I was a science nerd kid who loved spending time with science books and encyclopedias. I would collect animals and was not uncommon to have a jar with spiders in my room. While getting my Biology bachelor's degree in Brazil I became fascinated by the world of microorganisms. It felt like there was a whole new universe inside a hand full of dirt, a piece of rotting wood, or even inside ourselves. Because of my passion, during my career path, I worked in many areas of microbiology, food microbiology, environmental microbiology, plant microbiology, and bacterial physiology. For example, I did a microbial analysis of açaí juice, researched bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria, the antimicrobial effect of plant oils, and the bacterial community involved in the pine wilt disease. My most recent accomplishment was acquiring a scholarship from the Japanese government to complete my Ph.D. at Hokkaido University. There, I researched the bacterial community of the Japanese traditional indigo fermentation and the role of additives to shorten the reduction of indigo. We were able to shorten the time of indigo reduction from weeks to days in some fermentation. Overall, It was hard to work during the pandemic but I was able to finish my research in the scheduled time. This challenge honed my organization and time management skills. The multicultural environment was critical to expand my horizons, communication, and teamwork ability.The novelty of changing areas, the challenge of learning new techniques, and the contact with different countries and cultures helped me keep moving forward, which is very stimulating. Besides microbiology, I enjoy manual work such as sewing, crocheting, and drawing. I am always on the lookout for new things to learn.
