Principal Investigator

Cecília Roque

Cecília Roque is a Full Professor of Bioengineering at NOVA-FCT, where she directs the Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory. She was Director of the UCIBIO Research Unit and a member of the Board of Directors of the i4HB Associated Laboratory. At NOVA-FCT, she has held several management positions, notably as an elected member of the Scientific Council. She is currently the Vice-Rector for Research and Advanced Training at NOVA University of Lisbon.

She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Técnico, and is also a Habilitation in Bioengineering from NOVA. She has served on the board of national and international scientific societies in the field of Biotechnology and Bioengineering. She has conducted research at several international institutions, including the University of Cambridge, University of São Paulo, City University of New York, and KTH. Her research focuses on biomimetics, in an approach that integrates chemistry, biotechnology, and engineering, and she has published more than 130 scientific articles and supervised numerous postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students. Her research has been recognized with multiple national and international awards and grants, including a Starting Grant and two Proof-of-Concept Grants from the European Research Council (2014-2024).

Computational (Bio)chemistry

Arménio Barbosa

Computational (Bio)chemistry

Arménio Barbosa holds a PhD in Multiscale Modeling at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore), IT, and a Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Porto, PT. Dr. Barbosa is currently a Researcher in Molecular Modelingat the NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA). He held three post-doctoral research positions in drug discovery at Unimore (2010); in computational approaches for the development of anticancer drug targets at the University of Bologna, Italy (2011-2014), in computational enzyme design and proteins for gas sensing at NOVA (2015-2018). Dr. Barbosa research interests are in multiscale modelling of small molecules, proteins and biomaterials. The main research area involves using molecular modeling tools to develop ligands for biopharmaceuticals purification, study protein-based materials, dynamic behavior of biomolecules and drug discovery.

Recent Projects as PI include: SpikeLig – Affinity ligands towards the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, BioM2D – BioMaterials Molecular Dynamics for biopharmaceutical purification.

Cell-Free Methods

Margarida Dias

Protein Engineering

I am a bioengineer passionate about protein engineering for different applications in Biotechnology, e.g. purification, therapeutics, and materials. In my career both in academia and industry, I always pursued a multidisciplinary approach, combining different methodologies from diverse fields e.g. chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology. I believe that this approach is essential to develop novel protein-based products. As well, this will lead to technologies that can be transferred from academia to industry, which will have an economic and social impact in everyday life! I have expertise in protein engineering workflows – protein rational design, implementation of in vitro evolution by Phage, Ribossome and CIS Display, protein production in cell-based and cell-free systems, as well as different purification strategies and biophysical characterization. Currently, I am interested in applying my knowledge and experience in academia and industry to projects in protein engineering for novel marine based-materials. I am a team member in projects that develop novel materials for biosensing and purification.

Supramolecular Peptides

Carina Esteves

Supramolecular Systems

Carina is a Junior Researcher (CEEC Individual, https://doi.org/10.54499/2022.07088.CEECIND/CP1725/CT0002) at the Biomolecular Engineering Lab, UCIBIO, FCT NOVA. Carina holds a PhD in Bioengineering Systems (MIT-PT, 2021), a Master in Biotechnology (2008) and a Degree in Applied Chemistry – Biotechnology (2007), from FCT NOVA. During her PhD thesis, Carina focused on self-assembled bio-based materials for gas sensing applications and proposed innovative supramolecular ionogels. Previously, she acquired experience in academia and industry in sol-gel chemistry (FCT-NOVA, PT, 2006), human genetics (UB, Barcelona, Spain, 2006-2007), parasitology (IHMT-NOVA, PT and Bernhard Notch Institute, Germany, 2007-2008) and surface chemistry couple to sensing technologies (Mecwins S.A., Spain, 2010-2015). At Mecwins, as a researcher and one of the founders of the Bioscience Department, Carina has gained unique expertise at the interface between biotechnology, materials science and sensing technologies, as well as project management and leadership. Carina is actively involved in international and national programs for technology transfer, such as Horizon Results Booster and R2Value (IRIS, FCT NOVA). Her current research is focused on the development of functional bio-based materials for the non-invasive diagnosis of non-communicable diseases.

Sensing & Signal Processing

Susana Palma

Machine Olfaction Systems

I am a Biomedical Engineering (Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal, 2007), with a PhD in Bioengineering Systems (MIT-Portugal Program, FCT-UNL, Portugal 2015). I am passionate about sensing and complementing the human body’s functions with bioengineered solutions. Between 2007 and 2010, I was a research assistant at PLUX, Wireless Biosystems S.A, in Portugal, where I gained expertise in electrophysiological sensors development and signal processing for biomedical applications. With this job I became interested in the (bio)sensing field. I am also enthusiastic about bio(nano)materials, so in my PhD thesis, I explored iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles as new nanoprobes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, having the opportunity to do an internship at Prof. M. Puerto Morales Group at ICCM (Madrid). Currently I am a PhD Researcher and my interests include stimuli-responsive (bio)materials, biosensing and artificial olfaction. I am also engaged in technology transfer, and in the standardization of machine olfaction systems. I am eager to contribute with my expertise in artificial olfaction for the ENSURE project. I will produce sustainable hybrid gas-sensing materials and assemble prototype electronic nose, making use of signal processing and machine learning tools.