Bianca Rizo

Experience

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  UFRJ - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

  Mar 2011 - Sept 2012

  Research Assistant

  Lipase B from Candida Antarctica (CalB) is one of the most important biocatalysts used in industrial processes, particularly in the pharmaceutical and biodiesel segments. However, the use of this protein in large-scale industry remains a problem due to the high cost. CalB primary sequence was used as a model to research new lipases in the database. The aim of the project was to study the structural and biochemical characteristics of new hypothetical microbial lipases in order to develop more active and stable biocatalysts from a biotechnological point of view. Worked on a team composed by 4 Undergraduate Students, 1 M.Sc. Student and 1 Professor; Assisted the team in developing researches on areas like molecular biology, protein expression and purification, enzyme characterization; Developed technical protocols; Performed essential activities of data collection and review as well as conclusion of scientific records. Show less

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  Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

  Feb 2013 - Aug 2013

  Research Assistant

  Research project developed at the Institute of Mechanical Process Engineering and Mechanics from Karlsruher Institute of Technology with the aim of investigating the synthesis of bio-based pressure-sensitive adhesives and their characterization in terms of mechanical properties relevant to processing and application. The synthesis of monomers is based on various fatty acids derived from vegetable oils as renewable feedstock. Assisted a PhD student in developing research on new polymeric bio-adhesives; Project: Unique adhesive properties of pressure sensitive adhesives from plant oils; Performed synthesis of monomers and their polymerization in bulk or mini emulsions; Responsible for sample preparation of synthesized polymers for analysis; Provided complete characterization of the resulting polymers using rheological and mechanical investigation methods. Show less

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  Petrobras Distribuidora S.A

  Feb 2015 - Feb 2016

  Engineering Intern Student

  Responsible for monitoring and facilitating deployment of new technologies related to fuels and lubricants; Participated in team meetings on a regular basis; Followed up lubricant sales monthly; Reviewed technical reports; Developed informative talks regarding fuels and lubricants; Helped to review monthly budget for quality control department.

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  UFRJ - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

  Feb 2016 - May 2019

  The interaction between vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and their receptors (VEGFR) is bound to physiological and pathological angiogenesis processes. Anti-cancer therapies aim at neutralizing interactions between VEGFs and their receptors, however, it has been challenging to avoid resistance to existing drugs as well as the design of more effective inhibitory molecules. Previous studies have identified a peptide capable of avoiding tumor vascularization in VEGFRs presence, suggesting a common binding site. Thus, this work had the purpose to study the binding region structure of VEGFRs and its interaction with this peptide in order to facilitate further development of antitumour therapies.Bacterial transformation;Plasmid extraction and purification;Protein expression, purification and refolding;Protein sample analysis (SDS-PAGE, UV-Vis, etc);Protein dynamics and structural studies (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance);Analysis of scientific data;Design and planning of experiments with specific objective;Optimization and scale-up of experiments;Participated and presented research data in national and international Biochemistry and Structural Biology Conferences and Meetings; Assistance and supervision of undergraduate students on practical laboratory activities; Awarded with a FAPERJ Scholarship: Master's scholarship due to academic excellence. Show less Due to their high versatility, lipases are utilized as biocatalysts in various industrial processes. However, the use of enzymes as biocatalysts is still limited due to high costs and particular reaction conditions. The application of enzymes from microorganisms originated from extreme conditions of temperature, pH and/or pressure in bioprocesses is a real possibility, since these lipases are resistant to most conditions required in bioprocesses. In this context, I was in charge of a research project which aimed to evaluate the biochemical characteristics of a thermostable lipase and compare it with mutant enzymes in order to reach an optimized biocatalyst for the biofuels segment. This research produced data for developing my Final Project thesis.Use of Bioinformatics tools; Bacterial transformation; Plasmids extraction and purification; Recombinant proteins expression and purification; Protein sample analysis (SDS-PAGE, UV-Vis, etc); Enzymatic kinetics assays; Structural studies (Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Circular Dichroism); Evaluation of scientific data; Experiment optimization and scaling-up. Show less

  • Graduate Research Fellow

    Jan 2017 - May 2019

  • Undergraduate Research Fellow

    Feb 2016 - Dec 2016
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  PROTEROS biostructures GmbH

  Feb 2023 - now

  Research Associate - Protein Science