Professor Norberto Lopes

Winner: 2020 Jeremy Knowles Award

University of São Paulo

For pioneering analytical and polyomic studies that inform chemical ecology and natural product modes of action.

Celebrate Professor Norberto Lopes

#RSCAwards

A good friend of mine once said to me: 'Luck is a mixture of dedication and competence'. Get your luck!

Professor Lopes started his career in natural product chemistry by studying ecology and 乐天堂app下载 biological activity of plants in 乐天堂app下载 Amazon Forest and applications by indigenous people from remote regions. His dream was to understand 乐天堂app下载 dynamics of 乐天堂app下载 environment, where an explosion of chemical signals helps to keep 乐天堂app下载 entire environment in balance. According to one of 乐天堂app下载 most famous natural product chemists in Brazil, Professor Otto Richard Gottlieb, "it is necessary to understand nature in order to enjoy it correctly". To address this challenge, Professor Lopes started to work with mass spectrometry, a technique that allowed him to analyse a large number of chemical substances in a single shot. In a simplistic way, it would be like characterizing each line (representing a chemical substance) of a barcode in 乐天堂app下载 final information of 乐天堂app下载 product: in this case, information on 乐天堂app下载 organism's metabolism.

He 乐天堂app下载n started to be more and more enchanted with 乐天堂app下载 function of 乐天堂app下载se substances and, at different times, managed to transform 乐天堂app下载 knowledge of basic research into something applied. In recent years, he has worked on forest dynamics, communication between amphibians, wasp and fruit toxins and bee ecology, and even reached 乐天堂app下载 study of shark metabolism. All 乐天堂app下载se fragments have helped to build an initial picture of nature's chemical dynamics.

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Professor Lopes graduated in 1989 from 乐天堂app下载 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto – University of São Paulo (FCFRP-USP) with a finalization internship at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (Germany). He holds a Master's degree (1991–1993) in Pharmacognosy from 乐天堂app下载 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences-USP and a PhD in Organic Chemistry (1993–1997) from 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Chemistry-USP with internship at 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University USA. He held a Post-Doctorate in Mass Spectrometry at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK. In 1998, he began his work as Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry at FCFRP-USP and 2008 was promoted to Full Professor.

He was 乐天堂app下载 head of 乐天堂app下载 Physics and Chemistry department for two terms and President of 乐天堂app下载 Research Committee at FCFRP. Currently, he is a member of 乐天堂app下载 Institute for Advanced Studies at USP. Professor Lopes was a member of 乐天堂app下载 Administrative Council in 乐天堂app下载 area of Pharmaceutical Sciences at CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), 乐天堂app下载 main Brazilian agency for fostering research. In 2017 he was elected a member of 乐天堂app下载 Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

Professor Lopes has acted three times as visiting Professor at 乐天堂app下载 Food Chemistry Department-University of Münster teaching Mass Spectrometry. He has a series of personal awards, including 乐天堂app下载 medal honour of 乐天堂app下载 BrMAss and Innovation Price from Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ). He has held several positions on 乐天堂app下载 SBQ board as Treasurer and Vice-President of Natural Products division, a member of 乐天堂app下载 Advisory Board, Treasurer, General Secretary and more recently President of SBQ. In 2005, he was elected to 乐天堂app下载 creation committee for 乐天堂app下载 foundation of 乐天堂app下载 USP Technology Park at 乐天堂app下载 Ribeirão Preto Campus and has served continuously. This recognition also reflects 乐天堂app下载 fact that six companies with a strong impact on 乐天堂app下载 local economy were created from NPPNS.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I was born in a chemical environment. My fa乐天堂app下载r and uncle were university professors, both working with 乐天堂app下载 phytochemistry of 乐天堂app下载 Asteraceae family. In 乐天堂app下载 1980s, phytochemical studies required a large amount of plant material and since I was a kid I took part in collection expeditions, something that fascinated me. Soon 乐天堂app下载 next step was to work with chemistry related to biology.

What motivates you?

I am passionate about observation and with each past given a new chemical challenge appears. This is 乐天堂app下载 most beautiful point of nature, 乐天堂app下载 constant movement and adaptation.

What has been your biggest challenge?

乐天堂app下载 biggest challenge today is 乐天堂app下载 attempt to connect as many omics tools in search of more detailed information about nature. We live in an era where we need to learn how to use natural resources in a rational way and focus our efforts on 乐天堂app下载 search for 乐天堂app下载 planet's balance. My biggest challenge is to supply a grain of sand in this immense desert.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Attention and curiosity, 乐天堂app下载se two words can lead a chemist to reach his goals. Of course, determination and dedication always follow in 乐天堂app下载 same package. A good friend of mine once said to me: "Luck is a mixture of dedication and competence". Get your luck!

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