iBB

Andreia Isabel de Melo Pimenta will be defending her PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences at Instituto Superior Técnico, Tuesday the 22nd of December 2020, at 10:00 am (https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/87589426644). During the last years, and under the supervision of Arsénio Fialho from BSRG-iBB, Andreia studied the role of Trimeric autotransporter adhesins in the pathogenesis of Burkholderia cenocepacia. The title of her thesis is “New insights into the interaction of Burkholderia cenocepacia with host cells: Trimeric autotransporter adhesins as pathogenicity factors”.

Eduardo Brás defended his PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences on Tuesday the 15th september 2020 (14:30 H). During the last years, and under the supervision João Pedro Conde from INESC-MN and Pedro Fernandes from BERG-iBB, Eduardo explored how microfluidic technology and microfabrication could be coupled with enzymes with goal of developing biosensing in different fields of application. The title of the thesis is “Biocatalysis in Microfluidic Systems: Biosensing and Rapid Screening Applications”.

Rui Cruz Pacheco defended his PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences on the 15th of April, 2020. The thesis, entitled “Production of first-and second-generation bioethanol by yeasts: global warming potential and fermentation productivity issues” was supervised by Carla Silva, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa and Instituto Dom Luiz and co-supervised by Isabel Sá-Correia from BSRG-iBB. Rui prepared part of his PhD thesis in the laboratories of the BSRG examining factors that limit first-and second-generation fermentation productivity and improving industrial yeasts performance through genetic manipulation. Most of his work was dedicated to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of bio-based ethanol production.

Ahmed Amir Elsayed Hassan will be defending her PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences on tuesday the 28th january 2020 (14:30 H, amphitheater PA-3, Mathematics Building). During the last years, and under the supervision of Isabel Sá-Correia from BSRG-iBB, Amir studied the role of the lipopolysaccharide O-antigen on the adaptation of the Bhurkolderia cepacia complex to the cystic fibrosis environment. The title of the thesis is “Adaptation of Bhurkolderia cepacia complex bacteria to the cystic fibrosis lung: focus on lipopolysaccharide O-antigen and cel wall physical properties”.

David José Roxo Botequim will be defending his PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences at Instituto Superior Técnico, Wednesday the 18th of November 2020, at 10:30 am (https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/89168693131). During the last years, and under the supervision of Pedro Paulo from CQE and Miguel Prazeres from BERG-iBB, David studied fluorescently-labeled DNA probes conjugated onto gold nanoparticles for the improved detection of nucleic acids. The title of his thesis is “Fluorescently-labeled DNA Probes Functionalized onto Gold Nanorods for Signal Enhancement in Nucleic Acids’ Detection”.

Mafalda Banazol de Santa Rita Cavalheiro will be defending her PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences at Instituto Superior Técnico, Monday the 12th of October 2020, at 2pm (https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/97930626637). During the last years, and under the supervision of Miguel Cacho Teixeira from BSRG-iBB, Mafalda studied molecular and biophysical properties that enable the fungal pathogen Candida glabrata to cause recalcitrant life threatening infections, based on its ability to evolve towards a drug resistance phenotype or to establish stable biofilms. The title of her thesis is “Deciphering Mechanisms of Pathogenesis in Candida glabrata: in the Crossroad Between Drug Resistance and Virulence”.