(GEBIOMET Team) - New members in a research group, either students or researchers, always add new visions and additional knowledge to the evolution of science in their respective fields of knowledge. In this context, the Biometeorology Study Group has new members since August 2020. These are the students Karen Dal Magro Frigeri and Matheus Luquirini Penteado dos Santos . Karen is a Master's student at the UTFPR Animal Science Postgraduate Program - Dois Vizinhos Campus (PPGZO-UTFPR). Matheus is a graduate student of the Bioprocess and Biotechnology Engineering Course of the same institution.

Matheus Luquirini

When asked about the motivation to be part of GEBIOMET, Matheus elucidated that "in 2019, I did my Course Conclusion Work I which related the effects of thermal stress on the immune system of dairy cows. As I read about it, I realized that these two areas are closely related". According to Luquirini, exposure to heat stress weakens (and compromises) the animals' immune system, making them more susceptible to contracting diseases. Thus, "I noticed a linear relationship between the immune defence and the climatic parameters from where the animals are confined. However, according to the literature, this relationship is little explored and, when explored, it is focused on dairy cattle. Thus, I found in GEBIOMET an opportunity to explore the effects of heat stress on the immune system of sheep in the silvopastoral system".

His work deal with the influence of the thermal environment of the silvopastoral system on the physiological, immunological and reproductive variables of sheep. This research will be through a scientific initiation (PIBIC - Araucaria Foundation), also linked to the student's master's thesis Júlia Morgana Vieira Dada , also from PPGZO-UTFPR, under the advice of Profa. Flávia Regina Oliveira de Barros .

Karen Frigeri.


It was with these goals that student Karen Frigeri began researching post-graduate programs in Zootechny, focused on the area of dairy cattle farming. According to Frigeri, "among my researches, I came across a report "UTFPR is among the best young universities in the world", and since then, I started following the institution in my social networks and looking for more about the Zootechny graduate program of UTFPR".

The master's degree student will research the area of Compost Barn, evaluating aspects of environment, behaviour and thermoregulatory variables of dairy cows submitted to this system. The student will also have the co-supervision of the GEBIOMET faculty members, the Prof. Flávio Alves Damasceno (UFLA) and the Prof. Matteo Barbari (Università Degli Studi di Firenzi - Italy), the latter as part of the internationalisation process of GEBIOMET in research and post-graduation.

The GEBIOMET Welcome

The arrival of a student is very important, both for the student and the group. The concern of the reception has always been a constant at GEBIOMET. Matheus said: "I feel that when I joined GEBIOMET, I found a welcoming and hardworking group that was willing to help me and solve my doubts. Under the guidance of Prof. Dr Frederico Vieira, the group seems to be very engaged with learning and science". Luquirini pointed out that, even with the small experience in the group, he could notice that there is a very pleasant and receptive atmosphere, which alleviated the anxiety and made him more comfortable.

THE GEBIOMET

Since 2013, the Biometeorology Study Group has focused on the training of highly qualified human resources for challenges related to the environment, welfare and biometeorology allied to animal production. The GEBIOMET has already had 37 students of different professions, from undergraduate (supervised internships, monitoring, course completion work and scientific initiation), to master's degree students, some of them already in their doctorates in other institutions, continuing the training and performance in this area of knowledge of the group.

Currently, GEBIOMET has five graduate students, two undergraduate, and seven associate researchers, from UTFPR, from different parts of Paraná, Brazil and the world.

Join us and be part of this team!