ABOUT Prof. Cristina Silva Pereira
Prof. Cristina Silva Pereira leads a research group at ITQB NOVA since 2008. She studied Applied Chemistry – Biotechnology and was awarded a PhD in Biochemistry (2004). Her field of expertise is highly multidisciplinary, ranging from plant biochemistry, green chemistry to a diversity of topics in microbiology. Her multidisciplinary approach to life-sciences is stressed by the list of co-authored peer-reviewed papers and PhD/MSc theses she supervised, spreading across different disciplines from Biochemistry and Biology to Chemistry.
She has successfully piloted a large research group (with supervision of ten PhDs successfully awarded), and several large-scale projects, including an ERC consolidator grant (active), an EEA-grant and a Nato-SFP grant (both concluded), and was the leading PI of the ITQB NOVA team in a FET-OPEN project (ended in Dec. 2019), which firmly demonstrate her leadership and consortium organizational skills.
MEET THE TEAM
PhD holders
Patrícia Gonçalves
Lab Manager
My main responsibility is to give administrative support to the PI. Other managerial duties ensure that the laboratory operates smoothly. As a post-doc I am interested in the fungal secondary regulatory and signalling pathways and the development of antifungal drugs.
Artur Bento
Currently studying the thermal and chemical properties of plant polyesters, cutin and suberin to understand the possibility to obtain bioplastics. My main research interests are: Exploitation of residues from agro-food industries to produce green biodegradable bioplastics in a sustainable process.
Isabel Martins
Currently, I am focused on understanding fungal signalling events during suberin degradation impacting on fungal development and regulation of cutinolytic enzymes. My research aims at understanding the ecological role and technological potential of using near native plant polyesters of the modulation of fungal developmental cycle.
Tiago Martins
I am mainly interested in the exploration of the catabolism of aromatics in fungi and biofunnelling methods for the sustainable production of chemicals.
Nádia Ribeiro
Currently focused on the circular agriculture by converting residues into novel economic, social and environmental opportunities, by
deciphering its chemistry and how it impacts biological functions. My main research interests are:
Sustainable methods, polymer chemistry, natural polymers, antimicrobial, role of metal ions in functional materials
Carlos Moreira
Currently developing a project that aims to unravel the role of cutin degradation in the activation of plant immunity - Collaboration with Prof. Zipfel's Lab (IPMB UZH).
My main research interests are: Host-Microbe interactions, Microbiology, Plant Immunity, Plant polyesters.
Stefano Nones
I’m currently working on a project that aims at developing new antimicrobial therapies focused on bioactive compounds extracted from macroalgae. My main research interests are the study of secondary metabolites, microbial and chemical ecology.
João Jorge
Currently, I am studying A. nidulans and A. fumigatus stress responses that rise pathogenicity potential. My main research interest is to understand better why A. fumigatus becomes more virulent when exposed to soil pollutants.
PhD Students
Ângela Pinheiro
I am interested in exploring resin diterpene derivatives (RDD) as backbone to generate new bioactive compounds, through fungal transformation.
My main research interests are: RDD functional roles; biotechnological potential of resin-associated mycobiota. Ecology/Environmental Mycology.
Daryna Piontkivska
Currently developing a project that aims to understand the endosymbiotic relationship between bacteria and a human fungal pathogen A. fumigatus. My main research interests are:
Fundamental details of fungal-bacterial endosymbiotic relationship; Modulation of fungal pathogenicity by the presence of endosymbiotic bacteria.
André Cairrão
I’m currently working on the cproject that aims at developing new antimicrobial therapies focused on bioactive compounds extracted from macroalgae. My main research interests are: study of natural products related to human health and therapies, microbial and chemical ecology.
Rita Escórcio
My research is focused in biopolymers and their capacity to generate future funtional materials through a sustainable process. My main research interests are: polymer chemistry, Biomaterials, Plant polyesters, Functional materials, Sustainable methods.
Fernando Nunes
I am focused on the impact of ionic liquids to trigger the production of peptide-based metabolites in filamentous fungus. My main research interests are: Microbiology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Natural Products related to human health, disease and/or therapy.
Research fellows
Pedro Crespo
MSc holder
Currently developing a project that aims to understand the endosymbiotic relationship between bacteria and a human fungal pathogen A. fumigatus. My main research interests are:
Fundamental details of fungal-bacterial endosymbiotic relationship; Modulation of fungal pathogenicity by the presence of endosymbiotic bacteria.
Rita Carmo
BSc holder
The main focus of my research is the isolation of secondary metabolites produced by A.fumigatus under specific conditions, as well as understanding the role of these compounds in fungal germination. My main research interests are: Microbiotechnology, antimicrobial compounds, small molecule isolation/identification, bioactivity screenings, fungal biology, sustainability.
INVITED MEMBERS
Gustavo Goldman
Full Professor at University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil
Adélia Varela
Research Collaborator at INIAV
Celso Martins
Post-Doc at Lausanne University, Switzerland
Diego Hartmann
Researcher (PhD) at Sea4us
Paula Guedes
Researcher (PhD) at CENSE FCT NOVA