Microbial life present in the marine environment has to be able to adapt to rapidly changing and often extreme conditions. In a recently published paper, Ricardo F.S. Pereira and Carla C.C.R. de Carvalho form iBB and colleagues from CQE and ISEL, used genomic, lipidomic and biochemical approaches to characterise a Serratia rubidaea, isolated from a sample taken at a shallow water hydrothermal vent, and its red product. Several state-of-the-art techniques, such as DSC, FTIR, NMR, and Ultra-High Resolution Qq-Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry, were used to characterize the structure of the red pigment which was found to be prodigiosin.

On November 11th, the Taguspark campus was filled with activities led by our researchers, teachers and students, and a vibrant atmosphere that permeated every corner of our facilitiess.

iBB was involved with visits to our SGERG laboratories and it was a pleasure to receive our guests.

We would like to thank everyone who was involved in these activities and important day to our IST-Taguspark community.

Candida auris is an emerging human pathogen, considered a serious health threat by the CDC, being associated with antifungal drug resistance and hospital candidiasis outbreaks. Aiming an increased understanding of the unique features of this new fungal pathogen, both in terms of drug resistance and metabolic potential, the construction and validation of a global stoichiometric model describing the whole metabolic network in this human pathogen, as well as its exploitation in drug target discovery, stemming from a collaboration between researchers from iBB (Romeu Viana, Tiago Carreiro, Diogo Couceiro, Miguel Cacho Teixeira), ITQB-NOVA (Isabel Rocha) and CEB-UMinho (Óscar Dias), was just published in FEMS Yeast Research.

A new database for non-human, animal-associated metagenomic data, the AnimalAssociatedMetagenomeDB, reveals a strong sampling bias towards livestock (cattle, pigs, poultry) and animals used in medical research as well as developed countries and temperate regions. Wildlife-associated microbial metagenomes, especially from polar and tropical regions and the Global South, particularly African countries, are largely underrepresented. This study can guide researchers in host species selection in novel animal-associated metagenome research, especially in biodiversity and conservation studies. The database can also guide scientists in future meta-analyses and testing of new hypotheses, for example, on host-specificity, strain heterogeneity, or biogeography of animal-associated microbiomes, leveraging existing data. The study was led by Ulisses Nunes da Rocha and his team from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, and counted on specialist guidance in animal taxonomy and metadata curation from iBB/DBE researcher Tina Keller-Costa. The user-friendly web app is a valuable resource for non-bioinformaticians to find publicly available animal-associated metagenome samples with curated metadata.

If you missed the InternationalMicroorganismDay session at Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, you can now watch the full video of the symposium on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hOQqn-G8I18

The talks by Isabel Sá-Correia and Tina Keller-Costa, both from Departamento de Bioengenharia and iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, start at 07:00 min and 01h32 min, respectively.

The abstract book with contributions from all speakers of the session is available in Portuguese and English on the ACL website.

Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho, Kilian Neves and Sebastião Tavares participated in the annual meeting of project Yum Algae, funded by programme Blue Growth of EEA Grants. The Yum Algae researchers from Instituto Superior Técnico, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, and Pagarete Solutions, met at NORCE facilities in Bergen, Norway. The results presented are very promising to improve the sensory quality of microalgae ingredients in foods such as bread and cheese. Future actions were planned for the scale up of the process.

External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are frequently used to enhance the energy efficiency of the built environment. However, bio-colonization stains are often detected, causing cladding defacement and altering the building aesthetics. To address which microbiota could contribute to these biodeterioration related color/aesthetic anomalies, Cristina A. Viegas and Leonilde M. Moreira from iBB, in collaboration with researchers from CERIS/DECivil-IST and LNEC, identified the taxonomic diversity and distribution patterns of the microbial communities in stains present on the surface of ETICS facades in three residential sites in Lisbon. This study reveals diverse microbial communities assigned to taxa of the major microbial groups of heterotrophic bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria, and microalgae (through DNA plastid detection) in color/aesthetic biodeterioration stains of ETICS facades, taking into consideration in-service environmental exposure, facade location/cardinal orientation and ETICS material composition. Results suggest the need to include additional microorganisms in the list of bio-susceptibility testing organisms in ETICS.

The repair of bone defects remains an important challenge in current orthopaedic clinical practice. Novel approaches, including electrical stimulation-based therapies, have been gaining traction due to their encouraging results in both in vivo and in vitro settings. The development of electroconductive scaffolds to assist this type of therapy holds significant promise, as such constructs could be used to guide electrical stimuli directly to the damaged site, therefore increasing the effectiveness of the regeneration process. In an article recently published in the journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences, iBB researchers Frederico Barbosa, João Silva, Fábio Garrudo and Frederico Ferreira, in collaboration with colleagues from Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) and CERENA, developed mineralized and electroconductive PEDOT:PSS-based nanofibers with bone-like features. This project was developed under the scope of Frederico Barbosa’s PhD thesis, supervised by Frederico Ferreira and João Silva.

PhD students Matilde Marques and Joana Couceiro, under coordination of Tina Keller-Costa, translated the comic magazine “Coral Heroes”, a copyrighted production of SECORE International, Inc, published for educational purposes. It provides information on the value, importance, and the threats to coral reefs around the world. The comic invites children to dive into the world of coral heroes Al, Samy, Jo, and Bran and join them on their adventures in the secret reefs of Towabonga.

It is a free publication, intended to be widely distributed without cost. With the Portuguese version added, the comic is now available in nine languages and can be downloaded here.

The idea to bring “Coral Heroes” to Portuguese-speaking children was born at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Germany in 2022 where Tina met Coral Heroes author Dr Carin Jantzen who leads outreach and public relations for SECORE International.

The Portuguese version premiered in a public school in Lisbon in June 2023, with Tina teaching a class on coral symbionts and her daughter Laura reading the comic to primary school children.

Massive representation of IBB at FEMS 2023, the largest Microbiology meeting in Europe, that took place in Hamburg, 9-13 July 2023. PhD students Sara Gomes (Poster entitled “Evolution of Burkholderia multivorans traits required for persistent infections of the cystic fibrosis lung”), Mirela Ferreira (Poster entitled “Characterization of multicellular aggregates formed by Burkholderia multivorans”), Marta Mota (Co-chairing the Industrial Microbiology and Bioeconomy Session and Offered Talk entitled “Candida boidinii, an oleaginous methylotrophic yeast species attractive as a platform for methanol-based biomanufacturing”), Miguel Antunes (Offered Talk entitled “The Hrk1 kinase as a modulator of ion homeostasis and acetic acid stress tolerance in yeast”) and Inês Costa (Offered Talk entitled “Candida glabrata’s genomic plasticity shapes the clinical evolution of biofilm formation”) have presented their work. Miguel Cacho Teixeira (Member of the Program Committee, Charing the Genetics and Genomics Session and Invited Talk entitled “Drug transporters in pathogenic yeasts: in the crossroad between drug resistance and pathogenesis”) and Isabel Sá-Correia (Co-chairing the Yeast strategies to resist relevant stresses in bioindustries and fungal biology and chemistry Session and Invited Talk entitled “Mechanisms underlying adaptation and tolerance to short-chain fatty acids in yeasts”) were also invited to participate. Altogether, all have enjoyed the conference and the chance to re/connect with colleagues and friends from the European microbiology community.

Carla CCR de Carvalho and the Ph.D. student Ricardo FS Pereira presented their work during the FEMS2023 congress in Hamburg, Germany. The congress organized by Federation of European Microbiological Societies is the largest event in the field of microbiology in Europe. Carla de Carvalho presented the talk entitled “Development of efficient bioprocesses using isolated marine bacteria” in the Industrial Microbiology and Bioeconomy session. Ricardo Pereira did a flash presentation entitled “Marine bioprocess development: targeting the production of prodigiosin” during the Biotechnology & Synthetic Microbiology session.

The work developed by the master’s student Catarina Jones, supervised by Teresa Esteves and Paola Sanjuan-Alberte, entitled “Novel wireless Nanobioelectronic Systems to Rewire Cancer Bioelectricity” was selected among several works developed at the University of Lisbon (UL) and presented at the 7th annual conference of RedeSAÚDE on the 14th of November. This research, which developed an effective, targeted, and non-invasive therapy for breast cancer by exploiting cancer's unique bioelectrical properties, was awarded as the Best Master Thesis in the Oncology and Precision Medicine field at UL.  This project emphasized the critical role of interdisciplinary teamwork in pioneering and achieving breakthroughs in healthcare innovation.

A heartfelt appreciation is given to RedeSAÚDE's organizers for bringing together experts from various healthcare fields, fostering an environment of innovative thinking and providing substantial incentives for biotech research and innovation.

A new study from iBB, carried out within the scope of the Mobilizer Project Move2LowC, was published in the Journal of Fungi. The work describes the development, by adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE), of an evolved strain of the oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula toruloides more tolerant to the four major inhibitors present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates (LCH) (acetic acid, formic acid, hydroxymethylfurfural, and furfural). This outcome represents an advantage for the exploitation of promising lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks in bioprocesses envisaging the transition to a sustainable bio-based economy. In fact, the presence of toxic compounds in LCH is among the main barriers affecting the efficiency of lignocellulose-based fermentation processes, in particular hindering the production of intracellular lipids by oleaginous yeasts. These microbial oils are promising sustainable alternatives to vegetable oils for biodiesel production. The more protective role of the evolved strain cellular envelope (cell wall and plasma membrane) was demonstrated and the improved performance of this multi-tolerant strain for lipid production from a synthetic lignocellulosic hydrolysate medium, supplemented with those inhibitors, was confirmed. The work was led by Isabel Sá-Correia and the two first co-authors are the MSc student in Microbiology Mónica A. Fernandes, and the PhD student in Biotechnology and Biosciences Marta N. Mota. Dr. Nuno T. Faria has contributed with the lipid profile characterization.

Chitin is the most abundant natural polymer in the oceans, where it is primarily recycled by chitin-degrading microorganisms. Bacteria of the family Endozoicomonadaceae are prominent symbionts of sessile marine animals, particularly corals, contributing to nutrient cycling in their hosts. A new comparative genomics study, published in ISME Communications, found a widespread occurrence of chitinases, and other genes involved in chitin degradation in cultured and uncultured Endozoicomonadaceae lineages associated with diverse marine animals. The presence of multiple, distinct chitinases on the genomes of several Endozoicomonadaceae species hints at functional variation to secure effective chitin processing in diverse micro-habitats and changing environmental conditions. This study concludes that Endozoicomonadaceae symbionts likely play important roles in chitin turnover in filter- and suspension-feeding animals and in benthic, marine ecosystems at large. The work was developed by MSc students Daniela Silva and Filipa Pedrosa in the framework of the ChiCoBionts project led by iBB/DBE researcher Tina Keller-Costa with valuable contributions from professors Ângela Taipa and Rodrigo Costa.

Miguel Cacho Teixeira, iBB, DBE, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, delivered an invited talk on the Small Meeting on Yeast Transport and Energetics (SMYTE) 2023 meeting, that took place in Blankenberge, Belgium, from 13-17 september 2023. The talk was intitled “Outward and inward azole transport in Candida glabrata” and included exciting new results on the role of hexose transporters as importers of azole antifungal drugs. SMYTE 23 was additionally a great opportunity to reconnect with the active community working in the field of solute transport in yeasts, including structure, function and regulation of transport proteins combined with signaling, homeostasis, physiology and drug resistance.

The 2nd Microbiome PT Summit is taking place on October 26-27 in Lisbon and will gather renowned scientists performing microbiome-based research across the health, environment, industry, and bioeconomy sectors. The registration is free and early-stage researchers are welcome to send abstracts and project ideas for presentation. Please visit the website of the event at https://biodata.pt/microbiome

Lateral Flow Assays (LFA) are point-of-care devices with impact in healthcare. In a paper published in Sensors and Actuators B, Miguel Prazeres and colleagues from the Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) propose a LFA for traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnostics. The new LFA employs graphene oxide (GO) particles on nitrocellulose (NC) test strips to quantitatively detect the biomarker ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1). The incorporation of 80 ng of GO at test lines boosted fluorescence signals by 2–3 times by enhancing the immobilization of capture antibodies. With LOD and LOQ that match UCH-L1 threshold levels, the assay effectively analyzed mock plasma samples simulating TBI patients. In summary, the use of GO particles in the test zone of NC strips improves signal intensity, which could potentially enhance the accuracy and efficiency of LFA-based diagnosis.

João Carlos Silva was awarded with one of the Education Travel Grants of the Orthoregeneration Network (ON) Foundation to participate and share the latest developments of his research work on novel strategies for bone and cartilage tissue engineering in the European Orthopaedic Research Society (EORS) conference meeting 2023, which will be held on the 27th-29th September at the Alfandega Porto Congress Centre, Porto-Portugal.

As part of the celebrations of the International Microorganism Day (September 17th), the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon (ACL) and its Institute of Higher Studies, in collaboration with the Portuguese Society of Microbiology (SPM), organize, on the 18th September, Monday, an afternoon to promote Microbiology. The session includes talks by Isabel Sá-Correia who will moderate the colloquium, and Tinar Keller-Costa, both from DBE and iBB.

In the midst of the climate crisis, the colloquium's theme is: LIFE ON OUR PLANET DEPENDS ON MICROORGANISMS. The session is open and will take place, in a hybrid format, in the ACL session room, as well as on the Zoom platform. The session will take place in Portuguese, with the exception of the last talk which will be in English: SAVE THE MICROBES TO SAVE THE PLANET to be presented by the President of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS), it is a call to action to promote the development of sustainable solutions to control infectious agents, preserve global microbial diversity and healthy life on our planet.

The production of piezoelectric constructs in order to address osteoporotic-related fractures holds significant promise. Such scaffolds could be used to mimic the native piezoelectric features of bone as well as assisting electrical stimulation-based therapies, which have been found to accelerate bone repair. In an article recently published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, iBB researchers Frederico Barbosa, João Silva, Fábio Garrudo, Marta Carvalho, Paola Alberte, Leonor Resina and Frederico Ferreira, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Nottingham and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, developed novel hydroxyapatite-filled PVDF-TrFE nanofibers with enhanced piezoelectrical properties and osteogenic potential.

Magnetic hydrogels have recently been drawing a lot of attention in the scientific community due to their remote controllability and high biocompatibility. By combining these materials with a 3D bioprinting technique, it is possible to fabricate intricate structures responsive to an external magnetic stimulus, thus allowing the tuning of the constructs properties to better recapitulate the microarchitecture of native tissues. In this article recently published in the International Journal of Bioprinting, iBB researchers Duarte Almeida, Paola Sanjuan-Alberte, João C. Silva and Frederico Ferreira provided an overview of the current state of the art of magnetic hydrogels, exploring the production of the magnetic components and their introduction in the hydrogels, and emphasizing the current research made on the applications of these materials for tissue engineering strategies.

Tiago Fernandes, professor at the Bioengineering department (DBE) at Técnico and researcher at the Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), recently spoke about his life path and his experience at Técnico, more specifically on the Taguspark campus.

He characterises Técnico Taguspark as “Welcoming” due to his familiar environment. He considers that people's relationships are closer, and that the peaceful environment helps him concentrate on his work.

Check out Tiago Fernandes' interview here: “Técnico Taguspark in a word”.

Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho and Ricardo Pereira (2BRG-iBB) participated in the annual meeting of the EU funded project FuturEnzyme (https://www.futurenzyme.eu). The 16 partners that integrate the project met during July 6 and 7, in the house of UHAM members, the Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology (IPM, Hamburg, Germany), next to the Botanical Garden. The work carried out during the first 24M of the project was presented and discussed between partners and in the presence of members of the Advisory Board.