The Environment and Resources Group aims at developing innovative approaches to environment and sustainability challenges, working towards specific national interests and internationally relevant topics in frame of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda goals. Research includes
i) identifying emerging chemical and biological hazards and associated risks in human impacted habitats and developing mitigating methods;
ii) developing strategies for wastewater and soil treatment contributing to foster opportunities to move towards a circular economy model;
iii) devising integrated strategies to plant production in face of new biotic and abiotic environmental challenges. The group is organized in 4 laboratories:
Environment and Resources
Whose goal is to develop novel sample processing methods, based on flow analysis and microfluidics, and sensing methods for monitoring key environmental parameters, and emerging pollutants, with national priority and international relevance. Devising biomarkers monitoring devices for biological samples is also envisaged.
J. I. S. Aguiar, M. T.S. Silva, H. A.G. Ferreira, E. C.B. Pinto, M. W. Vasconcelos, A. O. S. S. Rangel, R. B. R. Mesquita, Development of a microfluidic paper-based analytical device for magnesium determination in saliva samples, Talanta Open, 2022, 6, 100135 (Q1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talo.2022.100135
T. C. F. Ribas, R. B. R. Mesquita, A. O. S. S. Rangel, Use of dimethylglyoxime for the spectrophotometric flow-based determination of nickel in natural waters, Talanta Open, 2022, 6, 100132 (Q1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talo.2022.100132
H. Martínez-Pérez-Cejuela, R. B. R. Mesquita, J.A. Couto, E. F. Simó-Alfonso, J.M. Herrero-Martínez, A. O. S. S. Rangel, Design of a microfluidic paper-based device for the quantification of phenolic compounds in wine samples, Talanta, 2022, 250, 123747 (Q1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123747
R. B. R. Mesquita, T. Moniz, M. J. M. Nunes, L. S. Mesquita, M. Rangel, A. O. S. S. Rangel, Sequential injection method for bi-parametric determination of iron and manganese in soil leachates, Analytical Methods, 2022, (Q2) https://doi.org/10.1039/D1AY01932E
F. T. S. M. Ferreira, R. B. R. Mesquita, A. O. S. S. Rangel, New microfluidic paper-based analytical device for iron determination in urine samples, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 2021, 413, 7463–7472 (Q1) https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03706-9
Environment and Resources
Aims to explore the interface humans-environment in an integrated perspective of environmental impacts caused by humans and the consequent risks for human health and wellbeing
Manaia, CM. (2022). Framework for establishing regulatory guidelines to control antibiotic resistance in treated effluents. Critical Reviews Environmental Science and Technology, 10.1080/10643389.2022.2085956
Rocha J, Henriques I, Gomila M, Manaia CM. Common and distinctive genomic features of Klebsiella pneumoniae thriving in the natural environment or in clinical settings. Sci Rep. 21;12(1):10441. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-14547-6.
Ferreira C, Abreu-Silva J, Manaia CM. The balance between treatment efficiency and receptor quality determines wastewater impacts on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. J Hazard Mater. 2022 434:128933. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128933.
Miłobedzka A, Ferreira C, Vaz-Moreira I, Calderón-Franco D, Gorecki A, Purkrtova S, Jan Bartacek, Dziewit L, Singleton CM, Nielsen PH, Weissbrodt DG, Manaia CM. Monitoring antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater environments: The challenges of filling a gap in the One-Health cycle. J Hazard Mater. 2022 ;424(Pt C):127407. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127407.
Pärnänen KMM, Narciso-da-Rocha C, Kneis D, Berendonk TU, Cacace D, Do TT, Elpers C, Fatta-Kassinos D, Henriques I, Jaeger T, Karkman A, Martinez JL, Michael SG, Michael-Kordatou I, O'Sullivan K, Rodriguez-Mozaz S, Schwartz T, Sheng H, Sørum H, Stedtfeld RD, Tiedje JM, Giustina SVD, Walsh F, Vaz-Moreira I, Virta M, Manaia CM. Antibiotic resistance in European wastewater treatment plants mirrors the pattern of clinical antibiotic resistance prevalence. Sci Adv. 2019 Mar 27;5(3):eaau9124. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9124.
Environment and Resources
Focusing on biotechnological processes for environmental protection and restoration, including pollutants biodegradation and wastewater treatment and valorization using granular sludge based on microalgae and/or bacteria and constructed wetlands systems, and microbial assisted plant production in agriculture and in soil recovery through phytomanagement.
Moreira, I.S., Bessa, V.S., Murgolo, S., Piccirillo, C., Mascolo, G., Castro, P.M.L., 2018. Biodegradation of Diclofenac by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11. Ecotoxicology Environmrental Safety 152, 104–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.01.040
Santorio, S., Val del Rio, A., Amorim, C.L., Castro, P.M.L., Mosquera-Corral, A. 2022. Microalgae-bacterial biomass outperforms PN-anammox biomass for oxygen saving in continuous-flow granular reactors facing extremely low-strength freshwater aquaculture streams. Chemosphere 308: 136184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136184
Oliveira A.S, Amorim C.L., Zlopasa J., van Loosdrecht M., Castro P.M.L. 2021 Recovered granular sludge extracellular polymeric substances as carrier for bioaugmentation of granular sludge reactor. Chemosphere 275: 130037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130037 117293
Pereira, S.I.A., Abreu, D., Moreira, H., Vega, A., Castro, P.M.L., 2020. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) improve the growth and nutrient use efficiency in maize (Zea mays L.) under water deficit conditions. Heliyon. 6: e05106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05106
Moreira, H., Pereira, S.I.A., Mench, M., Garbisu, C., Kidd, P., Castro, P.M.L. 2021. Phytomanagement of metal(loid)-contaminated soils: options, efficiency and value. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 9:661423. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.661423
Environment and Resources
Working in the area of plant nutrition and biotic stress, understanding the mechanisms that control nutrient uptake, transport and storage, simulating current and future climate change scenarios;
Saget, S., Costa, M., Santos, CS, Vasconcelos, MW, Styles, D., Williams, M. (2021) Substitution of beef with pea protein reduces the environmental footprint of meat balls whilst supporting health and climate stabilisation goals. Journal of Cleaner Production (in press) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126447
Soares, J., Santos, C.S., Carvalho, S.M.P., Pintado, M., Vasconcelos, M.W. (2019) Preserving the nutritional quality of crop plants under a changing climate: importance and strategies. Marschner Rev, Plant and Soil 1-26. DOI: 10.1007/s11104-019-04229-0
Vasconcelos, M., Gomes, A., Pinto, E., Ferreira, H., Vieira, E., Pimenta, A., Santos, C.S., Balázs, B., Kelemen, E., Hamann, K., Williams, M., Iannetta, P. (2020) The push-, pull- and enabling – capacities necessary for legume grain inclusion into sustainable agri-food systems and healthy diets. World Reviews in Nutrition DOI: 10.1159/000507498
Ferreira, H., Vasconcelos, M.W., Gil, A.M., Pinto, E. (2020) Benefits of pulse consumption on metabolism and health: a systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020 Jan 25:1-12. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1716680.
Saget, S., Costa, M., Barilli, E., Vasconcelos, M., Santos, C., Styles, D., Williams, M. (2020) Substituting wheat with chickpea flour in pasta production delivers more nutrition at a lower environmental cost. Sustainable Production and Consumption. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.06.012
