Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, block 9i, room 916

University of São Paulo (USP)

Ph.D. São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil

Ph.D. (sandwich) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France

Post-doc Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Post-doc University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

marcelodasilva@iq.usp.br

The leading interest of our laboratory is to understand the main aspects related to DNA metabolism in trypanosomatids etiological agents of neglected tropical diseases, i.e., Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp., and Trypanosoma brucei. The DNA metabolism in these organisms is unique in many ways (presence of a divergent pre-replication complex, presence of base J, absence of the canonical DNA repair pathway non-homologous end joining – cNHEJ), and we are trying to better understand these peculiarities through in silico, in vitro, and in vivo molecular approaches. We have focused on (i) kinases involved in inositol pyrophosphates synthesis, (ii) inositol pyrophosphates targets (iii) the role of pyrophosphorylation during the cell cycle and DNA repair pathways, (iv) DNA replication origins usage. We are also interested in the evolution and biodiversity of Euglenozoa group, as well as parasitism emergence within kinetoplastids. Moreover, we are also interested in developing potential effective drugs to combat leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.