Short Bio

I am an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at FCT-UNL, and a member of the research unit UCIBIO NOVA @ i4HB. I am the PI of Microbial Stress Lab.

My lab focuses on the structural and mechanistic studies of metalloenzymes involved in microbial stress response to oxidative stress and metal ions, mainly in pathogenic bacteria.

Two other research interest are (i) FeS cluster biogenesis in anaerobic bacteria and (ii) denitrification pathway, mainly focusing on nitrous oxide reductase.

As model systems we use pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter faecium, and also Paracoccus pantotrophus, Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus  and sulphate reducing bacteria of the Desulfovibrio genus (as non-pathogenic model organisms).

Different techniques are used in the characterization of these molecular system:

  • UV-visible, fluorescence, EPR and CD spectroscopy
  • NMR for binding and structural studies
  • ITC for binding studies and kinetics
  • Steady-state and rapid kinetics
  • RT-PCR for gene expression profiles
  • EMSA for DNA binding studies

Contacts

The lab is located in UCIBIO, Dept. Química, in the Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia - Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica

Gab 632.B and Lab 617, Dept Química, UCIBIO, 
Departamento de Química
Faculdade de Ciênicas e Tecnologia
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Campus da Caparica
2829-516 Caparica
Portugal

Tel. + 351 212 948 385, ext 10967
Fax + 351 2112 948 550