60th WEBINAR

15-12-2022 | 12:00

Nós nos Presépios… as the Christian communities always loved to be actors in Nativity Scenes

Conceição Alvim Ferraz

ALiCE-LEPABE/ENV

Since retirement, Conceição Alvim Ferraz is invited Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department (Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto), Senior Researcher at LEPABE (from its foundation), expert of the European Commission for Environment and of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The main areas of scientific expertise are the impact of atmospheric pollution on health, the assessment and management of soil contamination and the development of new processes for biodiesel production. Author of more than 475 scientific publications, of which more than 155 are in international peer-reviewed journals (h-index 42; 6726 citations; scientist from the top 2% with the highest impact along career, 2021). Deeply involved in sociocultural activities and civic associations, CAF got in 2021 the Municipal Medal of Distinguished Services, unanimously awarded by the Municipality of S. M. da Feira, her hometown. CAF is married and has two daughters and four grandsons, and has been collecting nativity sets for more than forty years.

Talk summary

The history of Jesus’ birth is going to be visited, following the evolution of its artistic representation, to understand the reasons why, for many centuries, local and regional cultures have been integrated into nativity sets. Representations from different remote corners of the world are going to be shown, illustrating how Christian communities definitively assimilated their culture to the nativity sets, simply accepting the anachronic mixtures of characters from Jesus’ time with those of the representations’ time. The train passing through, or the pig-kill celebrated by people dressing in typical costumes of the region, often belong to the nativity sets. Bethlehem grotto transformed into Eskimos’ igloos and shepherds wearing kimonos and obis like in Japan, go on mirroring the world in nativity sets, showing each year Jesus reborning much more like us, as a common little baby from North Pole, Africa, China, Barcelos or Estremoz.

Webinar Platform: Zoom

59th WEBINAR

03-11-2022 | 12:00

Bacterial detection using NAM-FISH and spectral imaging

Andreia Azevedo

ALiCE-LEPABE/BIO

Andreia S. Azevedo completed her PhD degree, in June 2016, at Faculty of Engineering (FEUP). Currently, she is a junior researcher at LEPABE/FEUP. Her main research interests include exploring and studying the hybridization properties of nucleic acid mimics (NAMs); and combining NAM-fluorescence in situ hybridization (NAM-FISH) and spectral imaging for multiplex detection/location of microorganisms in multispecies biofilms.

Talk summary

One of the most well-established molecular biology techniques for the spatial location of microorganisms is Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Considering the high potential of spectral imaging and the enhanced properties of NAMs, we are combining these strategies to develop a novel color-coded FISH methodology. Our findings have shown that this new FISH variant is highly suitable for a multiplex, robust and rapid detection of bacteria and it can also be of great use on the study of complex microbial communities, such as biofilms.

Webinar Platform: Zoom

58th WEBINAR

03-11-2022 | 12:00

A successful ERC application: writing process and interview preparation

Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro

ALiCE-LSRE-LCM

Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro is a Researcher at ALiCE/LSRE-LCM (FEUP) and is Associate Editor of Chemical Engineering Journal Advances (Elsevier). She has significant expertise in Analytical Chemistry and Environmental Science and Engineering. Recently, she got a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant in the field of environmental chirality. She is/was PI of 3 FCT funded projects at FEUP, has participated in >20 research projects, and has co-authored ca. 80 papers and 10 book chapters (h-index 30, >4500 citations). ARLR she is among the cross-field Highly Cited Researcher (2021) by Clarivate.

Talk summary

Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro will share her experience on developing a successful project proposal. The writing process will be briefly overviewed, as well as its central role to achieve the first crucial outcome in an ERC application: to proceed to the interview. After achieving this outcome, the chances greatly increase! The success of this second step of an ERC application highly depends on many factors that will be emphasized, not only during the preparation for the big day, but also during the interview itself.

Webinar Platform: Zoom