Title: Playing with Metals: Exploring therapeutic profiles of nucleosides through metallation

Abstract: Nucleosides analogues are widely used in the clinic, acting mainly as antimetabolites that disrupt the synthesis of nucleic acids. They can be applied as a standalone treatment or in combination therapies (e.g. with cisplatin for cancer) to improve effectiveness in treatment by the dual mode of action that each drug provides. Yet, combination therapies can be problematic due to the different pharmacokinetics of each drug. One promising strategy to circumvent this issue is to combine cytotoxic functionalities in one single drug. In the Bioorganometallic Chemistry group at ITQB-NOVA, we study methodologies of synthesis for of organometallic nucleosides and their application in medicinal chemistry.

About Ana: Ana Petronilho is the leader of the Bioorganometallic Chemistry Group at ITQB-NOVA since 2015. Her research is focused on the synthesis of organometallic nucleosides and their applications in medicinal chemistry and catalysis. Ana concluded her PhD at the University of Seville under the supervision of Prof. Carmona, working in synthetic methodologies for C-H activation of pyridines. In 2011she moved to Dublin, to work in synthesis of catalysts for artificial photosynthesis with Prof. M. Albrecht at University College Dublin. In June 2015, after a short career break, she started her independent career at ITQB-NOVA after being awarded the FCT Starting Investigator Grant. Since then, Ana and her team have worked extensively in the development of new methodologies for the synthesis of organometallic nucleosides and their applications. Her current work deals with methodologies for functionalization of nucleic acids with metal complexes.

Title: Cell microenvironments in disease and therapeutic response

Abstract: The dynamic and complex crosstalk between target cells and their microenvironment modulates physiological functions, pathological processes, and response to therapy. This crosstalk is mediated by direct cell-cell contact and indirect interactions via the heterogeneous molecular components secreted to the extracellular space (e.g., extracellular matrix, soluble factors, extracellular vesicles). A major challenge in deciphering the crosstalk mechanisms and predicting their effect on therapeutic efficacy is the lack of human cell models that depict the dynamics of the cellular and extracellular spaces without the confounding effects of heterologous extracellular matrix and soluble factors. The difficulties in recapitulating this heterogeneous microenvironment in human cell models, without the confounding effects of heterologous extracellular matrices, are a bottleneck in deciphering the crosstalk mechanisms and predicting their effect on therapeutic efficacy. To overcome these limitations, our team develops 3D cell models of disease, applying advanced cell culture approaches (3D culture, co-culture, cell immobilization) and systems (perfusion, bioreactors) to human pluripotent stem cells, other patient-derived cells, and human cell lines. I will present the two main research lines of the Lab: inflammatory neuronal microenvironments and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments, and their influence in the response to advanced therapeutics. 

About Catarina Brito: Catarina Brito is a Principal Investigator at iBET (PT), heading the Advanced Cell Models Lab of the Animal Cell Technology Unit of iBET and ITQB-NOVA since 2014. Her PhD, in glycobiology and intracellular trafficking in human cells, was performed at ITQB NOVA and as a visiting student at Institut Jacques Monod (FR). She joined iBET in 2007, initially as a postdoc working in human Stem Cell Bioprocessing, and from 2009 to 2014 she was a Senior Project Manager of academic and industrial collaborations, developing preclinical cell models and bioassays. Her research is mostly translational, dedicated to the development of advanced human cell models (employing induced pluripotent stem cells and other patient-derived cells) to depict the deregulation of the cellular microenvironment in disease progression and evaluate its role in therapeutic response. Key areas of interest include the innate immune microenvironment in cancer and neurological disorders and immunotherapies.

Title: Tissue damage and Repair in the Brain

Abstract: The brain of mammals harbors mainly quiescent neural stem cells (qNSCs), which reside in a reversible state of dormancy and show poor activation in response to tissue damage. A main focus of our work is to understand how qNSCs integrate cues from the injured tissue environment and how this triggers an efficient regenerative response resulting in the replacement of lost neurons. We use genetically versatile fruit fly flies to dissect how qNSCs are recruited to repair following a local brain injury.  The Drosophila model allows us to test numerous candidate genes in vivo with cell-type specific resolution. We commonly use a blend of transcriptional profiling, functional genetic assays (RNAi, overexpression), lineage-tracing and in vivo sensors (hypoxia, ROS, Calcium, glial activation) to identify factors that crucially promote regeneration or improve brain resilience. Moreover, we have implemented behavioral assays to assess recovery of brain function and achieve a more integral understanding of the regenerative response.  In the near future, we also plan to test promising targets in the context of neurodegenerative disease.

To address the conserved nature of the extracted principles and translate our findings to the mammalian brain, we are collaborating with groups working with traumatic (Basque Neuroscience Center) and ischemic (CF) brain injury models in rodents.

About Christa: Christa Rhiner received her Master degree in 2012 from the University of Bern, Switzerland, following a Master thesis in the lab of Prof. Adriano Aguzzi at the University Hospital in Zurich. She then entered the International Neuroscience PhD program of the ETH/University of Zurich (UZH) and joined the lab of Prof. Michael O. Hengartner to work on axon guidance signaling in C. elegans. Apart from her PhD, she also obtained a degree in science communication from the Institute for Applied Media Studies.

For her postdoctoral studies (2007-2010), she moved to the group of Dr. Eduardo Moreno at the National Cancer Center (CNIO) in Madrid and studied novel factors mediating cell competition in Drosophila and mice. In 2011, Christa joined the Institute of Cell Biology in Bern as lecturer and investigator where she worked on neuronal fitness and established Drosophila as a model to study brain regenerative processes. In 2017, she started her own group at the Champalimaud Center in Lisbon focusing on neural stem cell control and regeneration.

Title: The health impact of the circulating metabolites from dietary polyphenols  

Abstract: Epidemiological and clinical studies have highlighted the health potential of diets rich in fruits and vegetables. These foods are sources of (poly)phenols, natural compounds described to have health benefits, having potential to prevent and/or retard the development of chronic disorders by modulating several cellular and molecular pathways. However, the precise contribution of dietary (poly)phenols and their metabolites is still in the beginning of being elucidated. Absorption, blood concentrations and metabolic fate of some (poly)phenols is quite uncertain, which can hamper the research in terms of understanding their effects. We are interested in understanding what are the most abundant bioavailable metabolites resulting from dietary (poly)phenols, as well as their ability to overcome the physiological barriers (gut and blood-brain barrier). We study the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of these small molecules in inflammatory scenarios in particular gut inflammation and brain neuroinflammation. We use different molecular and cellular approaches in combination with in vivo studies to address these questions.

About Cláudia: Cláudia Nunes dos Santos is group leader of the Molecular Nutrition and Health Laboratory of NOVA Medical School (NMS). With a Biochemistry background, Cláudia developed her research work in the fields of dietary polyphenols metabolism and the molecular mechanisms underlying their beneficial effects in Health and Disease. Since 2019 she is Principal Investigator at NMS. Current research, with funding from ERC starting grant is focused on understanding how circulating polyphenols metabolites can reach the brain and how they act in key hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases. Other projects from Horizon2020 EU programs, FP7 and FCT also supported their work on understanding the molecular mechanism of food bioactives in model organisms. She has published 7 book chapters, more than 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers and cited more than 10100 times (h-index 31). Moreover, she holds one international and one national provisional patent application in small molecules for neurodegenerative diseases. She had also received 2 Food and Nutrition Awards Honourable Mention in R&D (2019 and 2012).

Title: Nucleo-Cytoskeleton Connections 

Abstract: Connecting the nucleus to the cytoskeleton is relevant for multiple cellular processes and disruption of these connections result in multiple pathologies. Nuclear positioning within cell cytoplasm requires de connection between nucleus and the cytoskeleton. We are interested in understanding the processes involved in these connections and the role for nuclear positioning in cell function. We study cell migration and skeletal myofiber formation which required the connection between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton and precise nuclear positioning. We use different molecular and cellular approaches in combination with time-lapse imaging analysis to address these questions.

About Edgar: Edgar Gomes is Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and Group Leader at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM), Lisbon, Portugal. He is a biochemist by training and obtained his PhD on Cell Biology in Coimbra, Portugal. Thereafter, he did his post-doc at the University of Columbia, NY, USA. In 2007, at the Institute of Myology, Paris, France, Edgar Gomes set up his own research group and became a Director of Research. Since 2014, he is heading a lab at iMM, where they are studying how cells organized themselves for multiple functions. In particular, the lab has been interested in understanding how the cell nucleus is positioned within the cytoplasm and what is the function of nuclear positioning in migrating cells and skeletal muscle. Recently he became a Professor of Histology and Developmental Biology at the Faculty of Medicine, where he works closely with Hospital Santa Maria, the main hospital in Lisbon, at the edge of diagnostics and therapeutics.

Title: Competition and metabolism in phytoplankton communities

Abstract: Metabolism is a key trait of any organism because it is linked to production. Therefore, how much energy an organism consumes can be a valuable tool to predict the productivity and efficiency of ecological communities. While the metabolism of organisms is correlated with their size, there is a substantial amount of unexplained variation in this relationship so that robust inferences about energy fluxes at larger scales are difficult. Our research group explores competition as an underlying driver of metabolic variation at different scales, from species to communities. During this talk, I will give an overview of our model system, phytoplankton, and the approaches we use to answer this question. Finally, I will briefly show how competition, within and among species, alters organismal metabolism and how these responses feedback to affect the functioning of communities.

About Giulia: Giulia completed her PhD at the University of Adelaide in 2016 under the supervision of Prof. Sean Connell. Her PhD explored the ecological mechanisms that maintain ecosystem stability and found that changes in how organisms use resources are central to stabilising processes. She then accepted a postdoc position with Prof. Dustin Marshall at Monash University, where she studied organismal metabolism in the context of populations and communities. In 2019 she was awarded a DECRA fellowship by the Australian Research Council to expand her work on energy use and competition. She joined the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência in December 2021 as a group leader. Her lab examines how competition shapes the evolution of metabolic traits in ecological communities.

Title: Immune modulation in aging and tissue repair

Abstract: Tissue repair processes have evolved as mechanisms of healing damaged organs. We are interested in harnessing the potential of tissue repair to promote organ rejuvenation. We use skeletal muscle regeneration as a paradigm of tissue repair to understand the molecular and cellular basis of the immune modulatory component of tissue regeneration and how its dysregulation in aging and disease can be targeted to optimize stem cell-based therapies. We aim to identify pathways that are used by immune cells to modulate the inflammatory tone of the tissue environment, with the goal of identifying new molecules with immune modulatory properties and therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine applied to old patients. The Neves lab is part of the Ageing & Tissue Repair joint lab, running two independent, complementary and cooperative research programs focused on biology of stem cell aging and the age-associated changes in the immune environment.

About Joana: Joana Neves is a Group leader at iMM Lisbon. She is interested in understanding the role of the immune system in regenerating tissues and in harnessing the potential of immune modulation to improve regenerative therapies in aging.  Joana received her PhD in 2009, from Pompeu Fabra University, in Barcelona, Spain. During her postdoctoral work, at the Buck Institute in California she discovered the immune modulatory and anti-geronic properties of MANF and its use for retinal regenerative therapies. Joana is now expanding this work to regenerative biology in aging aiming to understand how aging affects the repair-associated immune response and to discover new targets to improve the repair capacity in aged organisms through immune modulatory strategies. Joana has received several awards including the 2019 Sartorius and Science Prize in Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy.

Title: The Landscape of Precision NanoMedicine at Nova Medical Research

Abstract: The main focus of our research is the use of Cancer Nanotechnology for Precision Medicine in order to tackle crucial medical problems involved in the development of novel and highly effective diagnostic and therapy platforms for cancer. Cancer has become the chief proving ground-breaking platforms that can be used for Precision Medicine. Determining the response profile of a tumor, detecting key driver players in tumor progression, and trying to disable those drivers with targeted therapies and engineered materials so as to “smash” the brakes on malignant and metastatic cells to control proliferation is the modus operandus of our research. Cancer Nanotechnology is becoming a burgeoning field and we are sure that will aim to bring up reality to the Precision Medicine initiative. It is now crucial to empower the potential of Nanomedicine to differentially combat cancer using smart and targeted platforms that mediate highly selective therapies within the tumor microenvironment. The lack of standardized means to treat and profile the tumor microenvironment calls for a paradigm shift in the way we view and treat cancer. Is in this paradigm that our research will focus: tackling real biomedical problems and develop smart materials to beat cancer.

About João: João Conde is an Assistant Professor and Group Leader (https://www.conde-nanolab.com/) at NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. He received his PhD in Biology from the NOVA University and Universidad de Zaragoza in 2014, under the FP7 European Consortium NanoScieE+ – NANOTRUCK. After, he was a Marie Curie Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard-MIT Division for Health Sciences and Technology and in School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London. From 2017 to 2019 he was a Junior Investigator at Instituto de Medicina Molecular. In 2019, he won an ERC Starting Grant to build a genetic biobarcode to profile breast cancer heterogeneity. He is also co-founder of the biotech company TargTex, Targeted Therapeutics for Glioblastoma Multiforme. Since 2020, he is also part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Consortium from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington. He published more than 90 articles and cited more than 6400 times (h-index 40). Moreover, he holds 7 international patents in nanomaterials-based platforms for cancer therapy and diagnosis. He was also awarded with several international awards, including the Nanomaterials 2020 Young Investigator Award, the 2021 Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigator, the Top2% Most cited in Nanoscience/Nanotechnology from PLOS Biology, the Wellcome Image Awards 2017, the Nano-Micro Letters Researcher Award, and the National Cancer Institute Image award.  

Title: Spinal cord regeneration: what can we learn from zebrafish?

Abstract: A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a terrible non-resolving neurological condition with devastating consequences for the affected individual. Much of what we know about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of this condition comes from studies using animal models. While some of these models, like the mouse, are similar to humans and are unable to repair the spinal cord after an injury, others, like the zebrafish, display an outstanding regenerative capacity. I will discuss our recent efforts to characterise the tissue microenvironment of injured spinal cords with a comparative perspective between the regenerative zebrafish and the scarring mouse.

About Leonor: Leonor Saúde studied Biology at Universidade de Aveiro, obtained a Master in Biochemical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico and a PhD in Developmental Biology from University College London, UK. In 2002, she returned to Portugal for a postdoc at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and in 2005 she set up her independent research group at the same institute. In 2008, she moved her lab to Instituto de Medicina Molecular, where she also serves as the Head of the Zebrafish Unit and Member of the Training Hub. Leonor Saúde is an Invited Associate Professor at Faculdade de Medicina Universidade de Lisboa since 2003.Her team won the Pfizer Prize for Basic Science (2005, 2021), the Fundación La Caixa Award (2019) and the Santa Casa Neurosciences Award (2020). Leonor Saúde is co-founder of the Portuguese Society for Developmental Biology, where she served as Secretary (2011-2013), Vice-President (2013-2015) and President (2015-2017).

Title: Coarse-grain molecular dynamics at the forefront of computational microscopy

Abstract: Computational modeling of molecular dynamics is now at the point where events can be probed close to the µm scale, or into the millisecond. This ushers in what is being termed Computational Microscopy. Coarse-grain methods have been central in enabling this methodological advancement: by judiciously simplifying molecular representations, coarse-graining can yield simulation speed-ups of several orders of magnitude. At ITQB NOVA's Multiscale Modeling Lab we develop and employ such coarse-grain models. In my talk I discuss their strengths and shortcomings, and showcase their potential with an example of protein-lipid interactions in apoptosis.

About Manuel Melo: Manuel is the head of the Multiscale Modeling lab within the MOSTMICRO unit of ITQB NOVA. His work is centered on elucidating the molecular-level details of lipid-lipid, lipid-protein, and protein-protein interactions. Manuel's research employs coarse-grained, atomistic, and hybrid molecular dynamic simulations, and tackles both the construction of models (as a developer within the Martini coarse-grain framework) and their application to biological questions. Additionally, Manuel actively develops simulation and analysis software (he is a developer of the MDAnalysis Python package), with emphasis on large-scale parallelization of analysis. As a Marie Curie Fellow, and later as a Dutch NWO VENI Fellow, Manuel carried out postdoctoral work at the University of Groningen, where he became involved in the development and application of coarse-grain modeling. Manuel's work, both in method development and in applied research, is often done in collaboration with experimental biochemistry and biology, ensuring an impactful output.

Title: The biology of T cells

Abstract: TBA

About Marc: Marc Veldhoen has a MSc in Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Utrecht and a PhD in Immunology obtained at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), London. He did his post-doc at NIMR, working on Thelper cell differentiation such as Th17 and Th9 cells. In 2010 he moved to Cambridge to start his own group, with a focus on mucosal T cells and the impact of the local environment on their function. In 2016 he took up the position of ERA Chair at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, with a continuing focus on mucosal T cell biology.

Title: Genome maintenance and evolution

Abstract: How do essential cellular mechanisms evolve? While early works highlighted the universal principles shared by cells of different kingdoms, new studies are uncovering remarkable differences in how different species execute essential functions. Different species pack their genomes in different sets of chromosomes, which are replicated, segregated, and repaired by different subsets of proteins. The origins of this variability are still a mystery. We have recently demonstrated how genome maintenance mechanisms are capable of quick evolutionary re-wiring when perturbed, showing how evolutionary cell biology can be studied experimentally. In our lab, we combine evolutionary, cell, and molecular approaches in S. cerevisiae to study the principles underlying the evolution of genome maintenance.

About Marco Fumasoni: Marco Fumasoni leads the Genome Maintenance and Evolution lab at the IGC since May 2021. During his Ph.D. (University of Milan, 2014)  he was trained as a molecular geneticist studying the mechanisms that maintain genome stability during the replication of damaged DNA templates. He later joined the Murray lab (Harvard University, 2015) as an EMBO/AIRC/HFSP postdoctoral fellow, using experimental evolution and systems biology to study the mechanisms and dynamics of genome evolution.

Title: Promoting Health behaviour change through digital interventions: Showcase from EpiDoc, NMS Research and CHRC

Abstract: TBA

About Marta Marques: Marta Marques is a behavioral scientist/health psychologist (PhD Leiden University), holding a senior research position at the Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Nova Medical School, UNL, and a lecture position at ISPA-University Institute. She is also a visiting researcher at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and associate for the Centre for Behaviour Change of the University College London (UK). Marta Marques has served as a member of the European Health Psychology Society Executive Committee, as a member of the Portuguese COVID-19 Behavioral Science Task Force, has been involved in international expert committees, and in various national and international consortium projects (e.g. H2020 SEURO Project, AAL LEAVES). Her research focuses on applying health behaviour change theories to develop and evaluate complex digital interventions targeting a range of health behaviours, and in the methods for the development of the science of behaviour change.

Title: The role of nutrition in the development of adiposity-based chronic disease

Abstract: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) usually emerge after chronic exposure to an unhealthy lifestyle, including lack of regular physical activity, and consumption of diets rich in highly saturated fats, sugars, and salt. This lifestyle is highly related to an increased prevalence of obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperglycaemia, which are known risk factors for the development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Despite the evidence that shows the importance of lifestyle changes in preventing NCD, it is often difficult to implement such changes in people's life. Our group is focused on adiposity-based chronic disease (ABCD) related to lifestyle, particularly, food and nutritional factors that are implicated in the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of such conditions. We are interested in endocrine modulators, intestinal microbiota, bioactivity of nutritional and non-nutritional food compounds, that can be used to target disease prevention and/or treatment. We also aim to understand the best nutritional strategies to manage lifestyle-related diseases. 

About Marta Silvestre: Marta P Silvestre graduated in Nutritional Sciences in 2007, from the University of Porto, having completed a PhD in biomedical sciences at the University of Lisbon with the host institution being Queen Mary University of London. During her PhD she worked in pre-clinical studies focusing on metabolic pathways associated to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Later, as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Auckland, she led the New Zealand arm of a large international clinical trial for type 2 diabetes prevention in a high risk population, having also worked in intestinal microbiota during that period of time (from 2013 to 2018). She is currently a Guest Assistant Professor at NOVA Medical School, where she teaches nutrition, metabolism and related contents in pre- and post-graduated programmes within the institution. She continues to undertake research activities, both, as part of her international collaboration and as part of her group's large financed projects, in which she also supervises postgraduate students.

Title: Physical biology across scales, from protein mechanics to multi-component mixtures

Abstract: Theoretical physics provides a rich set of tools that can be used to tackle multiple different problems of quantitative biology. During this short talk I will present some of the topics in which our group performs research. I will particularly focus on how mechanics can provide a coarse grained quantitative description of protein conformational changes, and how neural networks can help us understand liquid phases better.

About Pablo Sartori: Pablo Sartori was trained as a theoretical physicist in Spain. He then worked at IBM labs in NY, where he was first exposed to quantitative biology. He went on to pursue his PhD on biomechanics at the MPI-PKS in Dresden. He then performed post-doctoral work at Rockefeller University on topics at the interface of protein assembly, neural networks, and structural biology. He now leads a research group at IGC. 

Title: "The Super-Bug within: Staphylococcus aureus as an intracellular pathogen” mas vou falar também sobre a tecnologia essencial para explorar questões neste contexto. 

Abstract: In Europe, the burden caused by antibiotic resistant bacterial infections is equivalent to influenza, HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis combined. Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains are the second most relevant in this context. A chief factor suggested to contribute for the high incidence and prevalence of S. aureus infections is its capacity to persist and divide inside host cells, escaping antibiotics and extracellular immune recognition. Formerly regarded as an exclusively extracellular pathogen, S. aureus is in fact a facultative intracellular pathogen, infecting immune and non-immune cells while evading autonomous immunity (intracellular recognition of pathogens). This is thought to be a major factor in continuance of carriage, chronicity of infection and dissemination within the host. We want to explore the bacterial cell surface molecular signatures and the host-cell factors that play a role in these processes using a combination of advanced microscopy approaches, multicomponent host-cell systems and classical cell biology and biochemistry approaches.

About Pedro Pereira: Pedro has a degree in Applied Chemistry, a master’s in Biotechnology and a PhD in Cell Biology. Pedro is a cell biologist with scientific knowledge in microbiology, host-pathogen interaction, and advanced microscopy approaches. Pedro is an expert in scientific project design/management, undergraduate/postgraduate student supervision and writing/communication of scientific information to both expert and non-expert audiences. Pedro has also served in several decision boards in NOVA and UCL where he has worked with academic, industrial, and political partners to define scientific/institutional vision and impact strategies. More recently Pedro was invited to be a member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences Young Researchers Seminary. From a research point of view, Pedro, has explored questions in the fields of Staphylococcus aureus cell biology, host-pathogen interaction, hardware, software, and probe based technological innovations for microscopy. Recently he was awarded a “La Caixa” Junior Leader Fellowship, a FCT project grant and a Maratona da Saúde award to develop his independent research project in Portugal. Since October 1st 2021 he has his own research group at ITQB NOVA, IMIB laboratory.

Title: Zebrafish Avatars for personalized medicine and ​study tumor-innate immune interactions

Abstract: With the exception of a few biomarker-driven therapies, most patients are treated with chemo or radiotherapy and many times go through rounds of trial-and-error approaches to find the best treatment. One of our major goals in the Lab is to develop a test to help MDs choose the best available therapy for each individual patient, using zebrafish Avatars.

The Lab also investigates the cellular and molecular interactions that occur between human tumor cells and zebrafish innate immune cells. Innate immune cells are the first line of defense of the organism against infection, damage or any other threats, and are highly present in the tumor ecosystem. These cells can behave as “good cops” (protecting the host against cancer) or as corrupted “bad cops” (helping the tumor). Our goal is to understand these processes and discover new innate immunomodulators to be combined with immune check point blockers, to engage both arms of the immune system to fight cancer.

About Rita Fior: Rita Fior is a Developmental Biologist, fascinated by how cells interact with each other, to deliver instructions, to collaborate, to compete or synchronize their actions. From studying chick neurogenesis and Notch signaling during her PhD, she moved on to study zebrafish somitogenesis in her Post-Doc. By the end of her Post–Doc under the supervision of Leonor Saúde (iMM) and Julian Lewis (FRS), she became interested in cancer and in patient-targeted therapies. Fior optimized and challenged the zebrafish larvae xenograft model to test if it could reveal inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity and differential response to therapy. Her Lab is actively testing the predictive power of these larval zAvatars in colorectal and breast cancer. In parallel, the Lab is investigating new mechanisms of innate immune evasion. Her work is being recognized with several prizes and honorable mentions such as Genetics of The Year (Genetics Society), BioMED Central Research award, Crioestaminal and BIAL Clinical Medicine.

Title: Novel approaches linking phenomics and plant metabolism to design climate-resilient crops

Abstract: Rubén Vicente’s research has been focused on the study of the coordination of carbon and nitrogen metabolism at the molecular and biochemical level, but also at the whole plant (source-sink dynamics) and canopy level (high field capacity phenotyping). Understanding how plants coordinate photosynthesis and nutrient uptake from the soil in real field conditions is key to identifying those mechanisms that have a key impact on crop improvement. However, there are still many unknown mechanisms in primary metabolism that may have a significant impact on production and stress response, and our knowledge of their impact on plant phenotype is also limited, which requires work on holistic multidisciplinary studies and the development of new high-precision phenotyping tools.

The final goal is the definition of crop ideotypes better adapted to present and future environmental conditions (e.g. grain yield, quality, and crop resilience) in the Mediterranean region. These studies are crucial to contribute to crop improvement in order to meet future food demand and thus ensure food security in a context of sustainable agriculture, meeting the United Nations' Agenda 2030 goals 2 ‘Zero Hunger’ and 13 ‘Climate Action’.

About Rubén Vicente: Rubén Vicente is Principal Investigator at GREEN-IT Unit (ITQB NOVA-UNL). He completed his PhD at the Spanish National Research Council (IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain) in 2015, where he investigated the physiological and molecular responses of durum wheat plants to future Climate Change scenario.

During his first postdoc at the University of Barcelona (Spain), he gained experience in a wide range of field phenotyping techniques to predict yield parameters and identify new avenues for crop improvement.

In his second postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology (Germany), he focused on the regulation of photosynthetic carbon assimilation by trehalose metabolism.

From 2020, he is the head of the Plant Ecophysiology and Metabolism lab at ITQB NOVA (Portugal). His group is working on understanding plant responses to future climate change scenario, the association of plant metabolism at source-sink level with plant phenotype and the identification of new key traits for crop improvement.

Title: Neural mechanisms controlling sexual behavior
Abstract: Sex is intrinsically rewarding but can also be costly, by increasing the risk of predation and infection. As a result, we can find a myriad of robust mechanisms in nature that ensure not only the execution of appropriate species-specific copulatory patterns, but also tight control over its initiation and termination, such that it takes place when fertilization is most likely to occur, and is inhibited otherwise. Taking advantage of the mouse as model system and employing a combination of electrophysiological and genetically encoded imaging and anatomical tools we use both females and males to understand how the coordinated activity of different neuronal populations contributes to different aspects of sexual behavior.

About Susana Lima: In 2005, Susana Lima obtained her Ph.D. from the doctoral program in Biology and Medicine at the Gulbenkian Institute for Science. She conducted her doctoral thesis in New York under the supervision of Gero Miesenböck, where she developed the first optogenetic method to control animal behavior.  
During her postdoctoral training in Anthony Zador’s lab at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Susana used optogenetic tools to develop a new method to identify neuronal subtypes in vivo on the rodent auditory cortex.
She returned to Portugal in 2008 and became part of the Champalimaud Neuroscience Program. Her lab is interested in understanding how the brain controls sexual behavior and for that she uses electrophysiology, optogenetic, anatomy and behavioral studies to investigate how different brain regions contribute to the emergence of this fascinating behavior, using the mouse as model system.

Title: Natural Bioactives and Nutraceuticals: From process technologies to bioactivity studies

Abstract: The relationship between the consumption of foods and the risk of developing chronic diseases has been extensively discussed and there is appreciable epidemiological evidence demonstrating a protective role of diets rich in natural bioactive compounds like phenolics, terpenes and carotenoids. To exert beneficial effect on human health, these compounds need to be bioaccessible, bioavailable, and must be present in adequate concentrations on the target site. A challenge in this field is the design of sustainable extraction processes to efficiently recover these bioactive compounds from natural sources and at the end the formulation of functional ingredients and nutraceuticals.

In this presentation, the main research goals of the Natural Bioactives and Nutraceuticals area of iBET will be highlighted:  

i) Development of green processes to isolate and formulate bioactive compounds or natural extracts from different natural sources and residues from agrifood industry;

ii) Unveiling the protective role of natural bioactives, nutraceuticals and natural extracts in health promotion and disease prevention using cell-based assays and human intervention studies;

iii) Implementation of analytical methodologies to fully characterize different matrices as food and natural products, extracts or biological fluids, enabling to conclude about compounds responsible for biodiversity, which are bioaccessible, bioavailable and at the end which are responsible for bioactivity.

About Teresa Serra: Teresa Serra is currently an Auxiliary Investigator (FCT-EEC awarded) and Head of the Natural Bioactives & Nutraceuticals Area of the Food & Health Division of iBET. She did a PhD in Engineering Sciences and Technology at iBET and ITQB NOVA focused on the valorization of traditional Portuguese fruit varieties through biochemical characterization and development of functional ingredients. Her work aims to understand the bioactive effect of natural compounds and to create value from by-products from the agrifood industry through the extraction of added-value compounds, using green technologies. She has been integrating chemical assays and omics tools with advanced cell models and human intervention trials, to understand the health benefits of bioactive compounds, natural extracts and food products. CV highlights: 61 papers; 6 book chapters; more than 20 invited talks; supervision: 11 MSc, 2 postdocs, 5 PhD students (on going); prizes: Nutrition Awards 2011&2012 and Aveleda Award 2013.