iBB

Dr. Simão Soares, the CEO of SilicoLife, a company that provides dedicated models, robust algorithms and user-friendly software tools to accelerate strain design and bioprocess optimization, therefore accelerating R&D efforts and shortening the time to market of new biotechnology-based products, will be giving a talk on "Rational design of microbes for competitive biotechnological processes" Monday the  11th May, at 17h00m, in Room QA1.1, IST (Alameda) in the context of the curricular unit “Microbial Cell Factories”. 

Former iBB researchers Sofia Martins (PhD Biotechnology, IST 2008) and Verónica Romão (PhD Biotechnology, IST 2009) are currently leading the biological research at Magnomics, a biotech start-up committed to creating the new generation of molecular diagnostic devices, with applications in human health, veterinary health, and in the food industry. Sofia and Verónica partnered with Filipe Cardoso (INESC-MN), José Germano (INESC-ID) and João Miguel Pereira (UCoimbra) and launched Magnomics in 2013. After winning second place in INOVPORTUGAL 2014 (over 14000 participants) and having secured funding from Portugal Ventures, Beta Capital and PNV Capital, the company has just started operations in facilities located at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Magnomics core product is a fully portable, easy to use diagnostic device which includes sample treatment (bacteria separation and DNA purification), DNA amplification, and magnetic detection. The technology is protected by a growing pool of international patents and is currently being prototyped. The initial market tests are predicted for late 2015.

Former iBB researcher Miguel Cardoso is currently leading MadeBiotech, a R&D company with headquarters in the Island of Madeira, Portugal. The activities of the company founded 3 years ago by Miguel are mainly focused on biotechnology and process engineering and his team of eight researchers is working to develop sustainable processes for the valorization of natural resources. The goal is to promote the concept of Sustainable Biorefinery for different types of biomass, using processes with low environmental impact and high technological content. One of MadeBiotech’s researchers, Maria João Paris is currently developing her Ph. D. project at the company under the supervision of Miguel Cardoso and Luís Fonseca from BERG-iBB. MadeBiotech is looking to establish new R&D collaborations with iBB that might foster its commercial activity.