iBB

The research project “InSilico4OCReg - In silico models guiding in vitro biophysical stimulation of biomimetic hierarchical scaffolds: a computational modelling approach towards functional osteochondral regeneration” was recommended for funding by FCT (250,000 euros in the 2021 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The project started in January 2022 and aims to develop an innovative combined in silico modelling-in vitro experimental system which, inspired by the properties of the native osteochondral tissue, will be able to optimize tissue engineering strategies towards the production of implants with improved functionality and mechanical properties. The multidisciplinary team of InSilico4OCReg includes researchers from iBB, CDRSP-Politécnico de Leiria, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY-USA), and an orthopedic surgeon (Hospital dos Lusíadas). The project, which falls within the scientific area of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Systems, is headed by João Carlos Silva (PI, SCERG-iBB) and Prof. Paula Pascoal-Faria (co-PI, CDRSP-Politécnico de Leiria).

Consumer acceptance of microalgae products is often hampered by their colour, “fishy” smell and flavor. An international project with research teams from ISA (PI Prof. Anabela Raymundo), IST (Carla de Carvalho, iBB-BERG), Norce (Norway) and the company Pagarete Microalgae solutions (Portugal) is aimed at the use of enzymes to improve the overall sensory quality of microalgal ingredients. The project, entitled “YUM ALGAE - enzYmes for improved sensory qUality of MicroALGAE ingredients in foods”, is funded in ca. 1 million euros by the Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway grants (EEA grants, Blue Growth programme).

A team of researchers from iBB-BERG, including Carlos Rodrigues, Ricardo Pereira, Pedro Fernandes, Prof. Joaquim Sampaio Cabral and led by Carla de Carvalho, will contribute to the development of enzymes for a new generation of environmentally friendly consumer products in the EU project FuturEnzyme. The consortium of 16 leading academic and industrial partners, led by Dr. Manuel Ferrer from CSIC (Spain), will develop innovative solutions that will combine big biodata mining and bio-prospecting, disruptive machine learning and protein engineering, nano-biotechnology, fermentation and downstream-processing systems, and pre-industrial testing. Innovative solutions will be proposed to discover, design, optimize and formulate new enzymes to develop detergents, textiles and cosmetics that combine a high level of functionality with improved sustainability, thus responding to the demands from consumers and industries.

The project "DentalBioMatrix: Exploiting the power of decellularized extracellular matrix to fabricate hierarchical biomimetic scaffolds to regenerate functional periodontal tissues" has been recommended for funding by FCT (2020 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The goal of DentalBioMatrix is to develop novel bioengineering strategies to regenerate periodontium, by engineering hierarchically designed compartmentalized systems to meet the different characteristics of the tissues involved in periodontal defects. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) will be used to create complex dECM-derived scaffolds to recreate the different niches of periodontium. Collectively, this approach will potentially provide the opportunity to harness the properties of periodontal tissue ECM, recreating a local niche at the tooth interface that can promote periodontal regeneration, especially important for osteoporotic and older patients with compromised ECM. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Medical Biotechnology, is headed by Marta Carvalho from SCERG-iBB.

A new research project “SymbioReactor - Sustainable production of bioactive metabolites from microbial symbionts of marine sponges and corals” was recently awarded 178k EUR funding by the Fundo Azul programme from the Ministry of the Sea (Blue Biotechnology call 5/2017). SymbioReactor aims to uncover the antibacterial, antifungal and antitumor properties of an existing culture collection at BSRG-iBB comprising a yet uncharted panel of 1,000 bacterial symbionts from marine sponges and corals. The project’s overarching goal resides in the exploration of marine symbiotic communities to develop customized, effective tools that lead to the sustainable production of pharmacologically applicable metabolites from the seas. The project is headed by Rodrigo Costa and Tina Keller-Costa from BSRG-iBB and involves two public research institutions (University of Aveiro and Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular), an industrial partner (Biotrend) and an international consultant (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology). It also counts with the support of the Centro Ciência Viva do Algarve and the Straw Patrol initiative for scientific dissemination.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable macromolecules produced as reserve materials by bacteria.  PHAs have the potential to replace the main polymers in the plastic market as long as price competitive production processes are developed. The goal of the project "AlgaePlas", which has recently been recommended for funding by FCT, is to use seaweed residues after hydrocolloid extraction, or whole seaweed with no current industrial applications, as novel sugar platforms for PHAs production by marine bacteria. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Industrial Biotechnology, is headed by Teresa Cesário from BERG-iBB and involves collaboration with the University of Minho. The proposal "AlgaePlas: Seaweed biorefinery for the upgrade of carbohydrates to sustainable bioplastics" was submitted in the context of the 2017 Call for SR&TD Project Grants.

The project "CBM-X: Biorecognition as a Tool for the Functionalization of Cellulose-based Materials with Biomolecules and Nanostructures" has been recommended for funding by FCT (2017 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The goal of CBM-X is to develop biomolecular constructs for the precise modification of cellulose matrices with nanostructures and/or biomolecules, and for the anchoring of nanocellulose onto a range of materials. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Materials Engineering, is headed by Miguel Prazeres from BERG-iBB and involves a collaboration with the company NZYTech.

Cerebellar ataxias are characterized by progressive neurodegeneration of the cerebellum. Current knowledge about the disease is based on postmortem studies and animal models that do not fully recapitulate the features of human ataxias. The development of disease models is thus an important unmet medical need. The goal of the project "CEREBEX", which has recently been approved for funding by PORLisboa, is to generate 3D cultures of mature cerebellar neurons to investigate ataxia mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Medical Biotechnology, is headed by Joaquim Cabral from SCERG-iBB and involves the collaboration with the Institute for Molecular Medicine. The proposal "CEREBEX - Generation of gene-edited cerebellar organoids for ataxia research" was submitted in the context of the 2017 Call for SR&TD Project Grants.

The project Algae2Fish led by Frederico Ferreira from SCERG-iBB has received funding from the Global Food Institute with the aim of developing a boneless cultivated seabass fillet. 3D printing technology will be used to produce scaffolds that will give the fillet structure, replicating the fibrous texture of fish. The scaffolds will be formed using material from algae and plants, with the algae contributing valuable omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in conventional fish. Read more about the project here.

The project "UROPRINT: Urinary bladder bioprinting for fully autologous transplantation" has been recommended for funding by the EU. The goal of UROPRINT is to laser print fully functional immunocompatible urothelial tissue ex vivo and in vivo for bladder augmentation and replacement. The project is led by the Institute of Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens and involves iBB-SCERG, Asphalion SL, Institute of Comunication and Computer Systems, Optics11 BV and METATISSUE/JFCC-Biosolutions, LDA.

Photo details: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The project "SMART:New technologies and strategies for Stem cell Manufacturing bioprocess monitoring and ARTificial intelligence-based modeling" has been recommended for funding by FCT (2020 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The goal of SMART is to develop new monitoring and modeling strategies envisaging more efficient bioreactor-based processes for the manufacturing of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived cardiomyocytes for biomedical applications, using artificial intelligence to integrate bioprocess monitoring data with biological data. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Chemical Engineering, is headed by Carlos Rodrigues from SCERG-iBB.

The project “Rapid, low-cost, low-complexity test for SARS-Cov-2 RNA detection” was approved for funding in the FCT call aimed at finding solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project, involving researchers from FFUL (João Gonçalves, PI of the project), IRS/DBE/IST (João Sanches), and iBB(BERG)/DBE/IST (Carla de Carvalho), will use a colourimetric assay, and image acquisition and analysis techniques, to rapidly evaluate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in human samples.

The project "CardioWheel: Upscaling the Production of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Cardiomyocytes using Vertical-Wheel Bioreactors" has been recommended for funding by FCT (2017 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The goal of CardioWheel is the application of bioreactor technology for human Pluripotent Stem Cell expansion and cardiomyocyte differentiation in a single process, culturing cells in suspension in the novel single-use Vertical-Wheel Bioreactors. These bioreactors will be characterized using computational fluid dynamics and this knowledge will be used to scale up the culture. The generated cells will be tested for functional and pharmacological activity to demonstrate their applicability in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Chemical Engineering, is headed by Carlos Rodrigues and Joaquim Cabral from SCERG-iBB.

The project "MicroControl: Exploiting the healing capacity of nature´s microbiomes for improved fish larviculture" has been recommended for funding by FCT (2017 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The goal of MicroControl is to develop multi-species cocktails of beneficial fish symbionts to prevent bacterial disease incidence during fish larval rearing, a stage at which fish individuals are highly susceptible to acute outbreaks that pronouncedly impact land-based rearing of hundreds of economically important species. The team will conduct larval rearing trials under “microbiome therapy” to address the effectiveness of the approach in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), the third most cultivated fish species worldwide. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Biological Sciences, is headed by Rodrigo Costa from BSRG-iBB and involves a collaboration with Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera.

Photo details: Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larva, from Sara I.C. Castanho, “The potential of Asparagopsis armata to control the bacterial load associated to live feed to improve Seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae performance”, MSc Thesis., Algarve University, Portugal, June 2014.

The project "LactoSynt: Lactic Acid Bacteria as Cell Factories: a Synthetic Biology Approach for Plasmid DNA and Recombinant Protein Production" has been recommended for funding by FCT (2017 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The goal of LactoSynt is to engineer lactic acid bacteria and plasmid vectors in order to develop a flexible platform for biomolecule production. Applications in the pharmaceutical field (DNA vaccines, recombinant proteins) are envisaged. The project, which falls within the scientific area of Medical Biotechnology, is headed by Gabriel Monteiro from BERG-iBB and Leonilde Moreira from BSRG-iBB.