Bioeng-pt

BIOENG @ JrEPNOE 🦠🦠

Last week our PhD student and researcher Maria Batista was present at . She presented her work on the "Production of highly sulphated polysaccharides Ra19 with content of fucose by marine bacteria paracoccus zeaxanthinifaciens". 🦠

JrEPNOE was a great opportunity to share the work developed at our lab and also check what other research is being performed in the field of polysaccharides! 🧫🧪

Our BIOENG team proudly represented our research group at ISBP 2026 (International Symposium on Biopolymers) in Dublin, Ireland! ☘️🇮🇪
Our professors Maria Reis, Filomena Freitas and Nídia Lourenço, alongside researchers Joana Fradinho, Mariana Matos and Eliana Guarda, and PhD students Bruno Serafim, Thomas Rodrigues and Jorge Viana, actively participated in this international event, sharing our latest research on biobased and biodegradable polymers through invited oral talks, a moderated poster session and poster presentations.
This strong participation showcased the multidisciplinary research developed within our team across multiple international and national frameworks, including the European Union projects SATISPHACTION, UPSTREAM (UPSTREAM), BIOLAMER (Biolamer), AGRILOOP and RELEAF, as well as the national projects PBA and Beat - Bioeconomy at Textiles (Be@t - Bioeconomy at Textiles ).
ISBP 2026 provided an exceptional platform to present our work, exchange ideas with researchers from around the world, foster new collaborations and discuss the latest advances in sustainable materials 🔬
Proud of our team's outstanding contributions and inspiring scientific exchange throughout the conference!

📢 New Publication📢

This study characterized a novel extracellular polysaccharide secreted by actinobacterium Janibacter limosus isolated in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy). The biopolymer, composed of eight distinct sugar monomers, formed a highly entangled network with pronounced shear-thinning properties, offering promising viscoelastic traits for diverse industrial sectors. 🌊🦠

This study is the outcome of the work developed by Chaima Farhat, a PhD student from University of Manouba (Tunisia), during her internship at BIOENG, under the supervision of Prof. Filomena Freitas and Dr. Patrícia Concórdio-Reis.

NOVA FCT Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

📢 BIOENG at the 13th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management! 🚮♻️

Our colleagues Professor Maria Reis, Cristiana Torres, Joana Batista and Jorge Viana travelled to Kos, Greece. The conference gathered global experts, researchers and industry leaders to discuss cutting-edge solutions in the circular economy, waste-to-resource valorisation, and sustainable waste management strategies 🌍💡
The BIOENG team stood out by presenting their latest research developed under the scope of the European Projects Agriloop and ReLeaf.

Huge congratulations to the entire team for their outstanding work and for representing BIOENG so brilliantly!



🌱 Joana Batista presented her work on upcycling fruit waste and sewage sludge into high-value VFAs through optimized anaerobic fermentation. Joana also successfully participated in the LCA4WASTE Summer School, focusing on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for circular waste management!

🔬 Jorge Viana shared his insights on the impact of organic loading rates on the monomer composition and molecular weight of PHA produced with mixed microbial cultures.

We’re pleased to share that the first SATISPHACTION Research & Innovation Bulletin is now out 🎉 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/satisphaction-research-innovation-bulletin-1-satisphactioneu-y0bpe/

is a European project funded by the European Commission through the European Innovation Council, working to develop breakthrough, fully biodegradable PHA-based materials to replace fossil-based plastics in food packaging.

NOVAID contributes to the development of bio-based approaches for PHA upcycling and microbial production systems, supporting circular economy principles and the advancement of environmentally sustainable bioplastic materials 🌱

AINIA | Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC) | BIOENG PT | King’s College London | NAITEC Centro Tecnológico de Movilidad y Mecatrónica | POLYKEY | Normec OWS | Packaging Cluster | NaturePlast

EUProject PHA Bioplastics CircularEconomy FoodPackaging SustainablePackaging

📢 UPSTREAM Open Call 2: Prevention & Zero-Waste - Financial Support to Third Parties

More information here 👇

🔗Funding and Tenders: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/competitive-calls-cs/14682?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=relevance&keywords=upstream&isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502,31094503&frameworkProgramme=43108390
🔗Upstream website: https://upstream-project.eu/open-call-2-prevention-zero-waste/
🔗Upstream LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/upstream-horizon-project_upstream-upstreamforrivers-eumission-activity-7472590658810290176-fH_b/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAACZ-l6QBzc5M6ytlJ60NoWAHsZ3hoQPC2SU

🌿 BioEng Team in Action! 🌍

On June 17th, our group joined forces with the Vita Nativa Association for a meaningful volunteering day at the historic Fábrica da Pólvora de Vale de Milhaços.
Since 2020, Vita Nativa and Seixal have partnered to map and protect the unique biodiversity of this place. Their work led to the creation of the Biodiversity Enhancement Plan for the Fábrica da Pólvora de Vale de Milhaços, which aims to monitor species, restore local ecosystems and raise environmental awareness.
We were thrilled to contribute directly to this mission by rolling up our sleeves to tackle environmental restoration - specifically by uprooting invasive acacia trees to help native species thrive! 🪓🌱

To wrap up a productive morning of hard work, we enjoyed a delicious team picnic together under the trees 🧺🥪

A huge thank’s to Vita Nativa for having us and for their tireless work in conserving our local natural heritage!

📢📢 New publication!!
This study shows that the thermophilic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus can simultaneously remove sulfide and produce valuable pigments at 50°C, supporting the development of more sustainable and cost-effective bioprocesses 🌡️🔥🦠
Great efforts from all authors involved, congratulations!

🚀 We are hiring 2 research assistants for our CO2 to PHA project, where our goal is to use green technology to turn CO2 into sustainable bioplastics! In this role, you will get hands-on lab experience growing purple and green photosynthetic bacteria, developing smart online monitoring tools using NIR or Raman spectroscopy and optimizing the extraction, purification and final characterization of the produced PHA. Check the link for all the details and application steps! 🔬🌱
Don’t miss this oportunity!!
➡️➡️➡️ Apply here: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/440980
➡️➡️➡️ Apply here: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/440975

Happy Scientist’s Day! 🧪✨

Today, we’re celebrating our incredible core research team, who drive our vision forward every single day. But science thrives on fresh perspectives, which is why we’re also incredibly proud to welcome brilliant visiting scientists from all over the world each year.
Together, as one global community, we are pushing the boundaries of discovery! 🌍🔬