Junia Schultz, Ph.D.

Research Interests

Dr. Junia Schultz is a biologist with a PhD in biotechnology and bioprocesses. Her research interests at KAUST are focused on unraveling the culturable and yet-to-be-cultured microorganisms of extreme Saudi Arabian environments (deserts, volcanoes, and hot springs) and exploiting those extremophiles for biotechnological and astrobiological applications. Over the last 7 years, she has been working with extreme environments, including Antarctic ecosystems and deep-sea, and studying their microbial community and metabolic potential for biotechnology.

Selected Publications

Structure and functional capacity of a benzene-mineralizing, nitrate-reducing microbial community.
S.C. Eziuzor, F.B. Corrêa, S. Peng, J. Schultz, S. Kleinsteuber, U.N. da Rocha, L. Adrian, C. Vogt
Journal of Applied Microbiology, (2022)
Extreme environments: A source of biosurfactant for biotechnological applications.
J. Schultz, A.S. Rosado
Extremophiles, (2020)
Use of microbes from extreme environments for biotechnological applications. In: Advanced Techniques for Studying Microorganisms in Extreme Environments.
J. Schultz, A.S. Rosado
De Gruyter, (2019).
Draft-genome Sequence of Brevibacillus sp. strain LEMMJ03 isolated from an Antarctic volcano sediment.
J. Schultz, R. Kallies, U.N. da Rocha, A.S. Rosado
Microbiology Resource Announcements, (2019)
Novel carotenoids from UV-resistant Antarctic Microbacterium sp. LEMMJ01.
M.C.P.P.R. Mansur, J. Cardoso-Rurr, J. Silva, G.R. Souza, V.S. Cardoso, F. Mansoldo, Y.A.P. De Souza, J. Schultz, C. Lage, L.L. Balottin, A.R. Silva, E.P. Santos, A.S. Rosado, A.B. Vermelho
Scientific Reports, (2019)

Education

Ph.D., Biotechnology, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2019
M.Sc., Environmental Engineering, FURB, Blumenau, Brazil, 2015
B.Sc., Biological Sciences, FURB, Blumenau, Brazil, 2012

Professional Profile

2021-present: Postdoctoral fellow, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
2019-2021: Postdoctoral fellow, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2015: Lecturer (Environmental analyses), Uniasselvi Group, Blumenau, Brazil
2015: Lecturer (Human Biology), FURB, Blumenau, Brazil
2009-2011: Trainee (Microbiology), FURB, Blumenau, Brazil

Scientific and Professional Membership

International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) membership

Awards

2019: Best PhD thesis Award PBV-UFRJ
2019: Travel Award for the International Microbial Ecology Congress - Latin America (ISME LA), held in Chile
2019: FAPERJ scholarship, offered to the best PhD student of the graduate program
2018: CAPES Doctoral exchange scholarship
2018: International mobility award from the University of Western Brittany, France
2017: Australia – Brazil PhD Exchange Award
2015: CNPq Doctorate scholarship
2013: CAPES Masters scholarship

KAUST Affiliations

Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE)

Research Interests Keywords

Extremophiles Extreme environments Microbial ecology Biotechnology of extremophiles Astrobiology