Dr. Elisa Orth (born c. 1984) works in the Department of Chemistry of the

Federal University of Paraná The Federal University of Paraná (, UFPR) is a public university headquartered in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. UFPR is considered to be one of the oldest universities in Brazil. UFPR ranks as 37th best university in Latin-America and it is among ...

in Brazil. She came to notice in 2015 when she won an award from L'Oreal and UNESCO for her work on artificial enzymes.

Life

Orth was born in about 1984.Interview: Elisa Orth, a researcher at the Department of Chemistry, wins Award for Women in Science
, Jessica Maes, Retrieved 23 July 2016 Her parents were both scientists and as a girl she looked to the work of

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English zoologist, Primatology, primatologist and Anthropology, anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremo ...

for inspiration. She went on to take graduate, masters and a doctorate in Chemistry at the

Federal University of Santa Catarina The Federal University of Santa Catarina (, UFSC) is a public university in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina (Brazil), Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Considered one of the leading universities in Brazil, UFSC is the 6th b ...

. She and her research team at the Federal University of Paraná in Brazil (2015) are looking at minimising the damage caused by

pesticides Pesticides are substances that are used to pest control, control pest (organism), pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for a ...

. They are looking at nanocatalysts which they believe can act as artificial

enzymes An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as pro ...

to remove the effects of pesticides in food.Cientista brasileira recebe prêmio na França
Globo.com, Retrieved 23 July 2016 Her work leads to the development of nano-catalysts for multi-purpose sensors.2016 International Rising Talents
UNESCO, retrieved 23 July 2016 The same enzyme technology may also be applied to remove the effects of diseases such as cancer, fibrosis, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. In 2015 she was part of the Post-Graduate Program in Chemistry, Catalysis and Kinetic Laboratory when she was given an award - Women in Science, created by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

and the L'Oréal Foundation. The award was given in Paris and she was chosen from hundreds of competitors to receive the prize of 20,000 euros for her Technology and engineering contribution. Orth reports that she has suffered from discrimination in academia due to her gender but she believes that her success can be a role model to girls to follow her career.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orth, Elisa Brazilian women chemists 1984 births Living people Brazilian chemists