Laura Cerqueira

Junior Researcher

Research group: Biotechnology

Background: PhD in Biomedical Engineering - University of Minho, Portugal

Major research topics

• Microbiology
• NAM-FISH
• Microfluidics

Selected Publications

Rocha, R., Sousa, J.M., Cerqueira, L., Vieira, M.J., Almeida, C. Azevedo, N.F. (2019). Development and application of Peptic Nucleic Acid Fluorescence in situ hybridization for the specific detection of Listeria monocytogenes. Food Microbiol. 2019 Jun;80:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2018.12.009. Epub 2018 Dec 15

Müller, V., Sousa, J.M.,Koydemir, H.C., Veli, M., Tseng, D., Cerqueira, L., Ozcan, A., Azevedo, N.F., Westerlund, F. (2018) Identification of Pathogenic Bacteria in Complex Samples Using a Smartphone Based Fluorescence Microscope. Royal Society of Chemistry DOI: 10.1039/C8RA06473C.

Ferreira, A.M., Cruz-Moreira, D., Cerqueira, L., Miranda, J.M. and Azevedo, N.F. (2017) Yeasts identification in microfluidic devices using peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH). Biomed Microdevices. 2017 Mar;19(1):11. doi: 10.1007/s10544-017-0150-y.

Cerqueira L., Oliveira J. A., Nicolau A., Azevedo N. F. and M. J. Vieira (2013). “Biofilm formation with mixed cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Escherichia coli on silicone using artificial urine to mimic urinary catheters”. Biofouling 2013;29(7):829-40. doi: 10.1080/08927014.2013.807913. Epub 2013 Jul 9.

Cerqueira L., Fernandes R. M., Ferreira R. M., Oleastro M., Carneiro F., Brandão C., Pimentel-Nunes P., Dinis-Ribeiro M., Figueiredo C., Keevil C. W., Vieira M. J. and N. F. Azevedo (2013). “Validation of a PNA-FISH method for the detection of Helicobacter pylori clarithromycin resistance in gastric biopsies”. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 51(6):1887-1893.

Selected Projects

uFISH - Integration of fluorescence in situ hybridization with microfluidics for detection of foodborne pathogens. Ref. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031011

ColorISH - Development of a new colorimetric method for the rapid detection of Legionella spp. in water samples. Ref. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029961 (Principal Investigator)

DeINAM“Strengthening the Research Area of Delivery of Nucleic Acid Mimics (NAMS) into Bacteria to fight the antibiotic crisis H2020 Ref. H2020-WIDESPREAD-05-2017-Twinning

Nanofluidics for Ultrafast Diagnosis of Bacterial Infections – NanoDiaBac Ref.ENMed/0001/2014 DNA mimics: Development and application of DNA mimics for the rapid identification of microorganisms  Ref. PIC/IC/82815/2007.