ITQB NOVA research in the spotlight at NOVA Science & Innovation Day 2024
Oeiras, 9th December 2024
ITQB NOVA's research and contributions to innovation took center stage at the NOVA Science & Innovation Day 2024, held on December 3rd.
Two ITQB NOVA PIs were recognized in this year’s Impact Narratives challenge, an initiative aimed at equipping researchers with the skills to communicate the societal impact of their work in clear, accessible language. Rita Ventura was one of six awardees for her narrative, “New synthetic small organic molecules to stabilise biopharmaceuticals at the origin of a new startup”. The narrative underscores the transformative potential of her research, highlighting how her team at the Bioorganic Chemistry Lab developed a library of molecules capable of significantly improving protein stabilization under stress. This breakthrough led to the creation of the startup Extremochem, which was later acquired by Hovione, to further develop these stabilizers for broader applications, including safer and more affordable biopharmaceuticals.
Alongside Rita Ventura, Catarina Pimentel received an honorable mention for her narrative “SalivaScan: Connecting Researchers and School Communities for the Evaluation of a New COVID-19 Saliva Test”. The narrative focuses on a project evaluating a non-invasive saliva test as an alternative to uncomfortable swab tests for children in schools across Oeiras, demonstrating its accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use. Both of these impactful initiatives are featured in the 2024 edition of the NOVA Science magazine, available online.
ITQB NOVA PI Inês Cardoso Pereira was also honored with a recognition diploma for achieving the highest field-weighted citation impact (FWCI) for scientific publications from 2021-2023 at the institute. This work focused on a novel system to produce hydrogen from light, coupling bacteria with synthetic light-harvesting materials.
The event further highlighted the achievements of other ITQB NOVA researchers. Mariana Pinho provided updates on her pioneering research into antimicrobial resistance, supported by three consecutive ERC grants. The project “BIORCICLE: Crops to Biomethane Production”, by ITQB NOVA researcher Ricardo Louro and Ana Luísa Fernando (NOVA FCT) was also presented in a session dedicated to sustainable energy systems. Meanwhile, Ana Pina highlighted the La Caixa Impulse project “Collagen-based biological batteries as a power source for electronic skin devices”.
The event also showcased several innovative initiatives and collaborations with the Oeiras Municipality. Maria João Leão, coordinator of the Ciência+Cidadã programme, provided an overview of its initiatives, while Pedro Pedrosa, head of InnOValley, presented the DxHub project.
Meanwhile at the Innovation fair, the ITQB NOVA projects "COPE - Improving plant protection" and "ColorAmp: A new method for colorimetric detection of nucleic acid amplification" were showcased by researchers Carlos Moreira and Catarina Amaral. The PhD students André Cairrão, André Taborda and João Reis also presented their posters.
