Ph.D.

Daniel Vega Mendoza

8299 Cambridge Street #1405, Houston, Texas, 77054
+1 501-272-2341, denvem@gmail.com

February 05, 2018

Dear CCMAR – University of Algarve – Portugal

I am writing to you in relation to the scientific position available in your institution. First, I would
like to introduce myself. My name is Daniel Vega; I am a Peruvian/Spanish biologist with two
master degrees in Microbiology and Biochemistry with also a PhD in Molecular Biology.

Since the beginning of my professional career, I have been interested in the understanding of the
molecular processes that rule certain aspects of microbiology, such as antimicrobial resistance,
capacity of certain bacteria to survive under extreme growth conditions, production of molecules
with industrial application, etc., reason why I have worked in different positions in order to
receive the proper training and skills.

During my PhD thesis, I focused on the morphogenesis of E. coli, with particular attention on the
process catalyzed by the Penicillin-Binding Proteins (PBPs), which belong to a group of proteins
involved in the synthesis of bacterial peptidoglycan (PG). I discovered a new PBP called PBP4b
and proved its non-essential role in PG biosynthesis.

During my first postdoctoral position in Spain, I worked with the thermophile bacterium thermus
thermophilus as a source for new enzymes with better enzymatic activity to be used in specific
industrial processes. As part of my work with extremophiles and in collaboration with Dr. Milton
da Costa (Universidade de Coimbra), I characterized a new strain of Meiothermus spp isolated
from a hot spring in Galicia.

In my second postdoctoral position in South Africa, I was involved in the isolation, identification
and characterization of extremophiles organism by using samples from ultra-deep mines. Selected
strains were used to generate metagenomic libraries. After my second postdoctoral, I moved to
the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in order to continue the study of E. coli
morphogenesis. I discovered that the specific accumulation of enterobactin in the periplasm
causes aberrant division and morphology in E. coli. Mechanisms involved in E. coli morphology
are related with cell division, reason why I decided to move to the University of Texas under the
supervision of professor William Margolin to study bacterial cell division. At this moment, I am
working with temperature-sensitive mutants in cell division (FtsZ, FtsA and FtsK) to understand
the mechanism by which these proteins interact and recruit other early and late proteins involved
in cell division.

I am confident that I can offer the skills your institution is seeking.

Thanks you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

PhD. Daniel Vega