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Sandra Pinto and Vasco Bonifácio (iBB-i4HB/IST) were invited to carry out hands-on science activities for 1st cycle students at EB/JI Quinta da Cevadeira School on May 31, 2023. At the “Clube Ciência Viva – Cientistas de Palmo e Meio” they performed several experiences based on fluorescence and phosphorescence. The “little scientists” were surprised by the luminescent properties of different materials used in everyday life (emergency signs, honey, olive oil, gummy bears, vitamins, among others), learned how to make fluorescent slime and also discovered the fireflies chemistry.

Vasco Bonifácio (iBB-i4HB/DBE) was one of the guest speakers at the Workshop “Design and trends in presentations” that took place at Academia das Ciências on May 26, 2023, as part of the 5th Edition of CQE Days, Researchers Meeting from Centro Estrutural de Química (CQE) at IST. His talk “Design or redesign?” focused on strategies to improve the graphic quality of science communication. Based on his experience as an Editor of scientific journals, Researcher and Professor, he used several case studies, where he approached the construction of figures and graphical abstracts for articles, and the elaboration of posters and slides for oral presentations.

📣 Announcement: Join the Book Project on "Drug Delivery Systems for Wound Healing"! 📣

Prof. Dr. Pedro Fonte (iBB, CCMar, University of Algarve) and Prof. Dr. Pedro Brandão (Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, iBB, CQC) are currently editing an upcoming book titled "Drug Delivery Systems for Wound Healing," set to be published by Elsevier.

Our primary objective with this book is to provide a comprehensive summary of the latest and most relevant findings in the field of wound healing. We will specifically focus on exploring various drug delivery systems that have been applied to effectively address this critical issue.

📚Would you like to contribute a chapter to this book? 📚

If you have valuable insights and expertise to offer, we invite you to join us by writing a chapter. Your contribution would significantly enhance the overall content and make a lasting impact in the field. To learn more about the publication process and deadlines, please feel free to reach out to us at prfonte@ualg.pt and pbrandao@egasmoniz.edu.pt. Kindly provide us with a tentative title for your chapter, along with your contact information, as well as any co-authors you might decide to invite to join you.

To ensure a smooth submission process, all chapters must be submitted through the ELSA platform by the end of the year. Access the platform by visiting this link: https://app.elsa.elsevier.com/auth/login.

⏰ Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity! ⏰

Thank you for considering this invitation, and we eagerly look forward to your participation. Together, we can advance knowledge and make a lasting impact on wound healing research.

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).

The irreversible progressive nature of degenerative osteochondral defects, affecting both articular cartilage and the subchondral bone, is a leading cause for joint disease and disability among adults, resulting in severe limitations for people to perform daily activities and represents a heavy economic burden for society. Current treatments do no provide adequate long-term solutions and innovative tissue engineering strategies are regarded as a promising alternative to improve clinical outcomes. A key aspect that needs to be considered is the integration between native tissue and the tissue engineered construct. In this recent article resulting from a collaboration between researchers from iBB and CDRSP-Politécnico de Leiria, published in the Journal Polymers, a new approach to design and manufacture curved scaffolds to mimic osteochondral tissue geometry was presented. The curvature of the sphere was proposed as a template and a procedure was developed for an automated design of scaffolds with explicitly defined curvatures. Fused filament fabrication (3D-Printing) was used for scaffolds’ manufacturing. A Shape fidelity analysis implemented through micro-CT and SEM imaging validated the maximum curvature printability limit predicted from CAD modeling and confirmed the suitability of fused filament fabrication to manufacture curvature-featuring scaffolds. Additionally, a mechanical analysis was conducted with printed scaffolds and through finite element analysis to determine scaffold mechanical properties and identify the regions more susceptible to higher loads.

Diana Marques, a PhD candidate at the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), was challenged by Fernando Gaspar to answer this question.

In an interview for the podcast "Consórcio do Bem-Estar," Diana discussed the Algae2Fish project's goals with Fernando Gaspar, José Alberto Maia Pereira, and Alvaro Cidrais. Diana is developing research on unique techniques for generating 3D bioprinted fish fillets.

The Algae2Fish project is currently ongoing at iBB and aims to produce seabass fish fillets using 3D bioprinting. These scaffolds will support fish cell growth, provide adequate mechanical and structural properties, and contribute to the final tissue nutritional and organoleptic features.

As current treatments for periodontitis have failed to promote tissue repair and the coordinated regeneration of the whole periodontium, innovative therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to improve the clinical outcomes. Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds are particularly promising for applications in periodontal regeneration since they are able to mimic the native tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) features such as the size and alignment of the fibers present in the periodontal ligament (PDL). In this article recently published in the journal Nanomaterials, iBB researchers MSc Mafalda Santos, Dr. Marta Carvalho and Dr. João Silva provided an overview of the current state of the art of the application of electrospun nanofibers in periodontal regeneration, either as guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes or as scaffolds for tissue engineering strategies.

The insufficient UV photoprotection of approved sunscreens and the negative impact of their compositions on ecosystems and human health makes the utility of sunscreen questionable. Therefore, discovering UV filters with significant antioxidant activity and improved topical performance and photostability is crucial. The use of nanosized natural molecules incorporated in sunscreens has been a scientific hot topic, since they provide a synergistic effect with synthetic UV filters, improving overall SPF and antioxidant activity, higher epidermis retention, and less toxicity. Pedro Fonte from iBB and colleagues reviewed about formulations containing nanosized flavonoids with improved safety and UVA photoprotection becoming promising sunscreens.

Mónica da Luz Galocha defended her PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences, titled “Unveiling new pathways of genomic evolution towards drug resistance in Candida glabrata”, on the 13th of February 2023, at Instituto Superior Técnico. During the previous four years, and under the supervision of Miguel Cacho Teixeira from iBB, Mónica studied the genomic basis of the evolution towards antifungal drug resistance in the fungal pathogen Candida glabrata, uncovering fascinating new mechanisms of azole drug import and transcriptome-wide remodelling in the dependency of mediator complex components.

On the 16th of February 2023, Joaquim Cabral, former presidente of iBB,  gives a lecture at Sessão da Classe de Ciências of Academia das Ciências de Lisboa. This lecture will be entitled “The Role of Bioprocess Engineering and Cellular Therapies and Regenerative Medicine”. This session will be chaired by Professor Carlos Salema and will also feature a lecture given by Professor Conceição Peleteiro and several guests.

The CryoEM-PT - National Advanced Electron Microscopy Network for Health and Life Sciences facility inauguration was held in February 2nd at the INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, in Braga. The inauguration took place in the presence of Interim INL Director General - Paulo Freitas, the Scientific Coordinator of AEMIS Facility - Paulo Ferreira, the Alderwoman of Braga - Olga Pereira, the FCT President - Madalena Alves and CCDR-N President - António Cunha, along with the representatives of the multiple nodes of this network. Profs. Berberan Santos (iBB President), Fábio Fernandes (IST Node) and Manuel Prieto (iBB) attended the inauguration. IST is one of the nodes of the network and iBB is the authorized user of the equipment on behalf of IST within this network.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane vesicles fundamental for cellular communication processes. Either by taking advantage of EVs innate properties, or by loading them with therapeutic agents, EVs have emerged as cell-free strategies with diverse clinical applications. Indeed, when compared to mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), similar or better therapeutic benefits have been reported for MSC-derived EVs, thus explaining the increased interest in EVs over the years. Despite appealing features, EVs implementation in the clinic is still limited by technical difficulties, like robust isolation methods capable of delivering a high-quality product with high yield. In this work, published in the journal Separation and Purification Technology, we described anion exchange chromatography as a robust and better alternative to already implemented techniques. Following this strategy, more than 85% of injected EVs could be recovered, while complying with the stringencies set by regulatory agencies. This study developed at iBB was led by Dr. Ana Fernandes-Platzgummer and Prof. Ana Azevedo and co-first-authored by PhD students Ricardo Silva and Sara Sousa Rosa.

The Academic Jubilee of Isabel Sá-Correia, Distinguished Professor at the Departamento de Bioengenharia (DBE) and researcher at the iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences will take place on the 7th February, at 5 p.m., in Instituto Superior Técnico congress centre.

Programme:
5 p.m. – Opening session – João Pedro Conde – Head of DBE
5.05 p.m. – Rogério Colaço – President of Técnico
5.10 p.m. – Jorge Pedrosa – Presidente da Sociedade Portuguesa de Microbiologia
5.15 p.m. – Joaquim Cabral – DBE
5.20 p.m. – Arsénio Fialho – DBE
5.25 p.m. – Jorge Leitão – DBE
5.30 p.m. – Isabel Sá-Correia – 30 min “As Ciências Biológicas numa Escola de Engenharia” (“Biological Sciences in a School of Engineering”)
6 p.m. – Luís Ferreira – Rector of Universidade de Lisboa
6.05 p.m. – Closing session and "Porto de Honra"

Vasco Bonifácio (iBB-i4HB/DBE) is the new President of the Lisbon Regional Delegation of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ). Elections took place on June 1, 2023, with a three-year term. The new team includes Doctor Sandra Pinto (iBB-i4HB) and Doctor Rita Pires (CEFEMA), both IST researchers. It is incumbent upon the Delegations to develop, on a regional scale, the scientific and administrative activities arising from the achievement of the Society's purposes.

Solid–lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers act as delivery systems for a wide range of molecules used in diagnostics and therapeutics. These nanocarriers may enhance the solubility and permeability of drugs, increase their bioavailability, and extend the residence time in the body, combining low toxicity with targeted delivery. Nanostructured lipid carriers are emerging as the second generation of lipid nanoparticles, differing from solid lipid nanoparticles in their composition matrix. The use of a liquid lipid together with a solid lipid in nanostructured lipid carrier allows it to load a higher amount of drug, enhance drug release properties, and increase its stability. In this work, Pedro Fonte from IBB and co-workers in collaboration with researchers from India and Pakistan performed a comparative review between solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers in what concerns the production methodologies, physicochemical characterization, and in vitro and in vivo performance of these drug carriers.

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.