Pathologies such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis have an inflammatory base triggered, in part, by an impairment of antioxidant defense systems which leads to overaccumulation of oxidative species (ROS). In a recently published paper, entitled “Up-Regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 Antioxidant Pathway in Macrophages by an Extract from a New Halophilic Archaea Isolated in Odiel Saltworks”, researchers of the Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad de Huelva and Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho (iBB), show that an extract of Haloarcula sp. OS, containing bacterioruberin and significant amounts of fatty acids, exhibits high antioxidant activity. The study shows, for the first time, that the extract reduces LPS-induced oxidative stress and acute inflammation in THP-1 macrophages by attenuating both ROS levels and the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-a and IL-6. The mechanism involves the activation of the Nrf-2/HO-1signaling pathway, and supports the use of the extract as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of oxidative stress-related inflammatory diseases.

A new study provides insights into the prokaryotic communities and heavy metal distribution in different body parts of the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis, a model organism relevant for marine conservation and biotechnology. The study was published in Zoology and results from an international collaboration between researchers from iBB-IST and the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Italy.  The work was led by Italian PhD student Camilla Roveta and Prof. Rodrigo Costa from BSRG-iBB/DBE and included MIT Portugal PhD student Joana F. Couceiro from BSRG-iBB. Fifteen prokaryotic phyla were detected in association with this sponge. Three lineages of ammonium-oxidizing organisms co-dominated the prokaryotic community, suggesting ammonium oxidation/nitrification as key metabolic pathway within the C. reniformis microbiome. Mercury levels varied according to the body site of the sponge, with higher levels accumulating in internal sites (choanosome). Minor levels of Hg could be detected in the microbial fractions extracted from the sponge host, suggesting that the sponge-associated microbiome may participate in Hg adsorption and removal processes in benthic ecosystems. This study paves the way for scientists to deepen the possible application of marine sponges not only as bioindicators of environmental health, but also as bioremediation tools of metal polluted environments.

Today, it is recognized that medicines will eventually be needed during pregnancy, either due to gestation-related medical conditions or pre-existing diseases. Also, the rate of drug prescription to pregnant women has increased over the past few years, in accordance with the increasing trend to postpone childbirth to a later age. However, information regarding teratogenic risk in humans is often missing for most of the purchased drugs. Inter-species differences have limited the suitability of animal models to predict human-specific outcomes, contributing to misidentified human teratogenicity. Therefore, the development of physiologically relevant in vitro humanized models can be the key to surpassing this limitation. In this context, this review describes the pathway towards the introduction of human pluripotent stem cell-derived models in developmental toxicity studies.

Gold(III) bisdithiolate complexes have been shown as potential antimicrobial and antitumoral agents. In particular, the complex [Au(cdc)2]− (cdc=cyanodithioimido carbonate) displayed antimicrobial and outstanding antitumor activity against the ovarian cancer cells A2780 and A2780cisR, which are sensitive and resistant to cisplatin, respectively. Yet, poor water solubility may hinder its clinical use. Block copolymer micelles (BCMs) have demonstrated great potential as nanocarriers capable of delivering hydrophobic drugs, increasing their solubility and stability, and improving their bioavailability and circulation time in blood, with reduced side effects. In this work, published in the journal Pharmaceutics, the potential of BCM-[Au(cdc)2] as a novel drug-delivery system was addressed. The BCM-[Au(cdc)2] micelles were prepared with a loading efficiency of 64.6% and a loading content of 35.3 mg [Au(cdc)2]−/gBCM, they were also homogenous and good candidates for drug delivery. Cytotoxic activity studies against A2780/A2780cisR cells showed that BCM-[Au(cdc)2] maintained relevant cytotoxic activity comparable to the cytotoxicity observed for the same concentration of gold complexes. The Au uptake in A2780 cells, determined by PIXE, was ca. 17% higher for BCMs-[Au(cdc)2] compared to [Au(cdc)2]−. The BCMs-[Au(cdc)2] presented also antimicrobial activity against S. aureus Newman and C. glabrata CBS138. In summary this paper shows the results of the potential of BCM-[Au(cdc)2] for drug delivery and its promising anticancer and antimicrobial activities.

This study was led by Dr. Célia Fernandes and Dr. Fernanda Marques, both from Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico. The iBB members Teresa Pinheiro, Jorge Leitão and Sílvia Sousa collaborated in this work performing the cellular uptake analysis and the antimicrobial activities of BCMs.

Enzymes may be the right catalysts for efficient and clean processes, contributing to energy savings and negligible by-products and waste. Following the success of the Special Issue on “Biocatalysis, Enzyme and Process Engineering” in Processes (MDPI), the editors Pedro Fernandes and Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho wrote an editorial paper discussing the different papers published on this subject.

Organized at Instituto Superior Técnico by Isabel Sá-Correia and Jorge Leitão, a joint workshop of two FCT-funded doctoral programs in which  DBE and iBB participate or direct, AEM-Applied and Environmental Microbiology and BIOTECnico- Biotechnology and Biosciences, took place at the Zoom platform on February 15 (dedicated to AEM) and 16 (dedicated to BIOTECnico). The external supervisory committee (ESC) of the two programs were present and participated very actively. They are highly renowned academics in the areas of the PhD programs: Tom Coyne from Gent University, William de Vos from Wageningen University, Jack Pronk from Delft University, Prof Steve Oliver, University of  Cambridge, Michael Hoare, University College London. 

PhD students and alumni of both programs were present and program that we set up via Zoom allowed us to demonstrate the work carried out in terms of advanced training in the framework of BIOTECnico and AEM programs. The ESCs were very impressed about the way how “the two fabulous programs were designed and managed and built a culture that encourages PhD candidates to take initiative, grow and prosper.” Congratulations to the directive boards of both programs, the students, the alumni, and their supervisors and collaborators.

A Wednesday afternoon spent learning about cutting-edge science while enjoying a beer with friends in a "Hygge" setting is undoubtedly appealing. This is the value proposition from the “PubHD” initiative. In this week’s edition, the IBB/IST will be represented by Rui Oliveira-Silva.

To enhance the performance of (bio)sensors and obtain information about a given system at a specific time, Rui concentrated on the development of nanomaterials during his doctoral studies. The availability of these (bio)sensors, enable early detection, process control of pharmaceuticals, or assess the effectiveness therapies and to follow-up patients. These (bio)sensors render information that was previously impossible, and are increasingly crucial in contemporary precision medicine.

A new article provides a genome-based roadmap to facilitate the selection of coral probiotics, also known as Beneficial Microbes for Corals (BMCs), and was just published in mSystems. Probiotics are starting to be investigated as a potential medicine for corals, marine animals that are threatened with extinction by the advance of climate change. Laboratory experiments have already proved the concept that coral probiotics mitigate coral bleaching and reduce coral mortality. This study now employed comparative genomics to identify exclusive BMC traits associated with specific probiotic strains and proposed new BMC mechanisms. The work was led by Prof Raquel Peixoto and her team from KAUST University at the Red Sea and received guidance on genomics of coral-associated bacteria from iBB/DBE researcher Dr Tina Keller-Costa.

Fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy are routine tools in basic and applied biological sciences. An expanding library of organic fluorophores and fluorescent proteins with radically different properties are available, offering great flexibility to the user of fluorescence methods. Still, a considerable fraction of casual users of fluorescence tools do not follow rational considerations when selecting a probe. In a recently published book chapter, Fábio Fernandes (iBB) and Maria Sarmento (IMM) provide an overview of the most important factors to weight when selecting a fluorophore. A list of different fluorophores and a summary of their properties and labeling strategies is presented as a tool to assist in the process of choosing a fluorescent probe.

Biosurfactants, particularly mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), have excellent biochemical properties and a wide range of potential applications. However, for use at an industrial level, it is necessary to develop more sustainable production processes, both in terms of the environment and economy. In this regard, the study “Production of mannosylerythritol lipids using oils from oleaginous microalgae: two sequential microorganism culture approach” led by iBB team, with Tiago Coelho, Miguel Nascimento, Nuno Faria, Frederico Fereira, together with LNEG team, Alberto Reis and Luísa Gouveia, was just published in Microorganisms journal. It reports, for the first time, the production of MELs using oils produced from microalgae. The bio-oil was extracted from Neochloris oleoabundans and evaluated for its use as a sole carbon source or as a co-substrate strategy, using D-glucose as an additional carbon source, on Moesziomyces spp. cultures to support cell growth and induce the production of MELs. Both M. antarcticus and M. aphidis were able to grow and produce MELs using algae-derived bio-oils as carbon sources and, interestingly, there were no significant differences in productivity when oils from microalgae or vegetable oils were used as carbon sources. These results provide new perspectives for the production of MELs in systems that combine different microorganisms.

Human adult stem cells and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells represent promising tools to understand human biology, development, and disease. Under a permissive environment, stem cell derivatives can self-organize and reconstruct their native environment, resulting in the creation of organ-like entities known as organoids. Although organoids represent a breakthrough in the stem cell field, there are still considerable shortcomings preventing their widespread use, namely their variability, limited function, and reductionist size. In this recently published review article in Trends in Biotechnology, Miguel Tenreiro (Ph.D. student in Bioengineering), Prof. Margarida Diogo, and co-authors from iBB highlight emerging technologies to fill in the gaps in organoid design and provide insights on how they can be best utilized to fulfill the potential of organoids.

The Blue Bioeconomy Pact led by Inovamar is one of the mobilizing agendas for corporate innovation recently funded by the European Union NextGenerationEU through the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). It consists of a consortium of 83 national entities including 53 companies of all dimensions, from large multinational corporations to small-medium enterprises and start-ups, and 30 R&D institutions. The project aims to develop the sustainable use of marine resources, creating 52 new products, processes and services across multiple sectors such as aquaculture, fisheries, food and feed, textiles, biomaterials and human health. The consortium will invest a total amount of 133 M€, of which 94 M€ are financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Instituto Superior Técnico is involved in four of the nine PBA work packages with 1.5 M€ of funding: WP1 – “Biomaterials”, WP4 – “Food”, WP5 – “Algae”, and WP9 – “The Portuguese Blue Biobank”. The project at IST is coordinated by Prof Rodrigo Costa from iBB and DBE and counts on expert contributions by Dr Teresa Cesário from iBB (WP1), Dr Tina Keller-Costa and Prof Isabel Sá-Correia from iBB (WP5 and WP9) and Prof Ana Clara Marques from CERENA and DEQ (WP4).