Natalia S Araujo

Bioinformatics and Evolution

Follow @Nat2bee

souza.nataliaa@gmail.com

Research Interest

My broad research interest is to use bioinformatic and molecular biology to answer exciting evolutionary questions. In this sense, I’ve been open to work with multiple organims (mostly social insects) and research topics. That being said, understanding how complex life traits evolve in bees is my scientific inspiration.

Currently, in my Postdoc project at University of Brussels, I have a FNRS research fellowship to study queen determination in Melipona bees (Genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic determination of queens in Melipona bees). In this project, I am revisiting Dr. Kerr's hypothesis of a two loci genetic determination system in Melipona bees through the use of OMIC data. In parallel, I’m involved in the following studies:

[start 2019] Ant adaptation to Hot and Arid Areas - Unity of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (ULB)

[start 2019] Beyond kin selection: molecular mechanisms keeping multiple queens in a bee colony - LGEA (USP)

[start 2018] Genes involved in the evolution of parasitic behaviour in bees - LGEA (USP)

Advising

June 2024 – Current | Masters co-supervisor in Evolution Biologique et Ecologie Alizée Chalus – University of Brussels (Faculté des sciences), Belgium

February 2024 – August 2024 | Internship co-supervisor Audry Deschuyteneer – HEH de Mons

August 2021 – Current | PhD co-supervisor Felipe Cordeiro Dias – University of São Paulo | Thesis: “From the parasitic interactions in bees: OMICs of chemosensory genes”

February 2023 – May 2023 | Internship co-supervisor Camille Vande Walle – HEH de Mons

October 2022 – September 2023 | Masters co-supervisor in Bioinformatics Lucas Maggetto – University of Brussels (IB2), Belgium

October 2022 – September 2023 | Masters co-supervisor in Bioinformatics Zoë De Corte – University of Brussels (IB2), Belgium

August 2018 – July 2023 | PhD co-supervisor Paulo Cseri Ricardo – University of São Paulo | Thesis: “Expression of genes related to parasitic behaviour in bees”

August 2015 – February 2018 | Undergraduate research mentor Larissa Logullo Piconi – University of São Paulo

Awards and Honors

(2024) Presentation Awards for Women Scientists (PAWS) - International Congress of Entomology (ICE)

(2021) European Commission – Seal of Excellence to the project proposal MPOLBEE submitted under the Horizon 2020’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions call H2020-MSCA-IF-2020 of 9 September 2020 (Score of 94%)

(2016) 2nd Place in the Graduate Student Poster Competition, Session: Genetics and Evolutionary Entomology - International Congress of Entomology (ICE)

(2016) Honourable Mention in the Francisco Mauro Salzano Graduate Student Award in the area of Evolution - Brazilian Congress of Genetics

(2014) 3rd Place for Best Graduate Student Poster - International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI)

(2011) Honourable Mention in the Graduate Student Oral Award in the area of Genetics, Evolution and Animal Breeding - Brazilian Congress of Genetics

(2009) 2nd Place for Scientific Merit - Instituto Biológico

Publications

(2024) FERRARI RR; RICARDO PC; DIAS FC; ARAUJO NS; SOARES DO; ZHU Q; ZHU C, COUTINHO LL, ARIAS MC; BATISTA TM. The nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies of Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae: Meliponini), a tiny yet remarkable pollinator in the Neotropics. BMC Genomics

(2024) RICARDO PC; ARIAS MC; ARAUJO NS. Decoding bee cleptoparasitism through comparative transcriptomics of Coelioxoides waltheriae and its host Tetrapedia diversipes. Scientific Reports

(2024) ARAUJO NS; OGIHARA F; MARTINS PM; ARIAS MC. Insights from Melipona bicolor hybrid genome assembly: a stingless bee genome with chromosome-level scaffold. BMC Genomics

(2023) RENARD T; MARTINET B; ARAUJO NS; ARON S. DNA methylation extends lifespan in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. Proceedings of the Royal Society B

(2023) ARAUJO NS; PEREZ R; WILLOT Q; DEFRANCE M; ARON S. Facing lethal temperatures: Heat‐shock response in desert and temperate ants. Ecology and Evolution

(2023) FRANÇOSO E; ZUNTINI AR; RICARDO PC, ARAUJO NS; SILVA JPN; BROWN MJF; ARIAS MC. The complete mitochondrial genome of Trigonisca nataliae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) assemblage reveals heteroplasmy in the control region. Gene

(2023) FRANÇOSO E; ZUNTINI AR; RICARDO PC, SANTOS PKF; ARAUJO NS; SILVA JPN; GONÇALVES LT; BRITO R; GLOAG R; TAYLOR BA; HARPUR BA; OLDROYD BP; BROWN MJF; ARIAS MC. Rapid evolution, rearrangements and whole mitogenome duplication in the Australian stingless bees Tetragonula (Hymenoptera: Apidae): A steppingstone towards understanding mitochondrial function and evolution. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

(2023) ARAUJO, NS; HELLEMANS S; ROISIN Y; FOURNIER D. Transcriptomic profiling of castes and of sexually and parthenogenetically produced reproductive females in the termite Cavitermes tuberosus. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata

(2022) DARRAS, H*; ARAUJO, NS*; BAUDRY, L; GUIGLIELMONI, N; LORITE, P; MARBOUTY, M; RODRIGUEZ, F; ARKHIPOVA, I; KOSZUL, R; FLOT, J-F; ARON, S. Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of two lineages of the ant Cataglyphis hispanica: stepping stones towards genomic studies of hybridogenesis and thermal adaptation in desert ants. Peer Community Journal[Pre-print version]

(2021) PEREZ, R*; ARAUJO, NS*; DE FRANCE, M; ARON, S. Molecular adaptations to heat stress in the thermophilic ant genus Cataglyphis. Molecular Ecology [Pre-print version]

(2021) ARAUJO, NS; ARIAS, MC. Gene expression and epigenetics reveal species-specific mechanisms acting upon common molecular pathways in the evolution of task division in bees. Scientific Reports [Pre-print version]

(2020) FRANÇOSO, E*; ARAUJO, NS*; RICARDO, PC; SANTOS, PKF; ZUNTINI, AR; ARIAS, MC. Evolutionary perspectives on bee mtDNA from mito-OMICS analyses of a solitary species. Apidologie

(2019) ARAUJO, NS and ARIAS, MC. Mitochondrial genome characterization of Melipona bicolor: Insights from the control region and gene expression data. Gene

(2018) SANTOS, PKF; ARAUJO, NS; FRANÇOSO, E; ZUNTINI, AR; ARIAS, MC. Diapause in a tropical oil-collecting bee: molecular basis unveiled by RNA-Seq. BMC Genomics

(2018) ARAUJO, NS; SANTOS, PKF; ARIAS, MC. RNA-Seq reveals that mitochondrial genes and long non-coding RNAs may play important roles in the bivoltine generations of the non-social Neotropical bee Tetrapedia diversipes. Apidologie

(2017) ARAUJO, NS. Expression of genes involved in the social behaviour of bees with different levels of eusociality. [theses]. São Paulo: University of São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências

(2016) ARAUJO, NS; ZUNTINI, AR; ARIAS, MC. Getting Useful Information from RNA-Seq Contaminants: A Case of Study in the Oil-Collecting Bee Tetrapedia diversipes Transcriptome. OMICS: Journal of Integrative Biology

(2016) ARIAS, MC; et al. Microsatellite records for volume 8, issue 1. Conservation Genetics Resources (Print)

(2015) ARAUJO, NS; BORGES, JCS. Rodlet cells changes in Oreochromis niloticus in response to organophosphate pesticide and their relevance as stress biomarker in teleost fishes. International Journal of Aquatic Biology

(2012) ARAUJO, NS. Analyses of the Anastrepha fraterculus complex (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Brazil based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequences.[dissertation]. São Paulo: University of São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências

Poster Panel

CSHL (2021)

SMRT Leiden (2019)

ESA (2018)

ICE (2016)

ESA (2015)