He holds a degree in Pharmacy-Biochemistry from the Federal University of Ouro Preto (2008). From 2009 to the present, she has worked as a Full Laboratory Specialist at the Hermes Pardini S / A Institute. Has relevant experience in microbiological diagnoses by manual and automated methodologies (VITEK II and Vitek MS). Responsible for automated outpatient and inpatient examinations performed by Mass Spectrometry.
EDUCATION
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Global Health Infectious Disease
Epidemiology
Epidemiological Analysis
Tuberculosis Infectious
Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Infectious Diseases
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Infectious Disease Transmission
Tropical Diseases
Drug Resistance
Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Clonal clusters of multidrug-resistant Brazilian Corynebacterium striatum strains reveal putative virulence traits Janaíne Aparecida de Paula, Max Roberto Batista de Araújo, Eduarda Guimarães Sousa, Fernanda Diniz Prates, Diogo Luiz de Carvalho Castro, et al. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2026 Corynebacterium striatum has been increasingly associated with nosocomial outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance. Objectives This study presents the comparative analysis of 26 multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. striatum strains isolated in Brazil. Methods Additional genomes from international sources were incorporated. The analyses encompassed in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing and an in silico workflow for genomic similarity comparison, phylogenetic reconstruction, genomic clustering, pangenome analysis, mobilome content, virulence prediction, and functional annotation of unique proteins and putative virulence clusters. Results Strong in silico evidence of clonality among several Brazilian isolates was obtained at the same time that some strains consistently indicated a divergent genomic profile. There are 196 unique coding sequences (CDSs) across the Brazilian IHPs. Of particular interest, strain IHP2030 carried an exclusive fimbria, sharing less than 50% similarity with other fimbriae in the dataset. Yet, structural predictions suggested conservation of key structural domains typically associated with fimbrial proteins. Mobilome content analysis revealed that IHPs strains were overall similar, differing primarily in the number of insertion sequences and in the presence or absence of CRISPR-Cas defense systems. Regarding virulence, an exclusive cluster in IHP2050 and IHP2060 suggests adaptive advantages associated with their respective environments of isolation. Conclusion This study reveals a complex genomic landscape among Brazilian MDR C. striatum strains, marked by clonal dissemination alongside strain-level genetic variation in accessory genomes, mobilome composition, and virulence-associated gene repertoires, providing genomic evidence of diversification within hospital-associated lineages.
Quinolone Resistance and Zoonotic Potential of Corynebacterium ulcerans from Domestic Animals in Brazil Fernanda Diniz Prates, Max Roberto Batista Araújo, Jailan da Silva Sousa, Lincoln de Oliveira Sant’Anna, Tayná do Carmo Sant’Anna Cardoso, et al. Antibiotics, 2025 Background: Corynebacterium ulcerans is an emerging zoonotic pathogen capable of cau-sing diphtheria-like infections in humans. Objectives: we report, for the first time in Brazil, the detection and phenotypic/genomic characterization of three atoxigenic ST-339 strains isolated from domestic animals, including one with a ciprofloxacin resistance profile linked to double GyrA mutations (S89L, D93G). Methods: species identification was performed by MALDI-TOF MS, followed by in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses to predict virulence determinants, antimicrobial resistance genes, CRISPR–Cas systems, mobile genetic elements, and in silico structural analysis as well as phylogenetic reconstruction. Results: whole-genome sequencing confirmed species identity, revealed high genetic similarity, and identified distinct phylogenetic subclades, suggesting potential international dissemination. Genomic analyses showed conserved virulence determinants, such as incomplete pilus clusters, iron acquisition systems, and the pld gene, with the absence of the tox gene. Molecular modeling and dynamics simulations indicated that GyrA mutations disrupt critical ciprofloxacin–magnesium–water interactions, reducing binding stability. Mobile genetic elements, prophages, and CRISPR–Cas systems underscored the genomic plasticity of these isolates. Conclusions: these findings document a little-studied antimicrobial resistance mechanism in zoonotic C. ulcerans, highlighting the need for strengthened surveillance and further research on virulence and resistance, even in ato-xigenic strains.
The research on the identification, taxonomy, and comparative genomics analysis of nine Bacillus velezensis strains significantly contributes to microbiology, genetics, bioinformatics, and biotechnology Eduarda Guimarães Sousa, Gabriela Munis Campos, Marcus Vinícius Canário Viana, Gabriel Camargos Gomes, Diego Lucas Neres Rodrigues, et al. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2025 IntroductionNext-generation sequencing (NGS) has played a pivotal role in the advancement of taxonomics, allowing for the accurate identification, differentiation, and reclassification of several bacteria species. Bacillus velezensis is a Gram-positive, facultatively aerobic, spore-forming bacterium known for its antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Strains of this species are highly relevant in agriculture, biotechnology, the food industry, and biomedicine.MethodsIn this study, we characterized the genomes of nine Bacillus strains isolated from soil in the state of Bahia (Brazil) using NGS with Illumina platform. Identification was performed by Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) analyses, which revealed a match between the genomic information of the isolates and B. velezensis NRRL B-41580, with a variation of 89.3% to 91.8% by dDDH in TYGS and 95% to 98.04% by ANI in GTDBtk.Results and discussionTwo strains, BAC144 and BAC1273, exhibited high similarity to B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42. However, the latter strain was subsequently reclassified as B. velezensis. The division pattern observed during identification was confirmed in the phylogenomic analysis, where BAC144 and BAC1273 clustered with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum, while the other strains clustered with B. velezensis NRRL B-41580, forming a clade with high genetic similarity, with a bootstrap value of 100%. Furthermore, a synteny analysis demonstrated greater conservation among the strains from this study compared to the reference strain, with the formation of distinct collinear groups. The pangenome analysis revealed an open pangenome, highlighting the genetic diversity within the species. Based on this analysis, a functional annotation was performed to compare exclusive gene repertoires across groups, uncovering distinct adaptations and functional profiles. The identification of bacterial strains belonging to this species is of great importance due to their high applicability. The strains identified in this study underscore the need for more robust taxonomic technologies to accurately classify prokaryotes, which are subject to constant evolutionary changes, requiring the reclassification of several species within the genus Bacillus, many of which are heterotypic synonyms of B. velezensis like Bacillus oryzicola, B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum and Bacillus methylotrophicus.
Virulence and mutations analysis based on the whole genome of a Brazilian Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain isolated from a cutaneous infection Max Roberto Batista Araújo, Louisy Sanches dos Santos, Fernanda Diniz Prates, Hugo Felix Perini, Jailan Sousa Silva, et al. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2025 Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the main etiological agent of diphtheria, a potentially fatal disease whose most severe signs and symptoms result from the action of an exotoxin, the diphtheria toxin (DT). Although non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae strains have been associated with several diseases, including cutaneous infections and endocarditis, they are not monitored in many countries, and their mechanisms of virulence and antimicrobial resistance remain underexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive characterization -through genomic, in vitro, and in vivo analyses - of a non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae strain (46855) isolated from a leg lesion, highlighting its pathogenic potential and resistance profile. The isolate was assigned to a novel sequence type (ST-925) and was found to be resistant to tetracycline and rifampin. Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes were predicted in the genome, such as tet(33), rbpA, and rpoB2, in addition to mutations in the rpoB gene. A diverse set of virulence-associated genes related to adhesion, iron uptake systems, gene regulation, and post-translational modification was also identified. The isolate was able to form biofilm in vitro and exhibited strong virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae and A549 human pneumocyte cells. Finally, the structural analysis of the rpoB gene, carried out for the first time in this study, linked the observed mutations to rifampin resistance in C. diphtheriae. In summary, the data revealed that C. diphtheriae 46855, although non-toxigenic, harbors multiple genes associated with antimicrobial resistance and virulence, emphasizing the need for greater surveillance and functional studies on non-toxigenic strains.
Comparative genomics and molecular characterization of a multidrug-resistant Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum isolated for the first time from the human … MRB Araújo, LS Dos Santos, MVC Viana, EG Sousa, FD Prates, HF Perini, ... Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 57 (1), 49 , 2026 2026
Current status of vaccine development for five curable bacterial STIs CR Gomes, T Gomes, AFM de Oliveira, B Mirabal, JA de Paula, ... Academia Drug Development and Pharmacotherapy 2 (2) , 2026 2026
Clonal clusters of multidrug-resistant Brazilian Corynebacterium striatum strains reveal putative virulence traits JA de Paula, MRB de Araújo, EG Sousa, FD Prates, DLC Castro, ... Journal of Applied Microbiology 137 (4), lxag070 , 2026 2026
Desvendando a resistência em Corynebacterium striatum: uma investigação multidisciplinar do genoma ao desenho de inibidores DL de Carvalho Castro, GA Alfredovich, LF Lana, MRB Araújo, ... BIOINFO# 06: Revista Brasileira de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional, 56 , 2026 2026
Explorando a patogenicidade e resistência de Corynebacterium aurimucosum por abordagens genômicas LF Lana, DL de Carvalho, GAA Castro, MRB Araújo, RA Ribeiro, ... BIOINFO# 06: Revista Brasileira de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional, 45 , 2026 2026
Novel insights into the newly described Corynebacterium hesseae : first molecular and genomic characterization of a multidrug-resistant strain from blood culture MRB Araújo, LF Lana, HF Perini, MVC Viana, AG Felice, ... Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 1-14 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Virulence and mutations analysis based on the whole genome of a Brazilian Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain isolated from a cutaneous infection MRB Araújo, LS Santos, FD Prates, HF Perini, JS Silva, JN Ramos, ... Frontiers in Microbiology 16, 1579154 , 2025 2025
EFICÁCIA DA TERAPIA FOTODINÂMICA ANTIMICROBIANA NO TRATAMENTO DA MUCOSITE ORAL GRAU 4 PÓS-TRANSPLANTE DE CÉLULAS-TRONCO HEMATOPOÉTICAS: RELATO DE CASO G Vieira, AJ Da Luz, JH Noranha, MR de Araújo Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy 47, 105333 , 2025 2025
Quinolone Resistance and Zoonotic Potential of Corynebacterium ulcerans from Domestic Animals in Brazil FD Prates, MRB Araújo, J da Silva Sousa, L de Oliveira Sant’Anna, ... Antibiotics 14 (8), 843 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Systemic Infection Caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum Following Aortic Valve Transplantation—Employing Combined Molecular Techniques for Accurate Species … MRB de Araújo, DM da Silveira e Santos, J da Silva Sousa, GF do Prado, ... Current Microbiology 82 (8), 335 , 2025 2025
Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Corynebacterium ulcerans Strains Isolated from Domestic Animals in Brazil and Structural Implications of Mutations Conferring … FD Prates, MRB Araújo, JS Silva, ACC Silva, BS Andrade, LS dos Santos 2025
The research on the identification, taxonomy, and comparative genomics analysis of nine Bacillus velezensis strains significantly contributes to microbiology … EG Sousa, GM Campos, MVC Viana, GC Gomes, DLN Rodrigues, ... Frontiers in Microbiology 16, 1544934 , 2025 2025 Citations: 12
The research on the MR Chowdhury, W Akram, R Lin, X Cao, EG Sousa, V Azevedo, ... 2025
Article Not peer-reviewed version FD Prates, MRB Araújo, JS Silva, L de Oliveira Sant'Anna, TCSA Cardoso, ... 2025
Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of the first Latin America isolates of Corynebacterium rouxii, a recently described member of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae complex … L de Oliveira Sant’Anna, LS Dos Santos, JN Ramos, S Bokermann, ... Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 55 (4), 3269-3277 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Genomic analysis of two penicillin-and rifampin-resistant Corynebacterium rouxii strains isolated from cutaneous infections in dogs MRB Araújo, FD Prates, MVC Viana, LS Santos, AL Mattos-Guaraldi, ... Research in Veterinary Science 179, 105396 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
First comparative genomics analysis of Corynebacterium auriscanis ALO Vinhal, MRB de Araújo, EB Rodrigues, DLC Castro, CR Pereira, ... Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 119, e240156 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Infection by a multidrug-resistant Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain: prediction of virulence factors, CRISPR-Cas system analysis, and structural implications of … MRB Araújo, FD Prates, JN Ramos, EG Sousa, S Bokermann, CT Sacchi, ... Functional & Integrative Genomics 24 (5), 145 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
First Pangenome of Corynebacterium rouxii, a Potentially Toxigenic Species of Corynebacterium diphtheriae Complex FD Prates, MRB Araújo, EG Sousa, JN Ramos, MVC Viana, SC Soares, ... Bacteria 3 (2), 99-117 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
O tipo de cimento, biocerâmico ou à base de resina epóxi, interfere na remoção de material obturador?: uma revisão sistemática MR Araujo, MD Cassal, M Santos, JS Duarte, LG Freire Brazilian Oral Research 38 , 2024 2024
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Cutaneous infection by non-diphtheria-toxin producing and penicillin-resistant Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain in a patient with diabetes mellitus MR Batista Araújo, MÂ Bernardes Sousa, LF Seabra, LA Caldeira, ... Access Microbiology 3 (11), 000284 , 2021 2021 Citations: 18
Monitoring fluoroquinolone resistance among ESBL-positive and ESBL-negative Escherichia coli strains isolated from urinary tract infections: An alert for empirical … MRB Araújo, LO Sant’Anna, NNC Santos, LF Seabra, LS Santos Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 56, e0513-2022 , 2023 2023 Citations: 16
C orynebacterium guaraldiae sp. nov.: a new species of Corynebacterium from human infections L de Oliveira Sant’Anna, LS Dos Santos, MRB Araújo, DJPG da Rocha, ... Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 54 (2), 779-790 , 2023 2023 Citations: 15
The research on the identification, taxonomy, and comparative genomics analysis of nine Bacillus velezensis strains significantly contributes to microbiology … EG Sousa, GM Campos, MVC Viana, GC Gomes, DLN Rodrigues, ... Frontiers in Microbiology 16, 1544934 , 2025 2025 Citations: 12
Phenotypic and molecular characterization and complete genome sequence of a Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain isolated from cutaneous infection in an … MRB Araújo, JN Ramos, L de Oliveira Sant’Anna, S Bokermann, ... Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 54 (3), 1325-1334 , 2023 2023 Citations: 11
First Pangenome of Corynebacterium rouxii, a Potentially Toxigenic Species of Corynebacterium diphtheriae Complex FD Prates, MRB Araújo, EG Sousa, JN Ramos, MVC Viana, SC Soares, ... Bacteria 3 (2), 99-117 , 2024 2024 Citations: 8
Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the first Corynebacterium rouxii strains isolated in Brazil: a recent member of Corynebacterium diphtheriae complex JN Ramos, MRB Araújo, PVP Baio, LO Sant’Anna, JFC Veras, ÉMD Vieira, ... BMC Genomic Data 24 (1), 65 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
Infection by a multidrug-resistant Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain: prediction of virulence factors, CRISPR-Cas system analysis, and structural implications of … MRB Araújo, FD Prates, JN Ramos, EG Sousa, S Bokermann, CT Sacchi, ... Functional & Integrative Genomics 24 (5), 145 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Molecular characterization and whole-genome sequencing of Corynebacterium diphtheriae causing skin lesion JN Ramos, MRB Araújo, LO Sant’Anna, S Bokermann, CH Camargo, ... European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 43 (1), 203-208 , 2024 2024 Citations: 6
Virulence potential of the first Corynebacterium mycetoides strain isolated from human urine: a rare species of Corynebacterium L de Oliveira Sant’Anna, EA Cappelli, MRB Araújo, JN Ramos, ... Microbes and Infection 24 (8), 105001 , 2022 2022 Citations: 6
Use of MALDI-TOF MS in diagnostic microbiology for identification of species that conventional methods usually fail to identify MRB de Araújo, LF Lana, LF Seabra Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , 2019 2019 Citations: 5
Genomic analysis of two penicillin-and rifampin-resistant Corynebacterium rouxii strains isolated from cutaneous infections in dogs MRB Araújo, FD Prates, MVC Viana, LS Santos, AL Mattos-Guaraldi, ... Research in Veterinary Science 179, 105396 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Identification of Cryptococcus neoformans by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in blood culture LFS Max Roberto Batista Araújo, Elaine Gomes de Morais Santos, Vanessa Wolf https://seer.ufrgs.br/hcpa/article/view/78285/pdf 38 (02), 200-202 , 2018 2018 Citations: 4
Prosthetic joint infection caused by an imipenem-resistant Mycobacterium senegalense LS Dos Santos, L de Oliveira Sant’Anna, R Theodoro, NNC Dos Santos, ... Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 54 (2), 929-934 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3
Klebsiella granulomatis infection in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection MRB Araújo, LO Sant’Anna, LS Santos Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 54, e0436-2020 , 2021 2021 Citations: 3
Relação entre condições de trabalho e saúde do enfermeiro emergencista S SOARES, MRS Gomes, M ARAUJO DE ENFERMAGEM E ATENÇÃO À SAÚDE Учредители: Universidade Federal do … , 2018 2018 Citations: 3
First comparative genomics analysis of Corynebacterium auriscanis ALO Vinhal, MRB de Araújo, EB Rodrigues, DLC Castro, CR Pereira, ... Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 119, e240156 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Oral presentation of histoplasmosis in non-HIV immunocompromised patient after cardiac transplant: First Brazilian case report MRB Araújo, LS Santos, LO Sant’Anna Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 56, e0499-2022 , 2023 2023 Citations: 2
Identification of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strain from a young Brazilian patient: the relevance of automated microbiological methods for the rapid diagnosis of … MR Batista-Araújo, L Ferreira-Seabra, L Oliveira-Sant’Anna, ... Microbes, Infection and Chemotherapy 2, e1295-e1295 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
Aureobasidium melanogenum isolation from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: A novel … LO Sant’Anna, LS Santos, MRB Araújo Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 54, e0293-2021 , 2021 2021 Citations: 2
