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We have open positions for Master students in the following topics*:
Biocatalysis for Synthesis of Pharmacologically Active Compounds.
Supervisors: Lígia O Martins & Rita Ventura
Lignin is the most abundant aromatic biopolymer on Earth. The extraction of higher values from lignin, currently considered bio-waste, is increasingly recognized as crucial to the economic viability of integrated biorefineries. The objectives of this proposal in the interface of enzymology and organic chemistry are to develop new enzymatic bioconversions of lignin-derived phenolics using engineered enzymes to deliver new molecules exploitable in the medicinal chemistry and polymer synthesis field. This represents a significant advance behind the state-of-the-art in lignin combinatory chemistry with important reflections in sustainable lignin valorization, supporting the bio-based economy vision of the XXI century.
Structural Biology-Guided Enzyme Engineering for Changing Substrate Specificity.
Supervisors: Patrícia T. Borges & Lígia O Martins
Carbohydrate oxidases represent a fascinating class of enzymes with diverse applications across various fields, from biotechnology to medicine. The objectives of this proposal are crystallization and structure determination of carbohydrate oxidases (pyranose oxidases that oxidize at D-Glu at C2 or C3 and galactose oxidases that oxidize D-Gal at C6) in complex with glucose, galactose and selected monosaccharides. This will be followed by rational and semi-rational engineering targeted at key residues to change and/or improve the selectivity of the enzymes to specific positions of the sugar ring. This will open new perspectives on biotechnological applications.
Resurrecting Ancient Copper Radical Oxidases.
Supervisors: Vânia Brissos & Pedro Barros
Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction (ASR) is a method that reconstructs the sequences of ancient proteins by analyzing the phylogenetic relationships of current proteins. The specific goals are to explore the evolutionary path of a specific class of enzymes that play a pivotal role in valorizing lignocellulose and hold promise as platform enzymes for biorefineries, using bioinformatic tools; discover new enzymes; advance our understanding of their enzymology, particularly their substrate specificity and catalytic mechanisms; and facilitate their use in new biotechnological applications to produce relevant biotech products.
Engineering Galactose Oxidases for Enlarged Biotechnological Applications.
Supervisors: Lígia O Martins & Tiago Lopes
One of the grand challenges of the twenty-first century is the transition from an unsustainable economy based on fossil resources – oil, coal, and natural gas – to a sustainable, carbon-neutral economy based on renewable biomass. The objectives of this work are to use directed evolution approaches to broaden the substrate specificity of Galox towards the oxidation of biotech interesting substrates and improve its robustness, understand the evolutionary path of the Galox and gain insights into the structure-function relationship, and set up enzymatic conversion conditions for the oxidation of the target chemical building blocks.
*Contact us (lmartins@itqb.unl.pt) for more information if you are interested.
We provide opportunities for postgraduate education in the life sciences and related technologies. Our conditions support original, high-impact research utilizing advanced, cutting-edge methodologies.
The MET lab actively participates in international and intersectoral networks, offering possibilities for short training periods abroad through the RISE 2020 B-Ligzymes Project.
We enthusiastically encourage applications from motivated postdoctoral researchers, MSc students, and undergraduate and graduate students interested in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology.
If you are considering joining our team, please don't hesitate to email lmartins@itqb.unl.pt. Please submit your CV and a brief motivational statement explaining your interests. Tell us how your contribution will be valuable to our lab and elaborate on how your stay with us can contribute to your career development plan.
We look forward to hearing from you.
