Carla Oliveira, Biorbis

Leader of the research group “Precision Fermentation”, within the CBQF (Centre of Biotecnology and Fine Chemistry, State Associate Laboratory, UCP) thematic line “Biotech Innovation and Tech Transfer”. Currently, she coordinates novel fermentation projects, in the scope of the Circulas project, and respective teams, in collaboration with Biorbis, a company hosted by CBQF dedicated to the commercialization of new and innovative biomolecules. Carla Oliveira received her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Minho (UM) in 2009. She developed her Post-Doctoral research activities for 9 years at the Centre of Biological Engineering (UM) in the field of Molecular Biotechnology, with 2 fellowships financed by the FCT (2010-2019). She participated in many scientific projects as team member and was the Principal Investigator of one FCT project (PTDC/AGR-FOR/3090/2012).

She (co)-authored 36 scientific publications in refereed international journals, 7 book chapters, 1 patent (provisional), and over 35 communications in national and international conferences. With more of 950 citations, her h-index at Scopus is 17. She also completed the supervision of 2 PhD theses in Biotechnology, and the (co)-supervision of 13 MSc theses in Biomedical Engineering, Food Engineering, and Biotechnology. Her research skills are mainly focused on the production of value-added biomolecules in heterologous microbial hosts, including the bacterium Escherichia coli, and the yeast Pichia pastoris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, for different applications, including in pharma and food industries. She has strong experience in the cultivation of microorganisms in flasks and bioreactors systems, in the purification of recombinant proteins using different separation techniques, and in the structural characterisation and assessment of the biological activities of the purified products. Since 2019, she is Assistant Researcher, and responsible for the Fermentation Platform, at CBQF – Católica University of Porto. Between 2019 and 2023 she coordinated the team responsible for the fermentation activities of the subproject 5 of Alchemy Project, a joint venture between Univ. Católica and the US Biotech company Amyris Inc.

Manuela Pintado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, UCP, Porto

Coordinator of the DIP4Agri project and Deep Tech Innovators course, Manuela Pintado is the Director of CBQF - Centre of Biotecnology and Fine Chemistry, State Associate Laboratory and the leader of Biobased and Biomedical products group and coordinates the Bioactives and Bioproducts Research Laboratory, at CBQF. Main research interests include development and characterization of bioactives and by-product upgrading through bioprocesses and extraction processes aiming to obtain high-added value products to be applied to Food and other industries. She has established strong interaction with industry for several years mainly in food sector. She co-authored ca. 300 papers in international journals, a creator of 16 patents and she has been involved in the supervision/co- supervision of 20 concluded PhD theses and coordinated/co-coordinated ca. 80 externally funded projects.

Raquel Madureira, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, UCP, Porto

Senior researcher at CBQF (Centre of Biotecnology and Fine Chemistry, State Associate Laboratory, UCP) and invited professor for the teaching of Industrial microbiology. Leader of the Biotech Innovation and Tech Transfer (BITT) Research group, at CBQF, with focus on white biotechnology processes, on the resulting by-products and value-added biomolecules, using renewable sources of carbon and nutrients (e.g., sugarcane). Also works on applied research and market driven innovative solutions for cosmetic and skin care, pharmaceutical, food and animal feed and materials applications with strong engagement of companies at an early phase of product development. Recently involved a new and exciting collaboration project with one of the most promising new companies Biorbis dedicated to commercialization of new biomolecules. European projects evaluator since 2017.

Sofia Pereira, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, UCP, Porto

Researcher at CBQF (Centre of Biotecnology and Fine Chemistry, State Associate Laboratory, UCP), and teaches the Mycology discipline in the Microbiology degree program. Ph.D. in Biology, Master in Toxicology, and Bachelor in Biology from the University of Aveiro. The scientific interests of Sofia Pereira focus on developing bioinoculum formulations to enhance the growth and resilience of crops under stress conditions, as well as employing phytoremediation and phytomanagement strategies for the recovery of environmentally degraded areas. She is actively involved in various national and international projects and supervises students at different academic levels. Currently, she is an associate editor for the journal Frontiers in Plant Science (Plant Symbiotic Interactions section) and has been invited as an editor for several special editions.

Vítor Verdelho, Visiting Professor at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, General Manager of the European Algae Biomass Association

Born in Porto, Portugal, on March 9th, 1966, I hold a degree in Physics from the Sciences Faculty of Porto University. With over 25 years of experience in biotechnology projects, I am a Co-Founder and shareholder of Necton, SA, a marine biotechnology company established in 1997. Our ventures encompass the commercial production of traditional sea salt and microalgae. In 2008, I embarked on another entrepreneurial journey as a Co-Founder and shareholder of A4F – Algae for Future SA. Currently, I serve as the CEO and co-founder of Cell4Food, a pioneering company in the 'cultivated meat' segment of cellular agriculture since 2022.

Throughout my career, I have actively participated in over 20 European and 40 National research projects across various frameworks and programs, collaborating with more than 100 partner organizations throughout Europe. I have held the role of General Manager of the European Algae Biomass Association since 2015, representing the Algae Biomass sector. Over the past three decades, I have honed a diverse set of teaching and management skills in various domains, directly mentoring over 200 start-ups across different frameworks. Furthermore, I am privileged to serve as a Visiting Professor at the Católica Porto Business School and have contributed as a co-author to the trilogy of books titled "The Business Case Roadmap".