News and Events

A specialized course on LC-MS techniques, organized under the scope of projects STAR and ERA|ARE and lectured by Prof. Félix Hernández Hernández and Dr. Ana María Botero Coy from Universitat Jaume I, was successfully conducted in July 2025 at FEUP.

The intensive program was designed to equip participants with theoretical knowledge in LC-MS techniques as well as broaden horizons in the MS applications in the environmental field and set the ground for future collaborations. Over 40 researchers and students from various institutions attended the course.

The STAR and ERA|ARE teams extend their heartfelt thanks to Prof. Félix Hernández Hernández and Dr. Ana María Botero Coy from Universitat Jaume I, as well as all the attendees for their interest in the course.

Dr. Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro, Principal Researcher at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and STAR P.I., was distinguished with the 2024 Vicente de Seabra Medal. This prize distinguishes, each 2 years, a Portuguese researcher under 45 years old, in the field of chemistry.

Dr. Rita Lado was also invited to deliver a keynote session in the XXIX SPQ National Meeting entitled "Unraveling Enantioselectivity: The Hidden Impact of Chirality in Environmental Processes". The medal was awarded at the XXIX SPQ National Meeting, held in Coimbra from July 20-23, and is a recognition of Dr. Rita Lado's inspiring and prestigious work in recent years. 

Congratulations Rita!

Under the scope of STAR and ERA-ARE projects, a specialized course on LC-MS techniques is being organized, entitled: “Comprehensive investigation of organic micro-pollutants and their transformation products in the aquatic environment: from (limited) target quantitative analysis to wide-scope screening.”

This course, with a total duration of approximately 18 hours, will be delivered by Professor Félix Hernández Hernández and Dr Ana María Botero Coy, both renowned researchers in the field of liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, affiliated with the Research Institute for Pesticides and Water (IUPA) at Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain.

Participation in the course is free of charge but limited to 50 participants. Therefore, registration is mandatory via the following form and is subject to confirmation by the organizers (via email).

Participants who attend at least 70% of the sessions will receive a certificate of attendance.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The online lecture of Prof. Fernando Martins (Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil) on 'Circular Dichroism and the Chemistry of Natural Products: An Overview of Absolute Configuration' ('Dicroísmo Circular e a Química de Produtos Naturais: Um panorama sobre configuração absoluta') will take place on the Feburary 12, 2025 (Wednesday), under the scope of Project STAR. 

This open seminar is organised by Prof. Maria Elizabeth Tiritan, Prof. Carlos Afonso and Dr. Sara Cravo.

The lecture is open to all interested, and will take place on the following zoom session: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/92506672526.

The third Project Meeting of project STAR was held in the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, on September 20th, 2024. 

Team members from all participant institutions (LSRE-LCM, LEPABE, ALiCE, 1H-TOXRUN, FFUP and CBQF), as well as Dr. Quezia B. Cass, STAR project consultant from UFSCar, joined us to share invaluable knowledge. 

Last July 4th, Dr. Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro (STAR Project Coordinator) was an invited speaker on the Portuguese Science Summit, Ciência 2024. In a plenary session moderated by Alexandre Quintanilha (i3S), several researchers debated the idea of “One Health”. Dr. Célia Manaia, team member of STAR, was also a pannelist. 

More information can be found on the following link.

Project STAR now has a LinkedIn page, in which scientific articles, presentations and participations in conferences will be shared. You can now follow the project's updates here!

Prof. Maria Elizabeth Tiritan (10h) - Analysis of chiral drugs in complex matrices: method development and applications

Prof. Thomas Ternes (11h) - Monitoring in future: Multi-method approach to identify environmental pollutions

Prof. Roland Kallenborn (12h) - Chemicals of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) as indicators for human activities in a changing Arctic