Universidade São Francisco Professor Wins Over R$1.4 Million FAPESP Grant to Develop Vaccines Against Superbugs

Professor Thiago Rojas Converso, faculty member of the Stricto Sensu Graduate Program in Health Sciences (PPGSSCS) at Universidade São Francisco (USF), was one of the recipients of the Projeto Inicial π (Pi) grant from FAPESP — a call exclusively for early-career researchers. Only 36 projects were selected across all fields of knowledge, in a highly competitive process designed to fund bold and innovative scientific ideas. Remarkably, only 4 of the 36 approved proposals came from non-public institutions — placing USF, a private university, in a select group.

The approved project focuses on developing vaccines against two bacteria of major global concern: Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These bacteria are responsible for a large share of hospital-acquired infections and are increasingly resistant to available antibiotics — which is why the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies them as priority targets for new prevention and treatment strategies. Currently, no approved vaccines exist for either bacterium.

To tackle this challenge, Converso's research proposes an innovative approach. The idea is to use large-scale genetic analysis tools (called multi-omic analyses) to identify molecules produced by these bacteria when they shift from a "silent" colonizing state to an aggressive one — a process often triggered by viral co-infections. These targets will be processed through bioinformatics to create multiepitope vaccines, which stimulate multiple arms of the immune system simultaneously, and will be tested in animal models. The project also involves collaboration with Instituto Butantan in Brazil and Lund University in Sweden.

The total funding is approximately R$1.4 million (about $280,000 USD), to be allocated to consumables, permanent equipment, and scholarships for undergraduate research and master's students. The achievement represents a major milestone for the PPGSSCS and for Universidade São Francisco, reinforcing the institution's leading role in cutting-edge research aimed at real-world public health challenges. It is worth noting that in the latest CAPES quadrennial evaluation, the USF Graduate Program in Health Sciences received the maximum score of 7, a mark of international excellence.