Dr. Ximenes is a Bioprocess Research Scientist in the Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering, at Purdue University, where he leads efforts in microbiology and protein biochemistry. As a Professor he has taught in Brazil (and given lectures in United States) in under and graduate courses in Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering of Microorganisms, Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Biotechnology. Recently, he has been given a special graduate faculty appointment at Purdue University (5 year term). Additionally, Dr Ximenes has supervised in Brazil (and co-supervised in the United States) undergraduate and graduate students, and sitting as a committee member on Master and PhD theses examination panels.

Dr. Ximenes' research addresses the isolation, characterization and development of enzymes, protein biomarkers, and the genetic engineering of fungal and bacterial hosts applied to transformation of agricultural commodities to biofuels and/or other products, and acceleration of sample preparation for the rapid detection of microbial pathogens applied to food safety.  He earned his BS (1991) in Biology and MS in Molecular Biology (1994) from the University of Brasilia- Brazil, and PhD with honors (1999) from University of Brasilia-Brazil for work developed in cooperation with researchers at the University of Georgia-USA under the supervision of Dr. Lars Ljungdahl.  Prior to joining the Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering at Purdue University, Dr Ximenes worked in the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL, USA and The University of Georgia’s Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Microbiology Departments where he obtained background in the application of biotechnology to improving cellulose degrading enzymes as well as ethanol. He also worked for one year at the University of Iowa developing functional studies of LH and FSH hormone receptors using mammalian cells.

Recent accomplishments of his work are the coordination of a multidisciplinary research team for the development of an instrument using a hollow fiber based method for the rapid concentration of microorganisms in a viable state from different food and water samples, for the purpose of reducing or eliminating enrichment culture and thereby shorten the time (± 8 hours) required for such samples to be probed for the presence of pathogenic microorganisms.  This method enables a 500-1000 times concentration of organisms in a sample in less than 60 min.  Another significant part of his work includes the identification of phenolic molecules that may either deactivate or inhibit cellulase enzymes, the mitigation of their effect by biological processes, improved cellulose conversion modified plants, etc.

Dr Ximenes has published in several prestigious journals in the field.  He has also made a number of presentations in the United States and Brazil.  His current interests are in the rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria in food and further understanding of  mechanisms by which cellulases and hemicellulases break down lignocellulose for conversion to biofuels and other products.

Relevant Publications:

Ko, J.-K., Ximenes E., Kim, Y., and Ladisch, M., "Adsorption of Enzyme Onto Lignins of Liquid Hot Water Pretreated Hardwoods," Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 112(3), 447-456 (2015).

Bonawitz, N. D., Kim, J., Tobimatsu, Y., Ciesielski, P. N., Anderson, N. A., Ximenes, E., Maeda, J., Ralph, J., Donohoe, B. S., Ladisch, M., and Chapple, C., "Disruption of Mediator Rescues the Stunted Growth of a Lignin-Deficient Arabidopsis Mutant," Nature, 509, 376-380 (2014).

Cunha, F., Kreke, T., Badino, A., Farinas, C., Ximenes, E., and Ladisch, M., "Liquefaction of Sugarcane Bagasse for Enzyme Production," Bioresource Technology, 172, 249-252 (2014).

Cao, G., E. Ximenes, N. N. Nichols, L. Zhang, and Ladisch, M.,, "Biological Abatement of Cellulase Inhibitors," Bioresource Technology, 146, 604-610 (2013).

Li, X., E. Ximenes, M. Amalaradjou, H. Vibbert, K. Foster, J. Jones, X. Liu, A. Bhunia, and M. Ladisch, "Rapid Sample Processing for Foodborne Pathogen Detection via Cross-Flow Microfiltration," Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 79(22), 7048-7054 (2013).

Ximenes, E., Y. Kim, N. Mosier, B. Dien, and M. Ladisch, "Deactivation of Cellulases by Phenols," Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 48, 54-60 (2011).