About Us
Our laboratory integrates genomics, metagenomics, and bioinformatics to understand adaptive processes leading to the emergence of new habits in insect vectors and investigate how the associations between hosts and microorganisms may affect evolutionary processes and functionally contribute to the occupation of new niches. Many of these interactions play a crucial role in the maintenance of urban and natural ecosystems and impact human and animal health. Currently, our lines of research address the genomics and evolution of parasitic and necrophagous flies, the microbiomes of synanthropic insect vectors, and environmental metagenomics.
To learn more about our research, click here.
Meet Our Team
Ana Carolina M. Junqueira
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics (Institute of Biology) at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). My research is driven by a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on the genomics and metagenomics of insect vectors and parasites, with an emphasis on the evolution of dipterans and their adaptation to different feeding habits. I am also interested in the interaction of microorganisms with their hosts and environments, which were crucial to shaping the world as we know it today. I employ metagenomics to map the DNA profile of different areas in urban settings to characterize the air and surface microbiomes of cities. This environmental sequencing approach also allows us to uncover emergent pathogens with antimicrobial resistance in densely populated areas and to find the parameters that explain patterns in the ecosystems of a changing world.
Students
Daniel Torraca
I am an undergraduate student in Biological Sciences at UFRJ, interested in the evolution of microorganisms. I am currently working on collecting environmental samples in urban areas and developing tests for detecting SARSCov2 in different urban environments, such as primary healthcare centers, parks, beaches, shopping centers, and public transportation systems.
Rodrigo Duque
I am an undergraduate student in Pharmaceutical Sciences at UFRJ interested in Organic Chemistry, primarily in organic structures and interactions. I am also curious about the fundamentals of Microbiology and its application in healthcare. Currently, I am involved in optimizing protocols for molecular biology, metadata organization, and sampling surfaces across urban environments to study Rio’s microbiome and generate a molecular profile of microbes circulating in the city.
José Mateus dos Santos
I am an undergraduate student in Biological Sciences at UFRJ. My greatest interests in biology have been the study of microorganisms and environmental science. I am currently involved in the collection and DNA extraction of low-biomass samples for the urban microbiome project in Rio de Janeiro and in the surveillance of etiologic agents.
Collaboration
Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii at Manoa, US.
State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil.
Russo Lab
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil.
Laboratorio de Entomologia
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil.
Past team members
Carolina Soares Esperidião
Clara de Paulo Lima
Daniel Serwy Braz
Eduardo C. S. Q. Nascimento
João Felipe Moreira Salgado
Luisa Pessoa Fant
Luiza Gomes de Oliveira