Prof. Igor Cesarino (Principal Investigator)
B.Sc. in Biology (2003-2007) from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP, Brazil). M.Sc. (2007-2009) and PhD (2009-2012) in Plant Biology from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP, Brazil). Post-doctoral fellow at VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology (Belgium, 2012-2014).
Professor at the Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo (Brazil), working on Lignin Metabolism and Engineering of Secondary Cell Walls.
Phone: +55 11 3091 7486
Email: icesarino@usp.br
Google Scholar
CV Lattes
Leandro Francisco de Oliveira (Postdoctoral fellow)
B.Sc. in Biology (2006-2008) from Fundação Municipal de Ensino Superior de Bragança Paulista. M.Sc. (2009-2011) in Plant Biology from Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR, Brazil). PhD (2013-2017) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Identification and validation of post-transcriptional regulatory modules involved in lignin metabolism in grasses
Email: lfdeoliveira@usp.br;
Alison Andrei Schmatz (Postdoctoral fellow)
B.Sc. in Biology (2009-2012) from State University of the Central West (UNICENTRO). M.Sc. (2013-2015) in Bioenergy from State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG, Brazil). PhD (2016-2020) in Microbiology from the State University of São Paulo (UNESP, Brazil).
Project: Sugarcane as green biofactories: metabolic engineering of high-value aromatic compounds
Email: alison.schmatz@usp.br;
Fernanda de Oliveira Menezes (Postdoctoral fellow)
B.Sc. in Biology (2011-2015) from Centro Universitário Fundação Santo André. M.Sc. (2017-2019) in Plant Biodiversity from Instituto de Botânica. PhD (2019-2025) in Biotechnosciences from the ABC Federal University (UFABC, Brazil).
Project: Functional characterization of SvWRKY34 and SvWRKY74 in the model grass Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv.: analysis of lignin regulation mechanisms
Email: ;
Leydson Gabriel Alves de Lima (PhD student)
B.Sc. in Biology (2017-2021) from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil). PhD student (2022-today) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Going deep into the phenylpropanoid metabolism in C4 grasses using Setaria viridis as model species
Email: leydsongabrielalvess@usp.br;
Arthur de Barros Rates (PhD student)
M.Sc. in Plant Biology (2020-2022) from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brazil). PhD student (2022-today) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Functional characterization of SvUGTs potentially involved in tricin glycosylation in Setaria viridis
Phone: +55 11 3091 8062
Email: arthur.rates@ib.usp.br;
Gabriel Garon Carvalho (PhD student)
B.Sc. in Biology (2012-2019) from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil). M.Sc. (2020-2023) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil). PhD student (2023-today) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Functional characterization of ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE2B (ALDH2B) sunfamily in the model grass Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv.: implication in the metabolism of aromatic compounds.
Email: gabriel.garon.carvalho@usp.br;
Lucas Xavier Cunha (PhD Student)
B.Sc. in Biology (2019-2024) from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil). PhD student (2024-today) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Functional Characterization of Flavone Synthase Enzymes Involved in Tricin Biosynthesis in the Model Grass Setaria viridis [(L.) P.Beauv.].
Email: lcunha.xavier@usp.br;
Bianca Meeihua Sung (PhD. Student)
B.Sc. in Biology (2012-2020) from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil). M.Sc. (2021-2025) in Biotechnology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil). PhD student (2025-today) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Functional characterization of SvPRN1 and SvPRN2 genes in the grass model Setaria viridis and their implication in the regulation of lignin deposition
Email: bianca.sung@usp.br;
Arthur Netto Escudeiro (M.Sc. Student)
B.Sc. in Biotechnology (2020-2024) from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil). M.Sc. (2025-today) in Plant Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Phenotypic of transgenic lines of Setaria viridis silenced for laccases potentially involved in the lignification process
Email: arthurescudeiro07@usp.br; CV Lattes
Alice Cristine Cursino (M.Sc. Student)
B.Sc. in Biology (2019-2023) from the University of Taubaté (Brazil). M.Sc. (2024-today) in Plamt Biology from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Overproduction of rosmarinic acid in transgenic sugarcane lines
Email: alicecursino@usp.br;
Hugo Ramalho de Souza (B.Sc. Student)
B.Sc. in Biology (2021-today) from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Characterization of the polyamine biosynthetic pathway and its link with lignification in Setaria viridis
Email: hugorsouza@usp.br
Erika Patrícia Aires Oliveira (B.Sc. Student)
B.Sc. in Biology (2021-today) from the University of São Paulo (USP, Brazil).
Project: Validation of transcription factors potentially involved in the regulation of lignin and tricin metabolism in Setaria viridis
Email: erikaaireso@usp.br
Past members
Postdoctoral fellows
Sávio de Siqueira Ferreira (2017 – 2019)
Predoctoral fellows (including PhD, M. Sc. and B. Sc.)
André Vicioli de Almeida Pina (2016 – 2017)
Larissa Rocha de Carvalho (2021 – 2022)
Raphael Mendes de Almeida Svartman (2018 – 2023)
Marcella Siqueira Simões (2015 – 2024)
Giovanni Victorio Cerruti (2019-2025)
Gabriel Fontanella Pileggi (2023-2025)