4 August 2026
More than 50 participants gathered at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Aveiro on 23 July for the PATH International Workshop, bringing together researchers, professors, students and international guests to discuss sustainable strategies for separating, recovering and valorising resources from complex matrices — from human biological samples to industrial waste and biomass.
The scientific programme brought together researchers working across institutions and countries. The workshop featured contributions from international visiting scientists from Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, Italy and the United States, alongside researchers from the University of Aveiro and CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, whose mission centres on developing materials science, sustainability and circular economy, and biomedical engineering solutions to address the challenges of a global society. International diversity was also reflected among the students attending the event, with participants from countries including Brazil, France, Spain and Japan, among others.
The programme covered a broad range of separation and recovery strategies. Presentations addressed bioseparation approaches for human health applications, including the use of ionic liquids for the pretreatment of human serum samples and the recovery of cancer biomarkers, as well as microfluidic immunoassays for point-of-care diagnostics developed with INESC MN. Other contributions focused on the recovery and upcycling of critical metals, particularly platinum group metals, using deep eutectic solvents, with experimental work on real waste materials such as spent automotive catalysts. The programme also featured research into gas separation membranes loaded with ionic liquids, and sustainable materials derived from marine and food-industry biomass, including algal-based fish analogues, collagen extracted from fish skins, and UV-protective hydrogels for wound care.
The participation of researchers and students from different scientific and cultural backgrounds reinforced the workshop's role as a space for international exchange, collaboration and discussion. Beyond the scientific topics addressed, the event contributed to strengthening a culture of mobility and diversity within the research community.
The PATH International Workshop thus provided an opportunity to connect different research perspectives — from biomarker detection and critical metal recovery to gas separation membranes and sustainable biomass-derived materials — around the shared goal of developing more sustainable approaches for recovering valuable resources, while promoting collaboration across borders and generations of researchers.
Check the photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d2yP6NoWts9Sc8uWA
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