Rodrigo Volcan Almeida’s Group

The ‘Protein Expression and Metabolic Engineering’ (EPEM, in Portuguese) is part of the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Proteins (LaMMP), which is part of the Institute of Chemistry, from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil.

The group, coordinated by Professor Rodrigo Volcan de Almeida, began in 2007, with research focused on the thermophilic esterase of Pyrococcus furiosus. As the years passed, Professor’s line of research increased, and the group got consolidated.

Today, the group works with various lipases and esterases of industrial interest, as well as other biotechnological products of interest, such as biosurfactants, 1,3 propanediol and others enzymes as the asparaginase. Also that, the group also works at the area of education, epistemology and Technological Forecasting.

Collaborate with the group, researches from FIOCRUZ, PRETROBRAS, UNB, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, among others.

At the free hours, the group produces its own beer, that include a American Pale Ale that received second place in LEMA2017 Brewery contest. All the Beers receives name of woman scientists, that influenced the area, as the researchers Barbara McClintock and Alexandra Elbakyan.11