with eukariotic cells applying classic techniques of cellular biology
Embric Project (TNA 1st call)
