Spotlight

Researcher Luís Carlos, along with his team, discovered how to use light to measure temperature. With the advent of nanotechnology, there is the possibility of measuring temperature at very small scales using a property called luminescence. The applications are diverse in various domains, such as in the field of microelectronics and nanomedicine.

Researcher Sónia Ventura and her dedicated team are pioneering sustainable extraction processes, unravelling the potential of harvesting valuable compounds from marine biomasses. Their work extends far beyond the laboratory, holding promises for diverse applications across industries like energy, food, and pharmaceutics.

Researcher João Tedim, and his team, work on the development of smart coatings that have small materials inside and release, in a controlled way, active species to protect the substrate covered with that coating against corrosion or anti-fouling among other applications. These materials have been used in automotive aeronautical and maritime industries, and they replace traditional coatings, which are built with toxic and harmful compounds.

Researcher Mara Freire, along with her team, have discovered that the immunoglobulin Y antibodies, present in egg yolk, could serve as a sustainable source of biopharmaceuticals if a cost-effective purification process could be developed. These antibodies can be utilized as a sustainable source of biopharmaceuticals, especially with the potential for intravenous administration to combat infectious diseases.

Researcher João Labrincha, along with his team, investigates an eco-friendly approach to use biomass fly ash and red mud, that is generated in the production of alumina and then aluminum, for the preparation of inorganic pigments and the production of geopolymers. Simply put, the objective is the valorization of waste from industries and other sectors and their reintroduction into the market.

Researcher Manuel Melle, and his team, explore how to use computer modeling to study, 100% virtually, how different materials and molecules, that haven"t been made yet, can behave for technological applications. With these skills is possible to compute or predict how the electrons inside the molecules and the materials move and respond to light, and to other stimulus.

Researcher Paula Vilarinho, along with her team, discovered that polymeric piezoelectric coatings might decrease the rejection rates of metallic implants. The device, which was targeted for a bone tissue regeneration, can also be used in, for example, neuronal regeneration. So there"s a pipeline of applications that would be explored in the future.

Researcher Tito Trindade and his team developed cutting-edge water treatment technologies based on magnetic-plasmonic nanoparticles. These nanosystems possess a remarkable ability to detect minute traces of emerging, highly aggressive pollutants. Their groundbreaking work is paving the way for the development of analytical kits, poised to revolutionize water quality monitoring, especially in remote regions across the globe.