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

Federal University of Paraná The Federal University of Paraná ( pt, Universidade Federal do 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 universi ...

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

artificial enzyme An artificial enzyme is a synthetic organic molecule or ion that recreates one or more functions of an enzyme. It seeks to deliver catalysis at rates and selectivity observed in naturally occurring enzymes. History Enzyme catalysis of chemical re ...

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 on 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. Seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best know ...

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 ( pt, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC) is a public university in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Considered one of the leading universities in Brazil ...

. 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 meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampric ...

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

enzymes Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...

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 is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

and the

L'Oréal Foundation L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, sk ...

. 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