20 years of Science and Innovation
News 2020
Polymers special issue on "Graphene-Polymer Composites III"
Posted on September 17th, 2020
After the success of the two previous editions, LEPABE researchers Fernão Magalhães and Artur Pinto are editing the third Special Issue on Graphene-Polymer Composites, published by journal Polymers.
The dead line for manuscript submissions is April 10th, 2021. Information on the scope and how to submit to this special issue can be found here.
2020 MRS FALL MEETING & EXHIBIT
November 28 – December 4, 2020 | Boston, Massachusetts
LEPABE Researcher, Dr. Artur Pinto, is part of the organizing committee of the 2020 MRS (Materials Research Society) Fall Meeting and Exhibit – Symposium F.SF05 – Advanced Materials for Additive Manufacturing that will take place on November 28 – December 4, 2020 and will be held in Boston, Massachusetts (USA). This symposium will bring together an interdisciplinary group of researchers from chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, medicine, and engineering to discuss recent developments in materials for additive manufacturing and the innovative structures and devices they enable.
#SUMMER@LEPABE
Posted on July 31st, 2020
#Summer@LEPABE is an unique opportunity for students and aspiring researchers to get in touch with R&D developed at LEPABE. This summerschool supported by FCT’s “Escolas de Verão” program, started on July, 29th. For three months, 14 selected students will integrate our team of researchers and have a hands-on experience on ongoing scientific and technological development projets at LEPABE. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity to contribute with their own small projects under guidance from our researchers.
Training will also be complemented with a theoretical component, learning important topics such as laboratory safety, data treatment or research ethics.
Know more here.
Work by LEPABE team is highlighted as cover paper
Posted on July 27th, 2020
The article "In vitro evaluation of microparticles with Laurus nobilis L. extract prepared by spray-drying for application in food and pharmaceutical products" is the cover image in the last issue of Food and Bioproducts Processing (vol. 122), a journal from Elsevier.
This paper resulted from the work developed by Dr. Berta Estevinho and Prof. Fernando Rocha, from the Supramolecular Assemblies group of LEPABE. In this paper microparticles containing Laurus nobilis L. extract were produced by spray-drying, successfully characterized. These particles can now be applied in food and pharmaceutical products.
Access to the cover paper here.
Volatile Methylsiloxanes in the Environment
Posted on July 21th, 2020
Dr. Vera Homem and Dr. Nuno Ratola are editors of the book "Volatile Methylsiloxanes in the Environment", volume 83 of The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry series, published by Springer.
This book focuses on volatile methylsiloxanes (VMSs), the shorter-chained organosiloxanes, and reviews the main areas and environmental compartments where they have been found and studied. It provides information on the main properties, toxicity and sources, examines the analytical strategies and protocols used in their quantification and discusses their presence in wastewater treatment plants, aquatic environment, biota and their atmospheric fate, including remote areas.
Know more about this book here.
PhD Thesis by André Silva on sustainable microalgae biorefinery
July 13th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. André Silva for his PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Refining, Petrochemical and Chemical Engineering, entitled “Sustainable microalgae biorefinery development through process optimization” supervised by Prof. Nídia Caetano, defended on July 13th 2020 at FEUP.
PhD Thesis by Márcia Santos on sustainable energy production and storage
June 30th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Márcia Santos for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Environmental Engineering, entitled “Coupling Bioelectrochemical Systems and Redox Flow Batteries for Sustainable Energy Production and Storage” supervised by Prof. Adélio Mendes, defended on June 30th 2020 at FEUP.
PhD Thesis by Ana Leal on estimation of petroleum products properties
June 29th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Ana Catarina Leal for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Refining, Petrochemical and Chemical Engineering, entitled “Estimation of Petroleum Products Properties based on Combined NIR and High Resolution 1H NMR technologies” co-supervised by Prof. Fernando G. Martins, defended on June 29th 2020 at UA.
Congratulations!
Maria do Carmo Pereira distinguished with Marathon Health Research Award Senior Category
Posted on June 26th, 2020
Prof. Maria do Carmo Pereira, Senior Researcher of LEPABE, was distinguished with the Marathon Health Research Award in Cancer, Senior Category, which took place on June 25th, on the digital channels of the Health Marathon.
This award distinguishes the research work that has been developed at LEPABE, led by Maria do Carmo Pereira in the area of nanomedicine for cancer treatment.
Know more about this award here.
PhD Thesis by Sandra Monteiro on low-density particleboards
June 22th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Sandra Monteiro for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Chemical and Biological Engineering, entitled “Development of low-density particleboards bonded with starch-based adhesive” supervised by Prof. Fernão D. Magalhães, defended on June 22th 2020 at FEUP.
Recent Trends in Biofilm Science and Technology
Posted on June 16th, 2020
Prof. Manuel Simões and Dr. Anabela Borges, from LEPABE, and Dr. Lúcia Simões, from CEB, are editors of the book “Recent Trends in Biofilm Science and Technology”, published by Academic Press - Elsevier.
This book contributes with new insights regarding the biofilm mode of life, giving the readers a significant content focusing the recent advances on multidisciplinary biofilm research. Advanced strategies and new methods for biofilm control and analysis, the biofilm potential for biotechnological solutions, such as wastewater treatment and bioenergy production are some of the covered topics of the book.
Know more about this book here.
PhD Thesis by Filipa Franco on chlor-alkali membrane cells
June 12th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Filipa Franco for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Refining, Petrochemical and Chemical Engineering, entitled “Electrochemical Characterization of the Chlor-Alkali Membrane Cell” supervised by Prof. Adélio Mendes, defended on June 12th 2020 at FEUP.
Member of LEPABE nominated as EFCE
delegate
Posted on June 6th, 2020
Prof. Luís Miguel Madeira, was recently nominated as the new Portuguese delegate to the EFCE Working Parties on Chemical Reaction Engineering and on Education.
The main purpose of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) is to promote co-operation in Europe and elsewhere between professional non-profit scientific and technical societies, aiming at the general advancement of science and public education in the field of Chemical Engineering.
Know more about EFCE here.
Work by LEPABE team is highlighted as feature paper in Materials
Posted on June 4th, 2020
The article “Water Decontamination with Magnetic Particles by Adsorption and Chemical Degradation. Influence of the Manufacturing Parameters” is a feature paper in the last issue of Materials, a journal from MDPI.
This paper resulted from the work developed by a team from LEPABE, led by Prof. Domingos Barbosa, in collaboration with a team at the University of Salamanca. In this paper the reverse co-precipitation method is used to produce magnetic particles for real environmental applications, since most of the processes for manufacturing magnetic particles are not able to be applied to large-scale real operations.
Access to the featured paper here.
Low cost oxygen concentrator to respond to COVID-19 pandemic
Posted on June 1st, 2020
A team led by Prof. Adélio Mendes, from LEPABE, worked in collaboration with PARALAB and FEUP to develop an oxygen concentrator that can be used to delay the need to use ventilators.
This technology is a low cost oxygen concentrator that aims to postpone the need for patients to use the ventilator. Oxygen concentrators are devices that purify oxygen from atmospheric air, providing oxygen with a purity of up to 95%. They are devices that can play an important role in places where there is no access to the hospital gas network (as in the case of field hospitals) or even in patients who need respiratory care at home. The prototype is in the testing phase and then will follow for certification and validation by specialists. The idea will be to produce these concentrators locally, whenever requested, in a low cost version.
Know more about this here.
Francisco X. Malcata distinguished with the IDFA Teaching Award in Dairy Manufacturing
Posted on May 26th, 2020
Prof. Francisco X. Malcata, Senior Researcher at LEPABE, was distinguished by the American Dairy Science Association (USA) with the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Teaching Award in Dairy Manufacturing 2020.
This award was created to recognize outstanding teaching of university students in dairy foods, and it is the first time that a Portuguese national is selected. For Francisco X. Malcata, this prize recognizes his work in advanced training in the area of dairy foods, over almost 3 decades of university career. More information about this award here.
Congratulations!
PhD Thesis by Rui Churro on amination of cyclohexanol
May 25th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Rui Churro for his PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Refining, Petrochemical and Chemical Engineering, entitled “Amination of Cyclohexanol to Produce Cyclohexylamine and Aniline” supervised by Prof. Luís Miguel Madeira, defended on May 25th 2020 at FEUP.
PhD Thesis by Miguel Gonçalves on near-infrared methodologies
May 19th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Miguel Gonçalves for his PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Refining, Petrochemical and Chemical Engineering, entitled “Implementation of a Near-Infrared methodology for quality control of amino resins” supervised by Prof. Fernão Magalhães, defended on May 19th 2020 at FEUP.
Congratulations!
LEPABE returns to laboratory work after COVID-19 outbreak
Posted on May 19th, 2020
Webinar on CO2 capture and utilization
Posted on May 15th, 2020
In the framework of the FCT funded project entitled Power2Methane, the webinar “CO2 capture and utilization: insights from academia and industry” will be held on June 5th 2020 from 9:30-17:00 (GMT). The event will feature academia/research and industrial speakers in fields related to CO2 capture and/or utilization.
Registration is free but required. To register, please follow the link and fill in the form. Participants will subsequently receive, by email, a link to access the event through the Zoom platform. The webinar will be in English. More information available here.
PhD Thesis by Sara Ramos on emerging contaminants
May 13th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Sara Ramos for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Environmental Engineering, entitled “Emerging contaminants, from waste to taste? Ultraviolet-Filters and Synthetic Musk Compounds as case study” supervised by Prof. Lúcia Santos, defended on May 13th 2020 at FEUP.
LEPABE submitted 80 proposals to FCT projects call
Posted on May 7th, 2020
During the confinement period due to COVID-19 pandemic, the effort of LEPABE researchers who submitted proposals for R&D projects in the FCT call, that ended on April 30th, 2020, was noteworthy.
LEPABE submitted about 32% of FEUP's proposals (80 projects), of which 56 are led by LEPABE and the others in collaboration with other institutions. Note that 53 of the 80 applications are from LEPABE doctoral researchers.
LEPABE thanks everyone for their efforts in this process and wishes every proposal the greatest success.
PhD Thesis by Ameessa Tulcidas on pharmaceutical crystallization processes
April 27th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Ameessa Tulcidas for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Refining, Petrochemical and Chemical Engineering, entitled “Development of scale-up methodologies for pharmaceutical crystallization processes” supervised by Prof. Fernando Rocha, defended on April 27th 2020 at FEUP.
LEPABE participates in project to respond to COVID-19 pandemic
Posted on April 24th, 2020
The project NAM4Covid19: Nucleic acid mimic lateral flow assay (NAM-LFA) for the detection of Covid19 was approved in the FCT special call RESEARCH 4 COVID-19.
The solution proposed in this project will allow a faster detection of SARS-CoV-2 (<1 hour), when compared with the WHO recommended protocols that take more than 2 hours. It will also avoid the need for specialized technicians and equipment (needs only a simple heat block), and hence improve SNS' testing capacity to SARS-CoV-2 detection. In collaboration with INSA – National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, national reference laboratory for the SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, this project proposes to develop a rapid and accurate point-of-care testing (POCT) method for SARS-CoV-2 detection.
Coordinated by INIAV, this project counts with the collaboration of a team from LEPABE/FEUP, led by Prof. Nuno Azevedo from the Biotechnology group.
Congratulations!
New ventilators from Sysadvance, a spin-off from LEPABE
Posted on April 20th, 2020
Sysadvance, a spin-off company from FEUP/LEPABE, linked to Prof. Adélio Mendes, is producing new ventilators in collaboration with the Portuguese Medical Association to reinforce the intensive care units (ICUs) in Portuguese hospitals.
The ventilator SYSVent will now begin the clinical trials to get the necessary certification according to the European Medical Devices Directive. “At a time when the covid-19 pandemic is creating great pressure on the Portuguese health system, namely in terms of availability of ventilation systems for Intensive Care Units (ICU), this equipment meets the requirements, namely administration and control of oxygen mixture, pressure and volume control, either in mandatory or assisted control mode, and will soon be able to reinforce hospitals across the country ”, explains the Association.
Know more here.
European Project 112CO2 granted to LEPABE
Posted on April 15th, 2020
LEPABE congratulates the team led by Prof. Adélio Mendes, of the Processes, Products and Energy group, for the approval of an European project under FET Proactive program - Boosting emerging technologies, with a total funding of 3,5 millions €, which of 840 000 € for LEPABE/FEUP.
The aim of the project 112CO2 - Low temperature catalytic methane decomposition for COx-free hydrogen production, is to develop a technology that allows production of energy without emission of greenhouse gases/pollutants. Through the decomposition of methane (from biomethane, natural gas or synthetic methane) into carbon and hydrogen, this technology intends to be efficient, stable and inexpensive, with no emissions of any other by-products. The hydrogen produced can be used in fuel cells to produce electricity, in the chemical and petrochemical industry, to supply hydrogen to city blocks, or to be used as fuel in ships, trains, buses and trucks, for example.
The project consortium is led by FEUP/LEPABE team, and counted with the contribution of Pedro Coelho (H2020 office). The other partners of the project are the Faculdade de Letras da U.Porto (FLUP), the Agência Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain, the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Germany, and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.
The industry partners involved are Quantis (Switzerland), Paul Wurth (Luxembourg) and PixelVoltaic (Portugal), a spin-off of FEUP.
Know more about this project here.
Notícias Magazine interviews Ana L. Gonçalves
Posted on April 9th, 2020
Ana L. Gonçalves, Research Fellow at LEPABE, was recently highlighted in the latest edition of Notícias Magazine, a supplement of Jornal de Notícias, and talked about her research on microalgae production processes and its application on the treatment of industrial wastewaters.
Read the article here (in Portuguese).
LEPABE Senior Research involved in NASA study
Posted on April 6th, 2020
LEPABE Senior Researcher and Advanced Cyclone Systems CTO, Prof. Romualdo Salcedo, was involved in a NASA study, through the client Physical Sciences, Mass, USA. The study "Radio Frequency Plasma Synthesis of Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs) for Structural Applications: Part II", developed in 2016, has now been made public.
In this study, a cyclone hybrid system "Recyclone EH", produced at Advanced Cyclone Systems, a spin-off of LEPABE, was the best option to collect the nano-sized particulates. This technology concept involves a wire-in-pipe electrostatic separator that is mounted atop a conventional cyclone, that allows top performance over all particle sizes. Confirmed 90% efficiency over particle sizes between 20-30 nm has been achieved.
The study is available here.
European Project SurfSAFE granted to LEPABE
Posted on April 2nd, 2020
LEPABE congratulates the team of the Biotechnology group, led by Prof. Filipe Mergulhão for the approval of an European project under the Twinning call, with funding of 400 000 EUR for LEPABE/FEUP.
The aim of the project SurfSAFE - Surface modification to increase microbial SAFEty in the food industry, is to enhance the scientific and technological capacity of FEUP/UPORTO in the fields of surface modification and biofilm analysis, thus promoting a leading European Network that guides the future development of tailor-made antifouling and antimicrobial, non-biotoxic surfaces to reduce fouling and improve cleanability in the food industry, ensuring safe and good quality products to consumers.
The FEUP team is composed by Filipe Mergulhão, Luciana Gomes, Nuno Azevedo and Ana Pereira from the Biofilm Engineering Lab (BEL) - LEPABE and Pedro Coelho (H2020 office). The other partners of the project are the University of Copenhagen, University Medical Center Groningen and Manchester Metropolitan University. Know more here.
Congratulations!
PhD Thesis by Vanessa Lima on the treatment of organic streams by Fenton's oxidation
March26th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Vanessa Lima for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Environmental Engineering, entitled “Simultaneous treatment of gaseous and liquid streams containing organic compounds by Fenton's oxidation” supervised by Prof. Luís Miguel Madeira, defended on March 26th 2020 at FEUP.
LEPABE present in workshop about new challenges on waste evaluation
Posted on March 25th, 2020
Dr. Nuno Ratola, Principal Researcher from LEPABE, was invited under Project CONICYT REDES 170166 to participate on the International Workshop about technological and environmental challenges on waste re-evaluation. This event took place on March 10th, 2020, in Santiago, Chile.
In his opening presentation, he referred that the wealthy countries represent only 16% of the World's population while producing 34% of the waste. But citing estimates from the World Bank, he indicated that by 2050 the generation of waste is expected to triple in some areas, such as sub-Saharan Africa. To minimize this impact and improve the rate of waste valorization, Dr. Ratola gave as an example the promotion of biogas as an energy source of sustainable development.
Know more about this workshop here.
PhD Thesis by Márcia Andrade on new carbon molecular sieve materials
March 9th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Márcia Andrade for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Chemical and Biological Engineering, entitled “Carbon molecular sieve materials for gas separations” supervised by Prof. Adélio Mendes, defended on March 9th 2020 FEUP.
European project EMPOWER 1st meeting
Posted on March 9th, 2020
The kick-off meeting of the European project “EMPOWER - European methanol powered fuel cell CHP” took place on February 4th, 2020, at VTT, in Espoo, Finland. A team from LEPABE, led by Prof. Adélio Mendes, is part of the project consortium, composed by 3 European companies and coordinated by VTT.
The EMPOWER project aims to develop, manufacture and validate a methanol fueled 5 kW combined heat and power (CHP) system based on high temperature PEM fuel cell technology. To achives its objectives, the project is receiving EU funding of 1.5 M€ from the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) programme, supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe research.
Know more here.
LEPABE present at workshop about prevention and combat of wildfires
Posted on March 4th, 2020
Dr. Sofia Sousa, assistant researcher from LEPABE, was invited to participate on the 1st Workshop about prevention and combat of wildfires. This event took place on February 14th, 2020, at University of Coimbra, Portugal.
The objective was presenting the results of 18 ongoing projects and promote synergies between the various research groups working in this area, resulting from the FCT call of 2017. LEPABE participated with the project: ArRiscO – Firefighters’ occupational exposure to air pollution – impact on COPD and asthma.
Know more about this project here.
Pharmaceutics special issue on “PLGA Based Drug Carrier and Pharmaceutical Applications”
Posted on March 3rd, 2020
Prof. Maria do Carmo Pereira and Dr. Joana Loureiro, researchers from the Supramolecular Assemblies group of LEPABE, were Guest Editors of the special issue “PLGA Based Drug Carrier and Pharmaceutical Applications” published on the scientific journal Pharmaceutics.
This special issue counts with 19 selected papers that present the recent progress of PLGA as drug carriers for new pharmaceutical applications.
More information can be found here.
Ana Luísa Gonçalves distinguished with L'Oréal Portugal Medals of Honour for Women in Science 2019
Posted on February 19th, 2020
Dr. Ana Luísa Gonçalves, research fellow at LEPABE, is one of the 4 female scientists distinguished in the 16th edition of the L'Oréal Portugal Medals of Honour for Women in Science.
Her research on microalgae production processes caught the attention of L'Oréal, as it met its goals of innovation and sustainable growth. For 22 years L'Oréal has been promoting the role of women in science through the program “For Women in Science”, because it believes that “the World needs science and Science needs women”.
Congratulations!
Know more about this award here
Know more about this project here
PhD Thesis by Maria Filipa Pinto on new tools dor enzymatic cheracterization
February 17th, 2020
LEPABE would like to congratulate Dr. Maria Filipa Pinto for her PhD thesis of the Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, entitled “New tools for enzymatic characterization and inhibitor screening: post-michaelis-menten kinetic analysis” supervised by Prof. Fernando Rocha, defended on February 17th 2020 ICBAS.
Separations special issue on “Computer-Aided Separation Analysis”
Posted on January 31st, 2020
Dr. Guillaume Erny, Researcher from the Environmental Sciences and Technology group of LEPABE, is Guest Editor of the special issue on “Computer-Aided Separation Analysis” to be published on the scientific journal Separations. The dead line for manuscript submissions is July 15th, 2020.
More information on this special issue can be found here.
Model-Based Innovation Prize 2019
Posted on January 28th, 2020
Process Systems Enterprise (PSE) awarded a runner-up prize to the paper: Model of an industrial multitubular reactor for methanol to formaldehyde oxidation in the presence of catalyst deactivation, co-authored by Prof. Adélio Mendes, member of LEPABE, in collaboration with CERENA/IST and EuroResinas.
This prize awards, every year, the best published papers describing the use of gPROMS family products in an innovative way or in a novel area of application or technology.
Know more about this prize here.
LEPABE Researchers won IACOBUS Program – Papers
Posted on January 24th, 2020
Nuno Ratola and Vera Homem, researchers from the Environmental Sciences and Technologies group of LEPABE, were beneficiaries of the 2019 edition of the IACOBUS Program – Papers for their participation as authors of the scientific publications “Footprints in the sand – Assessing the seasonal trends of volatile methylsiloxanes and UV-filters” and “Determination of multiclass personal care products in continental waters by solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry”.
The main objective of this Program is to encourage cross-border cooperation (North Portugal – Galicia) in research and scientific dissemination activities, through an economic support for the publication of high quality scientific papers.
Congratulations!
Habilitation title was granted to Prof. Fernão Magalhães
Posted on January 17th, 2020
LEPABE senior member Prof. Fernão Magalhães had his public defense for the attribution of the habilitation title, with the topic of “Opaque Polymers - strategies for synthesis of polymeric hollow microspheres for paint opacification”, on January 16-17th, 2020, at FEUP.
The habilitation title was approved unanimously by the members of the jury.
Congratulations!
Habilitation title was granted to Prof. Luís Madeira
Posted on January 14th, 2020
LEPABE senior member Prof. Luís Madeira had his public defense for the attribution of the habilitation title, with the topic of “Multifunctional Reactors”, on January 13-14th, 2020, at FEUP.
The habilitation title was approved unanimously by the members of the jury.
Congratulations!
Filipe Rocha was awarded “Best poster presentation” at EMEC20
Posted on January 9th, 2020
LEPABE project researcher Filipe Rocha, supervised by Dr. Vera Homem, was awarded a Scholarship by the Association of Chemistry and the Environment (ACE) to attend to the 20th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry (EMEC20), held in Lodz, Poland, in December 2-5th, 2019.
Preliminary results of the AGRONAUT project were presented as poster communication under the theme “Development of an Analytical Method to Determine PAHs, PCBs, Synthetic Musks and Volatile Methylsiloxanes in Sewage Sludge” and was awarded "Best Poster Presentation".
Congratulations!
Two Senior LEPABE members pursue the habilitation title
Posted on January 6th, 2020
LEPABE members Prof. Luís Madeira and Prof. Fernão Magalhães will have their public defense for attribution of the habilitation title next 13-14th January and 16-17th January, respectively.
All researchers are invited to attend the event, particularly the Oral Lessons:
14th Jan – Multifunctional reactors (Prof. Miguel Madeira). More information here.
17th Jan - Opaque Polymers - strategies for synthesis of polymeric hollow microspheres for paint opacification (Prof Fernão Magalhães). More information here.
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