Marcos Buckeridge

University of São Paulo | USP · Department of Botany

Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) is an intermediate of trehalose biosynthesis that plays an essential role in plant metabolism and development. Here, we comprehensively analyzed sequences from enzymes of trehalose metabolism in sugarcane, one of the main crops used for bioenergy production. We identified protein domains, phylogeny, and in silico express...

Duckweeds are the smallest flowering plants on Earth. They grow fast on water’s surface and produce large amounts of biomass. Further, duckweeds display high adaptability, and species are found around the globe growing under different environmental conditions. In this work, we report the composition of 21 ecotypes of fourteen species of duckweeds b...

Xyloglucan is ubiquitous in the cell walls of land plants and is also an essential storage polymer in seeds of many species. We studied the hydrolysis of the non-reducing end xylosyl residue of xyloglucan oligosaccharides (XGOs) by the Escherichia coli α-xylosidase (YicI). Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) and ion fragmen...

The development of new lignocellulosic enzyme cocktails to digest raw material for the successful production of biofuels still represents great economic and scientific challenges. The aim of this study was the characterization of an aerobic consortium derived from the gut of the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea (NaLC) under morphological, chemical, bioc...

Duckweeds are fast-growing aquatic plants suitable for bioenergy due to fermentable-rich biomass with low lignin and unique cell wall. The plant cell wall is built from pathways of nucleotide sugar genes that culminate in cell wall synthesis and deposition. Therefore, understanding these pathways by mapping the genes involved and their expression w...

Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) is an intermediate of trehalose biosynthesis that plays an essential role in plant metabolism and development. Here, we comprehensively analyzed sequences from enzymes of trehalose metabolism in sugarcane, one of the main crops used for bioenergy production. We identified protein domains, phylogeny, and in silico express...

Duckweeds are the smallest flowering plants on Earth. They grow fast on water's surface and produce large amounts of biomass. Further, duckweeds display high adaptability, and species are found around the globe growing under different environmental conditions. In this work, we report the composition of 21 ecotypes of fourteen species of duckweeds b...

PURPOSE: The global energy matrix is primarily based on fossil fuels and alternatives for the production of renewable energy are necessary. The second-generation ethanol (2G ethanol) is such alternative. 2G ethanol is produced through the fermentation of sugar released from the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. However, this process...

Duckweeds are the smallest free-floating aquatic monocots. They have a unique cell wall containing pectin polymers named apiogalacturonan and xylogalacturonan. Knowing that the cell wall composition is essential for duckweeds as a bioenergy feedstock, notably ethanol production, this work reports the five duckweed species’ (Spirodela polyrhiza, Lan...

Key message Street trees are vulnerable to extreme climate conditions such as precipitation, wind gust and high temperatures. But trees may also fail in the cities as a result of poor stewardship. Urban trees are renowned for improving the livability in the cities through their ecosystem services. Long-lasting services, however, are only possible i...

Embryogenesis is a complex developmental process dependent on the intercommunication of coordinated signals. Among these signals, carbohydrate metabolism seems to be central, modulating responses according to the spatio-temporal environmental variations. Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule that is extensively involved in various growth processes; howev...

Tropical forests uptake more atmospheric CO 2 and transpire more water than any other forest in the world and are critical components of the global carbon and hydrological cycles. Both cycles depend to a great extent on the carbon and water balance of individual trees. Such adjustments are usually evaluated through well-established and newly-emergi...

Duckweeds are fast-growing aquatic plants suitable for bioenergy due to fermentable-rich biomass with low lignin. The duckweed sub-families Lemnoideae and Wolffioideae are also distinguished by the distribution of two pectin classes (apiogalacturonan and xylogalacturonan), which seem to be related to their growing capacity and the starch content. T...

RESUMO Dadas a complexidade da governança da água na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP) e a iminência de efeitos cada vez mais fortes das mudanças climáticas, o texto analisa como essas podem agravar ainda mais a situação de escassez crônica de água, seja pelo excesso de chuvas com os consequentes alagamentos e enchentes, seja com severos per...

β-Glucosidases are a limiting factor in the conversion of cellulose to glucose for the subsequent ethanol production. Here, β-glucosidase production by Malbranchea pulchella was optimized using Composite Central Designs and Response Surface Methodologies from a medium designed. The coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.9960, F-value was very high...

Elevated CO2 (E[CO2]) improves the biomass and yield when combined with water-stress in C4 plants. Although several studies described the molecular response of the C4 plant Sorghum bicolor during drought exposure, none reported its combinatorial effect with E[CO2] in the roots. We decided to perform a molecular analysis using green prop roots, the...

The lignocellulosic biomass comprises three main components: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Degradation and conversion of these three components are attractive to biotechnology. This study aimed to prospect fungal lignocellulolytic enzymes with potential industrial applications, produced through a temporal analysis using Hymenaea courbaril a...

Senna reticulata is an Amazonian tree that quickly accumulates high biomass. It grows widely in the north of Brazil occupying degraded regions and is popularly known as “matapasto” (pasture-killer) due to its aggressive colonization strategy. When its aerial parts are harvested, S. reticulata recolonizes the pasture quickly recovering biomass produ...

Lignocellulosic biomasses are promising sources for the obtaining of clean energy through their bioconversion into ethanol. Their saccharification involves a multi-enzymatic system. Here, we evaluated the hydrolysis of a mixture of sugarcane bagasse varieties (SCB), Energy cane fiber (EC), and sugarcane bagasse from the SP80-3280 variety, all in na...

Economic interest in sugarcane bagasse has significantly increased in recent years due to the worldwide demand for sustainable energy production. The use of sugarcane bagasse for holocellulase production has been a strategy for bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues into second-generation ethanol. The fungi secrete to the culture medium a cockta...

Aerosols emitted from biomass burning in South American tropical forests have been a concern in the last decades. On August 19th, 2019 darkened precipitation was observed over the metropolitan area of São Paulo (MASP), in an unprecedented event termed “black rain”, after intense biomass burning episodes in the South American hinterland. Satellite i...

The pandemic dissemination of the SARS-CoV-2 led, on the one hand, to a worldwide effort to develop mechanistic-based therapeutics and vaccines, and on the other hand, the searching for determining the spreaders and the mechanisms of transmission. Melatonin, a multitask molecule, orchestrates defense responses by allowing the proper mounting, durat...

Meta-analysis synthesizes individual research results on the same subject and provides information that indicates bottlenecks in research. Due to the massive production of data, integrative analyzes are necessary, presenting more consistent views of biological phenomena. Broad themes such as plants’ response to climate change have been the subject...

Plant lignocellulosic biomass, mostly composed of polysaccharide-rich secondary cell walls (SCWs), provides fermentable sugars that may be used to produce biofuels and biomaterials. However, the complex chemical composition and physical structure of SCWs hinder efficient processing of plant biomass. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying...

Duckweeds are the smallest free-floating flowering aquatic plants. Their biotechnological applications include their use as food, bioenergy, and environmental sustainability, as they can help clean polluted water. The high growth capacity and their chemical properties make them suitable for human health applications. Here we evaluated the ethanolic...

Forests are the largest terrestrial biomass pool, with over half of this biomass stored in the highly productive tropical lowland forests. The future evolution of forest biomass depends critically on the response of tree longevity and growth rates to future climate. We present an analysis of the variation in tree longevity and growth rate using tre...

The plant cell wall is the most abundant carbon reservoir in nature and is a renewable source of biofuels. To break down this biomass and convert it into fermentable sugars, a set of multiple enzymes is needed. Here, we characterize the enzymatic repertoire necessary for the degradation of sugarcane bagasse “in natura” and pre-treated using Aspergi...

Apresentamos neste guia um conjunto de propostas contendo itens de agenda que possam contribuir para as campanhas dos candidatos aos cargos municipais de vereadores/as e prefeitos/as das cidades brasileiras. Este documento tem três objetivos principais. O primeiro é fornecer parâmetros que possam balizar a decisão de candidatos a cargos de vereador...

Apresentamos neste guia um conjunto de propostas contendo itens de agenda que possam contribuir para as campanhas dos candidatos aos cargos municipais de vereadores/as e prefeitos/as das cidades brasileiras. Este documento tem três objetivos principais. O primeiro é fornecer parâmetros que possam balizar a decisão de candidatos a cargos de vereador...

Pesquisadores criaram um guia prático para partidos e candidatos pautarem seus planos de governo pela ciência. Ele conta com 193 itens sobre as principais necessidades das cidades brasileiras e foi desenvolvido pelo Centro de Síntese- Cidades Globais e pelo Instituto de Estudos Avançados da Universidade de São Paulo (USP), com base nos objetivos do...

RESUMO A pandemia da Covid-19 revelou virtudes e deficiências da cidade de São Paulo no enfrentamento de um dos mais fortes eventos extremos do século XXI. Por um lado, a robustez da ciência paulista ajudou a enfrentar a pandemia, aconselhando sobre as questões de saúde no front da doença. Por outro, as deficiências nas políticas públicas do passad...

RESUMO No primeiro semestre de 2020 a cidade de São Paulo foi assolada pela pandemia da Covid-19. Como uma Cidade Global, São Paulo acabou se tornando o epicentro da pandemia no Brasil. Sendo uma metrópole com alto nível de desigualdade, São Paulo acabou salientando as vulnerabilidades a ela relacionadas. Neste trabalho, aplicamos a ferramenta sist...

Em plena pandemia causada pelo COVID-19, um ciclone extratropical intitulado "Ciclone-Bomba" atingiu o Sul do Brasil no última dia 30 de junho de 2020, ocasionando pelo menos dez mortes e grande rastro de destruição ao longo da costa, impactando uma das 18 regiões metropolitanas que estão localizadas na zona costeira brasileira ou são diretamente i...

The disease caused by SARS-CoV2, covid-19, rapidly spreads worldwide, causing the greatest threat to global public health in the last 100 years. This scenario has become catastrophic as there are no approved vaccines to prevent the disease, and the main measures to contain the virus transmission are confinement and social distancing. One priority s...

The use of non-potable water (such as seawater) is an attractive alternative for water intensive processes such as biomass pretreatment and saccharification steps in the production of biochemicals and biofuels. Identification and application of halotolerant enzymes compatible with high-salt conditions may reduce the energy needed for non-potable wa...

The impacts of climate change on precipitation and the growing demand for water have increased the water risks worldwide. Water scarcity is one of the main challenges of the 21st century, and the assessment of water risks is only possible from spatially distributed records of historical climate and levels of water reservoirs. One potential method t...

This work investigates the thermal degradation of leaves from the Amazon Rainforest litter, which is currently unknown. It formulates innovative thermal degradation equations useful for numerical simulation of wildfires in this biome. Furthermore, this work quantifies for the first time structural and non-structural components of litter leaves, whi...

β-glucosidases catalyze the hydrolysis β-1,4, β-1,3 and β-1,6 glucosidic linkages from non-reducing end of short chain oligosaccharides, alkyl and aryl β-D-glucosides and disaccharides. They catalyze the rate-limiting reaction in the conversion of cellobiose to glucose in the saccharification of cellulose for second-generation ethanol production, a...

Although air pollution decreased in some cities that shifted from an industrial-to a service-based economy, and vehicular emission regulation became more restrictive, it is still a major risk factor for mortality worldwide. In central São Paulo, Brazil, air quality monitoring stations and tree-ring analyses revealed a decreasing trend in the concen...

Setaria viridis, a C 4 monocot, was proposed as a model plant for studies on the response to stress conditions. Water-deficit ranks among the top three most devastating stresses and its importance will likely increase in the scenario of climate change. The aim of this work was to evaluate physiological and molecular water-deficit responses of S. vi...

Key messageUrban trees are passively subject to and actively mitigate urban environmental pressures. Suitable selection of tree species and appropriate management can make cities useful habitats for trees.AbstractThe urban environment is stressful not only because of pollution but also due to heat and drought, creating arid conditions. Trees are pa...

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable feedstock, rich in polysaccharides that are covalently linked with lignin. In this study, biomass composition of nine forage grasses revealed the role of lignin in biomass recalcitrance. We determined the profiles of cell wall-bound phenolics, lignin, monosaccharides, enzymatic saccharification, and...

Small RNAs comprise three families of noncoding regulatory RNAs that control gene expression by blocking mRNA translation or leading to mRNA cleavage. Such post‐transcriptional negative regulation is relevant for both plant development and environmental adaptations. An important biotechnological application of miRNA identification is the discovery...

The evolution of the pandemic of COVID-19 globally has generated one of the most significant historical events of the 21st Century, with unpredictable consequences to the economy, environment, and world health. Here I compiled data available in databases to examine the levels of infections of 56 countries displaying over 5,000 confirmed cases and c...

Historicamente, a expansão das cidades resultou na substituição da paisagem natural pela urbana, tendo como consequência a degradação ambiental por meio das mudanças na cobertura do solo, nos sistemas hidrológicos, nos ciclos biogeoquímicos, no clima e na biodiversidade, tornando as cidades especialmente vulneráveis às mu- danças climáticas. A reve...

From the discussion on the finiteness of resources, which is the basis cities to function, and on climate change, the concept of sustainability emerges as a way to debate the importance of preserving natural resources for this and future generations, according to the Brundtland Report. In addition to the perspective of sustainability, the availabil...

Elaborado com base na análise de dados oficiais, documentos internacionais, textos legislativos e extensa revisão bibliográfica, este artigo apresenta algumas reflexões sobre temas relevantes à implementação, pelas cidades brasileiras, dos Objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável, fixados pela Agenda 2030 para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Organ...

Statistical evidence pointing to the very soft change in the ionic composition on the surface of the sugar cane bagasse is crucial to improve yields of sugars by hydrolytic saccharification. Removal of Li+ by pretreatments exposing -OH sites was the most important factor related to the increase of saccharification yields using enzyme cocktails. Ste...

Biomass delignification is a crucial condition for the effective production of fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic materials. Here, an effective method was used to pretreat lignocellulosic materials using hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC) solution. The pretreatment of maize straw, sugarcane bagasse and eucalyptus bark with HPAC removed 45 to...

The study of interactions among biological components can be carried out by using methods grounded on network theory. Most of these methods focus on the comparison of two biological networks (e.g., control vs. disease). However, biological systems often present more than two biological states (e.g., tumor grades). To compare two or more networks si...

Background and aims: Cell wall disassembly occurs naturally in plants by the action of several glycosyl-hydrolases during different developmental processes such as lysigenous and constitutive aerenchyma formation in sugarcane roots. Wall degradation has been reported in aerenchyma development in different species, but little is known about the act...

β-glucosidases (BGLs) hydrolyze short-chain cellulooligosaccharides. Some BGLs can hydrolyze anthocyanins and be applied in the clarification process of food industries, especially grape juice and wine. Enzyme immobilization is a valuable tool to increase enzyme stabilization. In this work, Malbranchea pulchella BGL was immobilized on Monoaminoethy...

Background: Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) opened a new horizon for biomass deconstruction. They use a redox mechanism not yet fully understood and the range of substrates initially envisaged to be the crystalline polysaccharides is steadily expanding to non-crystalline ones. Results: The enzyme KpLPMO10A from the actinomycete Kitas...

The development of lysigenous aerenchyma starts with cell expansion and degradation of pectin from the middle lamella, leading to cell wall modification, and culminating with cell separation. Here we report that nutritional starvation of sugarcane induced gene expression along sections of the first 5 cm of the root and between treatments. We select...