Despite growing up amidst the urban landscape of a bustling metropolis, Amanda Bendia never allowed the confines of city life to limit her boundless imagination. Since childhood, she has explored deep questions and sought to recreate exotic realms: lush forests, underwater caves, and the surface of distant planets. This innate curiosity led her to a career in science, where she continues to explore these questions.

Amanda’s academic background includes a degree in biological sciences from the University of Vale do Itajaí, a master’s in biophysics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and a PhD in microbiology from the University of São Paulo.  She is a lecturer at the USP Oceanographic Institute and directs the Marine Extremophiles Laboratory. Her research delves into the world of extremophiles – organisms that thrive in the harshest environments. Using cutting-edge DNA recovery techniques, Amanda studies extremophile archaea in the deep sea and caves of Brazil.

While her scientific journey has taken her to Antarctica, the depths of the ocean, and even remote caves, Amanda has recently embarked on her most profound adventure yet: motherhood.