TRAMONTE is focused on the smart exploration and valorization of the Tramazeira tree, a tree prevalent in the North-eastern region of Portugal. While in other countries the Tramazeira tree (or Sorbus aucuparia) is explored for various purposes (for example, there is intensive exploitation of its wood for furniture; or of its berries for the production of fermented beverages or ethnographic medicine products) in Portugal the tree remains wild, with only an ornamental use. TRAMONTE aims at to overcome the clear unexplored potential of the Portuguese Tramazeira, leveraging it for the manufacture of Food and Feed products, phytopharmaceuticals and "green agrochemicals" in a OneHealth perspective. TRAMONTE project is developed by a team of national and international  R&D institutions, with expertise in various areas of knowledge ranging from microbiotechnology, to forestry engineering and animal nutrition; local producers and international industrial partners. In Portugal TRAMONTE is developed with the team of Alexandra Mendes-Ferreira (at UTAD) and Letícia Estevinho and Luís Dias (at IPB). TRAMONTE is funded within the scope of the research program PROMOVER o INTERIOR, edition 2022, sponsored by FCT, Fundação La Caixa and BPI.

SMARTWINE 2.0 emcopasses the activities developed by our lab in the field of wine production. In this project we propose to develop the concept of "bi-functional starter cultures" based on non-conventional Yeasts that will have the capacity to diversify the wine aromatic bouquet, while contributing for its microbiological stability (in a biocontrol perspective). Other objectives of SMARTWINE 2.0 include the increase in knowledge about the physiology, genetics and genomics of non-Saccharomyces wine Yeasts (NSYs) and of spoilage Yeasts (that we call SPYs). SMARTWINE 2.0 and our work in wine production is developed in close collaboration with the team of Alexandra Mendes-Ferreira (at UTAD). Isabel Vasconcelos (at UCP) is also a member of SMARTWINE 2.0. SMARTWINE 2.0 received funding by FCT in the 2022 edition.

PharmaAPITOX is integrated in the activities of the group focused on the development of new strategies to combat infections caused by pathogenic Yeasts of the Candida genus. In PharmaAPITOX we aim to help the SME EcoAPIS in valorizing the apitoxin produced by Portuguese bees. The identification of active peptides present in apitoxin with higher anti-Candida activity is a specific objective of PharmaAPITOX, as well as the subsequent development of methods for the recovery of these interesting peptide fractions. This project is developed at IST in collaboration with the group of Prof. Ana Azevedo, and our national partners include the teams of Prof. Letícia Estevinho and Luís Dias (at IPB) and EcoAPIS. PharmaAPITOX received funding from Portugal 2020, COMPETE 2020 and União Europeia.

In LactoCan we foster the development of probiotic lactobacilii species with enhanced anti-Candida activity. For that we use a molecular systems biology approach (supported by results gathered at all celular levels, from genome to metabolome) to explore the intimate, but poorly explored, interaction established between the commensal species L. reuterii, L. gasseri, L. jansenii and L. crispatus with C. albicans and C. glabrata. The generated knowledge not only allow us to identify and engineer the best bacterial strains with enhanced anti-Candida potential, but also revealed/reveals genes and pathways assuring competitiveness of Candida in the human microbiota. These genes are a new and interesting cohort of targets for development of new anti-Candida drugs. LactoCan received funding from FCT (in the edition of 2017) until 2022.

anti-Candida is another research project that we work on focused on the control of infections caused by pathogenic yeasts of the Candida genus. In this scope we have been working with colleagues to tailor materials that can be more resistant to colonization prompted by Candida; developing new chemicals and phytotherapeutics with enhanced anti-Candida activity and working on the elucidation of molecular mechanisms governing the acquisition of resistance towards antifungals in vivo (we are specifically focusing our work on azole-resistant clinical Candida strains). 

SynthYeasts encompass the activities that we do in the construction of synthetic pathways for the synthesis, by Yeasts, of new-to-nature molecules with economic add-value. For this we are making use of metabolic retrobiosynthesis tools, together with computational metabolic modelling, that help us to figure out new combinations between substrates and enzymes and also the best genetic/metabolic modification to perform in the host Yeast strain(s) that optimize their performance. 

EuroMicropH is a COST action devoted to understand the impacts of low pH in all aspects of microbial physiology and that impact various sectors. Check out all the activitives of EuroMicropH here!