2030 Sustainable Development Goals - UMinho Research and Innovation Open Days - 30-31 January 2024, Braga, Portugal

Coleção Documentos 2030 Sustainable Development Goals UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days 30-31 January 2024, Braga, Portugal COORDENAÇÃO EDITORIAL Manuela Martins CAPA UMinho Editora DESIGN e PAGINAÇÃO de: "2030 Sustainable Development Goals - UMinho Research and Innovation Open Days” CAPA Nicolau Moreira PAGINAÇÃO Tiago Farinha EDIÇÃO UMinho Editora LOCAL DE EDIÇÃO Braga 2025 ISBN DIGITAL 978-989-9074-65-1 DOI https://doi.org/10.21814/uminho.ed.195 Os conteúdos apresentados (textos e imagens) são da exclusiva responsabilidade dos respetivos autores. © Autores / Universidade do Minho – Esta obra encontra-se sob a Licença Internacional Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0. EDITORES Eugénio Campos Ferreira Sandra Paiva COMITÉ ORGANIZADOR Eugénio Campos Ferreira Sandra Paiva Teresa Ruão Cecília Leão António Vicente COLABORAÇÃO TÉCNICA Tiago Farinha UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 1 BOOK OF ABSTRACTS OF THE UMINHO RESEARCH & INNOVATION OPEN DAYS ADDRESSING THE 2030 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 30-31 JANUARY 2024, BRAGA, PORTUGAL This volume contains the abstracts of the poster and oral communications presented at the UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, held in Braga, Portugal, between January 30th and 31st, 2024. https://www.uminho.pt/PT/siga-a-uminho/Paginas/Detalhe-do-evento.aspx?Codigo=63074 Edited by Eugénio Campos Ferreira and Sandra Paiva ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Eugénio Campos Ferreira Sandra Paiva Teresa Ruão Cecília Leão António Vicente TECHNICAL COLLABORATION Tiago Farinha UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS INDEX .............................................................................................. 5 FOREWARD ........................................................................................................................................ 6 CENTRO ALGORITMI .......................................................................................................................... 7 Sustainable Incentives for Process Tokenisation in the Public Sector .................................................................................... 8 Photovoltaic Electrification of Off-Grid in Schools and Health Units in Angola ..................................................................... 9 CENTRO DE BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR E AMBIENTAL ..................................................................................... 10 Bioprospection of Marine Microorganisms as a Source of Inspiration to Design Novel Antimicrobial Peptides ................. 11 Candida Albicans Acetate Transporter Orthologues (Atos): Docking and Expression Studies ............................................. 12 Effects of Cellulose Power-Plant Wastewater on Benthic Assemblages .............................................................................. 13 Generation of Molecular Tools to Analyse the Expression of Mammalian Monocarboxylate Transporters ....................... 14 ZnO-Based Thin Films as High-Efficiency Antifungal Coatings ............................................................................................. 15 Transcriptomic Analysis of C. Albicans Cells in Distinct Metabolic Conditions .................................................................... 16 Fungi and Nutrition: Expression and Subcellular Localization Patterns of Ato2 Transport Protein of Candida Albicans .... 17 Decoding Alkali Stress Responses in Fungi ........................................................................................................................... 18 Analyzing the Role of Key Amino Acid Residues in Aspergillus niger DCT-02 on Dicarboxylate Transport .......................... 19 Exploring Benzo[A]Phenoxazine Derivatives as Antifungal Agents Against Candida ........................................................... 20 Green Synthesis of Photocatalytic Nanoparticles for the Elimination of Emerging Contaminants in Water ....................... 21 CENTRO DE CIÊNCIA E TECNOLOGIA TÊXTIL .............................................................................................. 22 Multifunctional Fibrous Structures for Advanced Personal Protective Equipment Based on Natural Fibres and Nanomaterials ...................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Local Drug Delivery Systems Based on Biodegradable Nanofibers for Cancer Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) ..................... 24 Electric Properties of Cotton Fabrics Prepared with Pyrograf® III Carbon Nanofiber-Based Aqueous Inks ......................... 25 Sustainable and Functional Fashion Design: A Natural Dyes Approach ............................................................................... 26 Design in the Feminine: Knowledge, Textile and Fashion Design ........................................................................................ 27 Strategies to Enhance Ecological Coloration in Fashion Design: Sustainable Color ............................................................. 28 Smart Printed Textile Design and the Creation of Symbolic Value Through Emotional Experience .................................... 29 Education for Circular Economy: Contributions to the Development of Innovative Teaching-Learning Methodologies and Strategies ............................................................................................................................................................................. 30 CENTRO DE ENGENHARIA BIOLÓGICA ..................................................................................................... 31 Microbial lipids production by Yarrowia lipolytica strains from lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates ............................... 32 Exploring Yarrowia Lipolytica strains for bioconversion of hydrocarbons into high-value compounds .............................. 33 Valorization of Red, Green and Brown Seaweeds Through Solid-State Fermentation to Improve its Nutritional Value .... 34 The Hidden Potential of Hypersaline Environments: Extremophiles as Source of New Biosurfactants .............................. 35 Assessment of the Potential of Natural Microbiomes for Microplastics Biodegradation: A Comparative Study of Poly(εcaprolactone), Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate ............................................................................................ 36 Development of Foam-Free Biosurfactant Production Processes Using Bacillus licheniformis Strains ............................... 37 Uncovering novel Carbohydrate-Degrading Enzymes from Composting Units Through Metagenomic Strategies ............. 38 Innovative Integration of Oilfield Produced Water Treatment with Biogas Production for Sustainable Resource Management ........................................................................................................................................................................ 39 Cobalt and Manganese Speciation in Anaerobic Sludge Treating PTA Production Wastewater ......................................... 40 CENTRO DE FÍSICA DA UNIVERSIDADE DO MINHO E DO PORTO .................................................................... 41 Passive Sampling for Air Quality Assessment: Collaboration Between CCDR-N and University of Minho ........................... 42 Development of Core-Sheath Phase Change Fibres Incorporated with PEG2000 for Thermoregulation Application ......... 43 Understanding the Influence of Mechano-Electrical Stimuli for New Neuronal Regeneration Therapies .......................... 44 Strategy to Safeguard Cork and Rubber Application’s Beauty and Longevity: Sustainable Thin Film Deposition ............... 45 Neurotransmitter Detection with Graphene Nanobiosensors ............................................................................................. 46 Sustainable Materials for Anti-Counterfeiting Applications ................................................................................................. 47 UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 3 Eco-Friendly Lithium-Ion Battery Separators based on Carrageenan Biopolymer for Sustainable Energy Storage Systems ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 48 Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) Sensors Based on Sputtered Nanoplasmonic Thin Films ............................. 49 3D-Printed Multilayer Membranes for Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin .......................................................... 50 Attomolar Sensing of Mutated Brain Tumor DNA Using Electrolyte-Gate Graphene Transistors ....................................... 51 Investigating Fluorinated Polymer Matrices' Impact on Solid Polymer Electrolyte Performance with Ionic Liquids for Advanced Solid-state Lithium-Ion Batteries ......................................................................................................................... 52 CENTRO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM ENFERMAGEM .......................................................................................... 53 CostEffectiveness of a Health Promotion Program in Primary Schools and Children in Socially Vulnerable Conditions - cluster-randomized study (BeE-school) ............................................................................................................................... 54 CENTRO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM JUSTIÇA E GOVERNAÇÃO ............................................................................ 56 The Legal Regime for Environmental Offenses in Portugal - An Analysis Aimed at Promoting The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals .............................................................................................................................................................. 57 Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Defying the Legal Paradigm ........................................................................................ 58 The right to a Just Transition in European Union Law: Studies on the Energy Taxation Directive ....................................... 59 Analysis of the Interaction Between Law and Ethics in Regulating Artificial Intelligence Amid Digital Metamorphosis ..... 60 CENTRO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM PSICOLOGIA ............................................................................................. 61 Effectiveness of the Short Motivational Programme: A Randomized Control Trial ............................................................. 62 Empathy and Executive Functioning in Incarcerated Women: Comparative Analysis Between Violent and Non-Violent Crimes .................................................................................................................................................................................. 63 “A Rainbow School Program”: Development and Assessment of an Intervention with Educational Agents to Prevent Victimization of LGBTQ Students ......................................................................................................................................... 64 Development and Effectiveness Assessment of an Intervention for Internet Child Sex Offenders Using a Randomized Control Trial .......................................................................................................................................................................... 65 Dark Triad, Sexting, and Online Grooming: Malevolent Side of Online Sexual Activity in Young Adults ............................. 66 Social Integration Skills During Imprisonment: A Longitudinal Study .................................................................................. 67 Online Grooming of Children: Prevalence and Impact ......................................................................................................... 68 Emotional Processing in Male Prisoners: Comparing Psychopaths and Non-Psychopaths .................................................. 69 Executive Functioning and Empathy in Male Inmates: A Comparison Between Violent and Non-Violent Crimes .............. 70 CENTRO DE QUÍMICA ......................................................................................................................... 71 Computational Elucidation of the Inhibition of Myoglobin Aggregation by Polyethylene glycol ........................................ 72 Eugenol as Building Block of Potential Insecticides .............................................................................................................. 73 Development of natural polymer-based membranes for environmental remediation ....................................................... 74 CENTRO DE SISTEMAS MICROELETROMECÂNICOS ..................................................................................... 75 Shape Memory Alloy Artificial Muscles – Current State of Research and Design Proposal ................................................. 76 On-Chip Optical Microsystem for Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria Detection ................................................................... 77 Fall Risk Assessment in Older Adults: Towards Real-Time & Continuous Estimation .......................................................... 78 INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS DA TERRA ......................................................................................................... 79 Developing a 3D Web-GIS Mapping Platform to Support Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Urban Areas: An Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 80 INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM CIÊNCIAS DA VIDA E DA SAÚDE ................................................................. 81 Spatiotemporal Profiling of Gene Expression During Sarcoid Granuloma Formation .......................................................... 82 Genetic Variation In Il-37 Influences the Immune Response To Aspergillus Fumigatus And Predisposes To Fungal Disease After Stem-Cell Transplantation ........................................................................................................................................... 83 Enhancing Malaria Elimination Strategies in the Dominican Republic: Evaluating Rapid Diagnostic Test Accuracy and Unraveling Parasite Genetic Diversity .................................................................................................................................. 84 Noradrenergic Degeneration in a DJ-1 Knockout Mouse Model ......................................................................................... 85 Itaconate Deficiency Enhances Anti-Fungal Effector Functions of Macrophages and Confers Resistance to Infection with Aspergillus fumigatus ........................................................................................................................................................... 86 Expansion of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using a Xenogeneic-Free Human Platelet Lysate as Growth Medium Supplement ............................................................................................................................... 87 UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 4 Omega-Sec: Priming Adipose-Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secretome with Docosahexaenoic-Acid for Regenerative Medicine Applications in the Central Nervous System ........................................................................................................ 88 INSTITUTO DE POLÍMEROS E COMPÓSITOS .............................................................................................. 89 Study of the Processing and Properties of Nitrile Rubber (NBR) with Residues from Flexible Polyurethane (PU) Foams ... 90 Composite Fibers with High Lignin Content as Precursors for Carbon Fibers ...................................................................... 91 Use of Circularity Micro-Level Indicators in the Developing Process of Plastic Parts for the Automotive Industry ............ 92 Magnetically Triggered Shape Deformation of Polyurethane Composites .......................................................................... 93 Study of organoleptic additives and insect repellents for Post-consumer recycled polyolefins .......................................... 94 Development of Eco-Sustainable Composite Sandwich Structural Panels ........................................................................... 95 Calculating the Carbon Footprint of Plastic Parts ................................................................................................................ 96 Processing and Characterization of Post-Consumer Recycled Materials for Rotational Moulding Applications ................. 97 Studies on the Reprocessing of Polyethylene and Polypropylene Blends ............................................................................ 98 Circularity through Recycling of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites .................................................................................... 99 INSTITUTO PARA A SUSTENTABILIDADE E INOVAÇÃO EM ESTRUTURAS DE ENGENHARIA ................................... 100 Adaptation of Traditional Risk-Based Methodology for Slopes to Probabilistic-Based Approach Integrating Surrogate Models ............................................................................................................................................................................... 101 Development of an Ecological Thermal Insulation Product for a Regenerative Building Design ....................................... 102 Strategies and actions for achieving carbon neutrality in Portuguese residential buildings by 2050 ................................ 103 Analyzing the Feasibility of Integrating Urban Sustainability Assessment Indicators with City Information Modelling (CIM) ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 104 Development of Optimised Compressed Earth Blocks by Using Materials of Natural Origin ............................................ 105 Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure Assessment: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for Non-Destructive Evaluation of Asphalt Pavements ............................................................................................................................................................. 106 LABORATÓRIO DE INSTRUMENTAÇÃO E FÍSICA EXPERIMENTAL DE PARTÍCULAS .............................................. 107 Application of Quantum Computing to Quantum Chromodynamics ................................................................................. 108 Anomaly Detection: A Tool to Find New Physics ................................................................................................................ 109 Using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to Scan Beyond the Standard Model Parameter Spaces in Particle Physics ................................................................................................................................................................................ 110 LABORATÓRIO DE PAISAGENS, PATRIMÓNIO E TERRITÓRIO ....................................................................... 111 Anadromous Seascapes: Understanding Marine Spatial Usage in Tackling the Impact of Urban Infrastructure on Migratory Species. .............................................................................................................................................................. 112 Autism and Higher Education: A Look at Design ................................................................................................................ 113 LABORATÓRIO DE SOFTWARE CONFIÁVEL .............................................................................................. 114 How Sustainable is your Programming Language? Analysing the Impact of PowerCap on Energy Efficiency of Programming Languages .................................................................................................................................................... 115 NÚCLEO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM POLÍTICAS ECONÓMICAS .......................................................................... 116 The Promotion of Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions: Key Factors to Adopt from the Organizational Perspective ......................................................................................................................................................................... 117 Full-Time Education: Assessment of The Impact on Learning of the Brazilian Program Novo Mais Educação .................. 118 UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 5 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS INDEX SDG1 .................................................................................................................................................................... 59, 77, 80 SDG2 .............................................................................................................................................................. 18, 34, 49, 73 SDG3 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 23, 24, 36, 42, 44, 46, 49, 51, 54, 58, 62, 64, 66, 68, 72, 76, 77, 78, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88 SDG4 8 ........................................................................................... , 9, 28, 54, 64, 65, 68, 77, 108, 109, 110, 113, 117, 118 SDG5 ........................................................................................................................................................ 18, 27, 47, 62, 63 SDG6 ....................................................................................................................................... 21, 28, 36, 37, 39, 40, 50, 74 SDG7 ............................................................................................................... 9, 21, 25, 32, 33, 39, 48, 50, 52, 59, 74, 103 SDG8 ................................................................................................................. 8, 27, 28, 29, 60, 88, 91, 98, 108, 109, 110 SDG9 ............................................ 29, 37, 38, 43, 47, 57, 60, 80, 82, 83, 86, 87, 92, 93, 95, 96, 98, 99, 106, 109, 110, 115 SDG10 ............................................................................................................................... 27, 54, 58, 60, 82, 83, 84, 86, 113 SDG11 ............................................................................................. 15, 42, 43, 47, 57, 80, 84, 102, 104, 105, 106, 112, 117 SDG12 ...... 8, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 43, 48, 49, 50, 57, 73, 74, 87, 90, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 115, 117 SDG13 ................................................................ 25, 26, 30, 32, 33, 35, 37, 42, 48, 52, 59, 73, 92, 96, 98, 99, 102, 103, 105 SDG14 ............................................................................................................................................................ 13, 34, 36, 112 SDG15 ................................................................................................................................................. 8, 73, 91, 92, 102, 106 SDG16 ................................................................................................................................... 8, 58, 60, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70 SDG17 ....................................................................................................................... 8, 25, 35, 42, 91, 92, 98, 103, 108, 115 SDG1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere. SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. SDG4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. SDG5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. SDG7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. SDG8 Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. SDG9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. SDG10 Reduce inequality within and among countries. SDG11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. SDG14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. SDG16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 6 FOREWORD I am honoured to present the Book of Abstracts for the 1st edition of the UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, held on the 30th and 31st of January 2024. This event marks a significant milestone in our shared journey to foster research excellence, innovation, and impactful collaborations within and beyond the University of Minho. The Open Days serve as a unique platform to celebrate the achievements of our research community, highlight the breadth of expertise across diverse scientific domains, and promote a culture of interdisciplinary and international cooperation. This inaugural edition aligns with UMinho's mission to advance knowledge and innovation in response to societal challenges and global priorities, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. The thematic sessions, encompassing UMinho Research Highlights, Innovation Ecosystem, and International Cooperation, have offered participants a broad spectrum of insights. They reflect our commitment to addressing global challenges through research, with an emphasis on open science, ethical research practices, and impactful dissemination. The role of UMinho in the Portuguese Roadmap of Research Infrastructures and its collaborations with institutions like the University of São Paulo further underscores our leadership in fostering knowledge networks. This Book of Abstracts compiles the research contributions presented by our PhD students mostly in poster format during the two-day event. These abstracts, organized by research units, represent the cutting-edge work carried out by our academic community and collaborators. A selection of posters was showcased during two dedicated pitch sessions, where students shared innovative solutions targeting the SDGs. The abstracts illustrate a wide range of topics, from biotechnology and sustainable energy solutions to legal and psychological studies, reflecting the diversity and strength of our research ecosystem. Organized across UMinho's research units, they offer a clear overview of the interdisciplinary and impactful projects that define our institution. On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all participants, researchers, and stakeholders who have contributed to the success of this event. I also acknowledge the critical support provided by our innovation ecosystem partners, associate laboratories, and international collaborators. We hope this compilation serves as a valuable resource for fostering future collaborations and advancing shared goals in research and innovation. May it inspire continued exploration and commitment to excellence in addressing the challenges of our time. Eugénio Campos Ferreira Vice-Rector for Research & Innovation UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 13 EFFECTS OF CELLULOSE POWER-PLANT WASTEWATER ON BENTHIC ASSEMBLAGES Davi Mundim, Diego Flores, Pedro Gomes, Marcos Rubal CBMA - Center of Environmental and Molecular Biology [email protected]; [email protected]; pago[email protected]minho.pt; [email protected] Keywords: Bioindicators, Organic Enrichment, Macrobenthos 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG14 Benthic marine fauna plays an important role in several ecosystem processes such as the mineralization and cycling of nutrients, the transport of organic matter and oxygen through different layers of sediment, among others. Benthic assemblages are also highly sensitive to environmental conditions so its variations are probably the best available bioindicators to assess anthropic impacts on marine ecosystems. Europe governments adopted legal and administrative frameworks such as MSFD and WFD, establishing benthic fauna monitoring as a method of assessing ecosystem health. However, in the Portuguese coast these assemblages have been little studied, especially in the north region. Therefore, this work aims to assess the impacts of a cellulose power-plant effluent, located in Viana do Castelo, in the sublittoral benthic communities. The main hypothesis is that areas near the effluent will present an impoverished benthic assemblage and as distance from the effluent increases the benthic assemblage will present a higher species number and lower abundances. Benthic assemblages and sediment samples were collected in different sites with increasing distances from the effluent to compare diversity, abundance and biomass. Concluding this work can lead to better understating organic enrichment effects on benthic assemblages and the proposition of better marine management frameworks. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 14 GENERATION OF MOLECULAR TOOLS TO ANALYSE THE EXPRESSION OF MAMMALIAN MONOCARBOXYLATE TRANSPORTERS Clara Arantes1, Cláudia Barata-Antunes1, Diogo Lopes1, Rosana Alves1, Pieter A A de Beule2, Tatiana Sorkina3, Alexander Sorkin3, Sandra Paiva1 1 CBMA, Department of Biology, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal 2 International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Avenida Mestre José Veiga s/n, Braga, Portugal 3 Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA [email protected]; claudia.barat[email protected]; [email protected]! Keywords: Mammalian monocarboxylate transporters, Molecular tools, Plasmids 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) are a family of transporters that are essential for the import of monocarboxylates such as lactate, playing an important role in mammalian metabolism. This family contains 14 isoforms that differs in terms of tissue distribution, intracellular localization and regulation of expression, supplying the metabolic need of the respective tissue in which they are expressed. Given their importance, changes in their expression, activity or function can lead to a number of clinical manifestations ranging from mild disorders to severe diseases, such as cancer. The export of lactate from highly glycolytic tumor cells ensures the progression of glycolysis and prevents intracellular acidification. We hypothesize that the downregulation of MCTs in specific cellular environments might protect from certain types of cancer. To test this, several plasmids are being constructed, harboring MCT1 or MCT4 fused with fluorescent proteins, mCherry or GFP, at either the N or C termini. These constructions will be further transfected in specific human cell lines in order to analyze the trafficking and expression of MCTs at relevant metabolic growth conditions as well as after treatment with certain compounds. At the end of this work, we expect to characterize the conditions and mechanisms behind the endocytic trafficking of MCTs. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 15 ZNO-BASED THIN FILMS AS HIGH-EFFICIENCY ANTIFUNGAL COATINGS Patrícia Pereira-Silva1, 2, Joel Borges2, 3, Paula Sampaio1 1 CBMA, Department of Biology, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 Physics Center of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP), University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal 3 LaPMET–Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; joel[email protected] Keywords: Antifungal coatings, ZnO-based thin films, Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG11 Microbial contamination on frequently touched surfaces presents a global challenge with implications for both public health and industry. Microorganisms adhere and proliferate on various inanimate surfaces, including tables, screens, and doorknobs. Insufficient and ineffective disinfection of these surfaces transforms them into reservoirs for microbial growth. The significance of high-touch surfaces in the transmission pathway of infectious diseases has been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, there is a pressing need for the development of antimicrobial coatings to reduce microbial adhesion, thereby contributing to the mitigation of pathogen transmission through surfaces. This study focuses on developing ZnO-based coatings with antifungal properties. ZnO thin films were produced by reactive magnetron sputtering with different thicknesses and gold concentrations. Then, their antifungal activity was assessed by direct contact with the model pathogen, Candida albicans. The developed thin films demonstrated significant antifungal activity, achieving an 80% reduction in cell viability, regardless of thickness, and for gold concentrations below 15.4 at.%. Post-deposition annealing at 600 ˚C induced the formation of superficial Au NPs in samples with CAu ≥ 15.4 at.%, thereby enhancing the antifungal activity of Au-ZnO compared to asdeposited thin films. These findings suggest a surface antifungal activity of ZnO-based thin films and the synergistic impact of Au NPs. Therefore, ZnO-based thin films exhibit high efficiency as antifungal coatings for diverse surfaces, protecting against microbial contamination. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 16 TRANSCRIPTOMIC ANALYSIS OF C. ALBICANS CELLS IN DISTINCT METABOLIC CONDITIONS Alexandra Gomes-Gonçalves1, 2, Wouter Van Genechten3, Cláudia BarataAntunes1, 2, Faezeh Ghasemi1, 2, Rosana Alves1, 2, Margarida Casal1, 2, Joaquin Ariño4, Alistair Brown5, Patrick Van Dijck3, Sandra Paiva1, 2 1 CBMA, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-sustainability, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 3 Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium 4 Institut de Biotecnología i Biomedicina & Dept. de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 5 MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Candida albicans, metabolic flexibility, alternative carbon sources 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Candida species are among the most common cause of fungal and nosocomial infections in humans. Their capacity to cause disease resides in the ability to grow within the host environment. To successfully proliferate in the human host, Candida cells need to adapt to a broad range of constraints, including changes in nutrients, environmental pH, or attack of the immune system. All of these constraints require rapid and coordinated changes in metabolism and physiology. In most studies, C. albicans cells are grown on artificial media conditions that do not mimic physiological environments, leaving important physiological effects largely unexplored. We have previously shown that growth in the presence of alternative carbon sources, such as lactate influences the behavior of Candida cells in antifungal drug resistance. In this work, we have performed a whole transcriptome analysis of C. albicans cells under relevant environmental conditions, using RNA-seq. Here, C. albicans cells were grown in the presence of lactic acid, an alternative carbon source frequently presented to C. albicans in the host environment, either at pH 5 or pH 7, and several samples were retrieved and analyzed to decode the pathogen metabolic response. With this work, we provide invaluable insights into the molecular pathways involved in lactatedependent alkalization of niche pH, which is an important factor for virulence and potentially for fungal survival following phagocytosis. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 17 FUNGI AND NUTRITION: EXPRESSION AND SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION PATTERNS OF ATO2 TRANSPORT PROTEIN OF CANDIDA ALBICANS Patrícia Ataíde1, 2*, Faezeh Ghasemi1, 2*, Cláudia Barata-Antunes1, 2, Alexandra Gomes-Gonçalves1, 2, Rosana Alves1,2, Margarida Casal1, 2, Alistair Brown3, Wouter Van Genechten4, Jana Nysten4, Patrick Van Dijck4, Sandra Paiva1, 2 1 CBMA, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-sustainability, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 3 MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK 4 Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium * These authors contributed equally to the work [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; jana.[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Yeast plasma membrane proteins, Candida albicans, Organic Acids 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Candida albicans, a common commensal microorganism within the human body, assumes pathogenic potential in instances of immune system compromise. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted C. albicans as one of the highest concerns, according to the growing health problems, resistance to antifungals, and higher mortality rates associated with this fungus. This opportunistic pathogen can utilize carboxylic acids produced by the host, such as acetate or lactate, particularly in environments with shortage of glucose sources. This metabolic adaptation significantly contributes to the pathogenicity of C. albicans. In C. albicans, Jen transporters and potentially Acetate Transporter Ortholog (Ato) proteins are responsible for the uptake of carboxylates through the plasma membrane (PM). The Ato proteins are members of the acetate uptake transporter (AceTr) family comprising 10 proteins, (Ato1 – Ato8) whose role and complete function still remain unknown. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the expression profiles and subcellular localization of CaAto proteins, particularly CaAto2, in distinct metabolic and physiological conditions. To achieve this aim, we used the CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate a C. albicans strain harbouring, at the chromosomal level, an ATO2-GFP fusion. Ato2-GFP expression has been evaluated, by fluorescence microscopy, in cells grown in the presence of substrates that are usually present in human host niches, like the gut. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 18 DECODING ALKALI STRESS RESPONSES IN FUNGI Cláudia Barata-Antunes1, Erik de Hulster2, Clara Cardoso2, Beatriz-Conceição Leite1, Vítor Fernandes1, Inês P. Ribeiro1, 3, George Diallinas4, 5, Margarida Casal1, Hernâni-Gerós1, 6, 7, Joaquín Ariño8, Robert Mans2, Sandra Paiva1 1 CBMA, Department of Biology, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal 2 Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands 3 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal 4 Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15784, Athens, Greece 5 Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, 70013, Heraklion, Greece 6 Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal 7 Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Department of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 8 Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina & Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain [email protected]; beatrizlei[email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Transporters, Endocytosis, Alkali stress 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG2, SDG5 Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells alkalinize their extracellular environment when cultivated in monocarboxylic acids, as a sole carbon source. This event triggers the removal from the plasma membrane of the nutrient lactate transporter Jen1. The endocytic internalization of Jen1 followed by vacuolar degradation depends on a functional Jen1 transporter and on the involvement of the TORC1 signalling pathway. However, the links between the physiological relevance of this process and the molecular mechanisms underlying it remain unknown. In this work, S. cerevisiae cells stably expressing JEN1-GFP were studied using aerobic carbon limited continuous cultures in controlled bioreactors, followed by a physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic analysis. Our data showed that Jen1 internalization under alkali-growth conditions is strongly dependent on the external pH, most likely as a mechanism to avoid loss of central carbon metabolites. We have identified by transcriptomic analysis a set of genes that are upregulated at the specific pH value in which Jen1 starts to be internalized. With this work, we were also able to single out how cells respond specifically to environmental pH, providing new insights on the effect of alkali stress on Jen1 regulation, but also on the general cellular response in eukaryotic cells. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 19 ANALYZING THE ROLE OF KEY AMINO ACID RESIDUES IN ASPERGILLUS NIGER DCT-02 ON DICARBOXYLATE TRANSPORT Alves, J.1, 2, Rendulić, T.1, 2, Casal, M.1, 2, Soares-Silva, I.1, 2 1 CBMA, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Portugal i[email protected] Keywords: Carboxylic Acids, Membrane transporters 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG12 DCT-02 is a dicarboxylate transporter from Aspergillus niger, member of the Slow-Anion Channel (SLAC1) family. Expression of this transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae enables succinate secretion, being the divalent succinate anion the preferred transported form. Using a combination of in silico tools and phenotypical assays a structural-functional analysis of the exporter was done. The combination of DCT-02’s 3D structure prediction, pore outline, molecular docking with succinate and conservation status of amino acid residue in the transporter family led to the selection of 22 residues for site-directed mutagenesis. In total, 32 mutant alleles were functionally characterized by heterologous expression in the S. cerevisiae IMK982 strain. Fluorescence microscopy was used to determine the expression and localization of the GFP-tagged version of DCT-02 and mutant alleles. Notably, several of the mutations on residues that were highly conserved resulted in a loss of function for the allele expressing cells, such as is the case for the R114, P204, R255, V274, G275, P276, P354, F353 and N355 mutations, which presented growth similar to S. cerevisiae IMK982 strain transformed with the empty vector (p416GPD). With the exception of the mutant allele for the F279, R255, F353 residues and the mutants R114A, R114H and L210A all of the mutant expressing cells showed fluorescence localised in the plasma membrane. One mutant allele when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae presents lower growth compared to the wildtype allele expressing strain, which suggests that it is exporting larger amounts of dicarboxylic acids outside the cell. The same phenotype was observed when cells were grown on liquid medium presenting a lower growth rate compared to the wild-type expressing strain. Further studies are underway to characterize succinate production in this mutant. The results here obtained are crucial to understand how exporters work and have the potential for the improvement of microbial cell factories engineered for the production of carboxylic acids. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 20 EXPLORING BENZO[A]PHENOXAZINE DERIVATIVES AS ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS AGAINST CANDIDA Maria Inês Pacheco1, 2, 3, Bárbara S. G. Guimarães3, M. Sameiro T. Gonçalves3, Maria João Sousa1,2, Paula Sampaio1, 2 1 CBMA, Department of Biology, UMinho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 IB-S, UMinho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 3 Centre of Chemistry (CQUM), Department of Chemistry, UMinho, Campus of Gualtar, Braga [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives, Candida spp, Antifungals 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Candida species, particularly C. albicans, are usually responsible for worrisome infections. The recent rise in non-albicans Candida species adds complexity to treatment, given their unpredictable susceptibility to commonly used antifungals. Benzo[a]phenoxazines arise as potential therapeutic approaches, due to their established antifungal activity against S. cerevisiae. Additionally, through modifications in their polycyclic system, benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives with distinct properties are obtained. C34, with propyl and dipropyl groups at the amino functions of 5and 9-positions, respectively, demonstrated high antifungal activity against Candida, even against the multi-drug resistant C. auris. In this work, three compounds with different variations of C34’s structure were tested: C35, with chloropropyl group at the amino of 5-position of the heterocycle system; A44 and A42, where the free rotation group at 9-position in C34 and C35 was replaced by a rigid structure conferred by a julolidine moiety. The antifungal activity of these compounds was evaluated against fourteen strains from seven Candida species, determining their Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing protocols for yeasts. We also tested their cytotoxicity on a macrophage-like cell line, through the MTT assay. The overall range of MIC values, considering all Candida species tested, were very similar between the compounds, except for A42, which displayed the highest MIC values, followed closely by A44, indicating that the addition of the julolidine moiety did not contribute to an enhancement of the anti-Candida activity. Compound C34, on the other hand, displayed the best antifungal activity between all four compounds, presenting the lowest MIC geometric mean, followed by C35, making these compounds the most suitable for developing an antifungal strategy. This result indicates that the addition of the chloropropyl group seems to contribute to the anti-Candida effect. Cytotoxicity assays showed that C35 and A42 were the least cytotoxic compounds, suggesting that the addition of the chloropropyl group enhances their cytocompatibility. Nevertheless, non-toxic concentrations of all compounds were below C. albicans MIC values. Considering these results, the design of new benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives with potentially improved activity against Candida species can be addressed. Compounds C34 and C35 were the most suitable for antifungal applications, considering their synergistic combination with known antifungals, particularly for multi-resistant Candida species. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 21 GREEN SYNTHESIS OF PHOTOCATALYTIC NANOPARTICLES FOR THE ELIMINATION OF EMERGING CONTAMINANTS IN WATER Inês C. G. Espada2, Pedro M. Martins1, 2, S. Lanceros-Méndez4, 5, 6 1 Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Gualtar, Braga 2 Institute of Science and Innovation on Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Gualtar, Braga 3 Physics Centre of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP) and Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, LapMET, Gualtar, Braga 4 BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940 Leioa, Spain 5 Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain [email protected] [email protected].pt; [email protected]nho.pt Keywords: Green synthesis, Photocatalysis, Water remediation 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG6, SDG7, SDG12 Water pollution is one of today's main environmental problems. Emerging pollutants, especially pharmaceuticals, are commonly found in wastewater due to their extensive use in everyday life. Due to their complex chemical structures, they are quite resilient to conventional treatments. Therefore, photocatalysis has emerged as a solution to degrade these contaminants effectively, requiring only a photocatalyst and a source of ultraviolet or visible radiation. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most studied photocatalyst due to its unique optical and oxidizing properties, chemical and thermal stability, and low toxicity. It is usually functionalised with gold (Au) nanoparticles to prevent electron-hole pair recombination and extend visible radiation absorption. However, conventional synthesis techniques use toxic chemicals and present high energy consumption. In order to decrease the environmental impact, green synthesis methods that utilize natural extracts and ecological solvents have been developed. Therefore, this study proposes a green synthesis procedure that applies a rutin hydrate, a flavonoid found naturally in various plants, as the reducing agent in the green synthesis of TiO2Au nanocomposites. Nanocomposites with 1, 0.1, and 0.025 wt% concentrations were synthesised by the coprecipitation method, adding the rutin hydrate to an aqueous solution containing TiO2 P25 and HauCl4. The chemical and physical properties were studied through characterisation techniques such as TEM, XRD, DLS, ATR-FTIR, zeta potential and reflectance spectroscopy. It was confirmed that the addition of Au nanoparticles onto the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles via a green method does not alter the morphology and crystalline structure of TiO2. The band gap and stability were improved, with less agglomerate formation observed. Afterwards, the nanocomposites’ photocatalytic efficiency was tested by degrading the pharmaceutical Ciprofloxacin (CIP) under ultraviolet radiation and simulated sunlight. From a sustainable standpoint, the samples with 0.1 wt% of Au nanoparticles presented the best degradation efficiencies while utilizing the least amount necessary of Au to avoid waste. Approximately 75% of CIP was removed from the water for the degradation under UV radiation, while 73% of CIP was degraded with irradiation by simulated sunlight. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 22 CENTRO DE CIÊNCIA E TECNOLOGIA TÊXTIL CENTRE FOR TEXTILE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2C2T UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 29 SMART PRINTED TEXTILE DESIGN AND THE CREATION OF SYMBOLIC VALUE THROUGH EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE Manoella Oliveira, Joana Cunha, Isabel Cabral Centre for Textile Science and Technology, Azurém, Guimarães [email protected]; [email protected], jcunh[email protected]nho.pt Keywords: Smart and Interactive Textiles, User Experience, Cultural Sustainability 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG8, SDG9, SDG12 The increase in research and development of textiles innovations has been fundamental for improving technologies in smart wearables market. This is expected to gain popularity in 2030 and worth more than US$4 billion. Smart textiles refer to textile artifacts that interact – reacting or adapting – with environmental changes, extending or providing functionality to common fabrics. Despite the advantages, the popularization of these technologies still depends on overcoming challenges, particularly related to usability. The interface design of these products presents itself as a notable strategy to innovate. Among the processes of incorporating technologies on the textile surface, printing is one of the means that offers great integration potential. In addition to functional and pragmatic issues, design must also consider the emotional dimension, therefore it is relevant to understand the affective responses objects provide. Since it influences the user psychological conditions, hedonic approach has been increasingly contemplated in smart textiles and wearable technology field. Symbolic value is approached here as a conceptual focus to evaluate experience at an emotional level and as a relevant path towards cultural sustainability – one of the priority themes of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In this aspect, it is understood that awareness and information related to memory and cultural heritage can be accessed through printed patterns. In parallel, perceived symbolic value should encourage a longer product lifespan, due to the meaning it carries and the relationships it represents with the user, thus also contributing to environmental sustainability. In the field of usability in printed smart textiles for applications in technical areas, several studies have been carried out. However, the specificity of the intersection between the areas of printed smart textiles (not only as functional but as holders of aesthetic, symbolic and cultural values) and user experience (UX), an intrinsic concern of the disciplinary area of Design, still lacks investigations with great potential to be developed, which this project proposes. This research aims to explore printing design for smart and interactive textiles – namely with colour change behaviour –, as a means of incorporating symbolic and emotional values from the UX perspective. The scientific contribution is expected to be the expansion of knowledge in these areas, which currently lacks intersectional in-depth study. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 30 EDUCATION FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY: CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE TEACHING-LEARNING METHODOLOGIES AND STRATEGIES Sofia Moreira, António Dinis Marques 2C2T - Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Azurém, Guimarães [email protected] Keywords: Circular Economy, Education, Fashion Design 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG12, SDG13 The fashion industry positions itself as one of the most important and dynamic sectors globally, however, it is also one of the most polluting. The excessive production of fashion items makes it a significant consumer of natural resources and a major producer of waste throughout its value chain. It becomes imperative to take action to change the course of the enormous impact it has on the environment, not only through public policies affecting the industry but also through government or public initiatives that raise awareness among the population about the excessive impact of human activity. Circular economy (CE) emerges as an alternative to the prevailing model (Fast Fashion), characterized by extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal, serving as a guide for the fashion industry, promoting the development of more sustainable products, and encouraging the reuse and recycling of products and raw materials. In this model, the concept of waste, much like in nature, does not exist, as everything is perceived as a resource. For the transition from a "cradle to grave" model to a "cradle to cradle" model (Braungart and McDonough) to be solidified, consumers of fashion items will also need to change their purchasing behaviours. The bidirectional relationship between supply and demand is crucial for the successful implementation of the CE in the fashion industry. Therefore, it is imperative that consumers have a proper understanding of their importance in this process, with education playing a significant role in raising awareness among the youth. Education for sustainability aims to broaden the horizons of young people regarding this issue and the role they play with the choices they make in their daily lives. In a general sense, the presented research ultimately aims to develop innovative teachinglearning methodologies and strategies for the CE, to be implemented with high school students. These methodologies and strategies will draw inspiration not only from what is already being developed in the context of formal education for this level, specifically in the Fashion Design Technical Course, but also from national and international initiatives focusing on fashion and sustainability, as well as in design methods and techniques in fashion design. Methodologically, the research employs mixed methods, both interventionist and noninterventionist, and qualitative and quantitative techniques to address the research question and confirm the research argument based on the premise that the activities developed and implemented in the classroom will reinforce future sustainable behaviours and interventions among young people. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 31 CENTRO DE ENGENHARIA BIOLÓGICA CENTRE OF BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING CEB UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 32 MICROBIAL LIPIDS PRODUCTION BY YARROWIA LIPOLYTICA STRAINS FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS HYDROLYSATES Bruna Dias1, Marlene Lopes1, 2, Rosa Rodríguez-Jasso3, Isabel Belo1, 2 1 Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal 2 LABBELS – Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 3 Biorefinery Group, Food Research Department, Autonomous Univ. Coahuila, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico [email protected]; marl[email protected]; rrodri[email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates, Microbial lipids, Yarrowia lipolytica 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG7, SDG13 In recent years, energy crises and environmental concerns with fossil fuels have driven research into alternative lipidic sources to traditional vegetable oils for the biofuels industry. Microbial lipid production from lignocellulosic biomass (LB) emerges as a promising raw material for the biodiesel production. The recalcitrant structure of LB requires pretreatments to release monomeric assimilable sugars for microbial species. However, these pretreatments generate some undesired compounds with antimicrobial activity. This research aims to assess the potential of Y. lipolytica strains to use lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates (LBH) without detoxification steps for lipid-rich biomass production. Firstly, the tolerance of three Y. lipolytica strains to undesired compounds (acetic acid, formic acid, furfural, and 5-HMF) was assessed in microplate wells. The production of lipid-rich biomass of chosen strains (W29 and NCYC 2904) was validated in stirred-tank bioreactor (STR) using synthetic medium mimicking an LBH. In batch cultures, the W29 strain attained the lipids content and concentration of 29 % (w/w, dry basis) and 4.7 g/L, respectively, while the NCYC 2904 strain reached 53 % (w/w) and 10.9 g/L. In the repeated batch cultures, the lipids produced by the W29 strain increased to 6.6 g/L, while with the NCYC 2904 strain the lipids production attained 13.9 g/L. The ability of W29 strain to grow and produce lipids was proven in eucalyptus bark hydrolysate (EBH) in STR experiments. Regardless of the total sugars (65 g/L or 106 g/L) and antimicrobial compounds concentration of EBH, the yeast successfully grew in undiluted and undetoxified EBH. The maximum lipids concentration increased from 5.6 g/L (65 g/L of total sugars) to 8.1 g/L (106 g/L of total sugars) due to the high biomass production in more concentrated EBH. Yarrowia lipolytica NCYC 2904, grown in undiluted and undetoxified olive tree pruning hydrolysate (129 g/L of total sugars), accumulated 35 % (w/w) of lipids, corresponding to a concentration of 10 g/L. Lipids from both strains were highly unsaturated, mainly composed of oleic acid, indicating their suitability as feedstock for the biodiesel industry. This research highlights the extraordinary ability of both Y. lipolytica strains in utilizing LBH for microbial lipids production, thereby promoting sustainable biodiesel production from lignocellulosic feedstocks. This approach not only reduces process costs but also minimizes resource wastage, aligning with the principles of a circular economy. Furthermore, it aligns with the objectives of The European Green Deal, promoting the transition from fossil fuels to biofuels and contributing to the reduction of global gas emissions. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 33 EXPLORING YARROWIA LIPOLYTICA STRAINS FOR BIOCONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS INTO HIGH-VALUE COMPOUNDS Sílvia Miranda1, Maria Alice Coelho2, Isabel Belo1, 3, Marlene Lopes1, 3 1 Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal 2 Departament of Biochemical Engineering, UFRJ, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3LABBELS – Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal [email protected]; ali[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Hydrocarbons, Yarrowia lipolytica, Microbial lipids 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG7, SDG12, SDG13 Economic activities are strongly dependent on the use of fossil fuels and petroleum-derived products. Hence, huge amounts of hydrocarbon-polluted wastewater are produced in several industries (petrochemical industries, automotive and automobile repair stations, etc.). The improper disposal of this wastewater presents a substantial environmental challenge. Microbial degradation of hydrocarbons offers an alternative to the physicochemical methods commonly employed and several works have been reported mainly with bacterial species. This research evaluated the potential of using a yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, to assimilate hydrocarbons and produce valuable compounds. This oleaginous yeast species has an intense secretory activity and demonstrates an extraordinary capacity to use a wide range of hydrophobic compounds, including non-refined ones. Firstly, six Y. lipolytica strains were studied for their ability to assimilate 5 g·L-1 hexadecane as the sole carbon source. Y. lipolytica CBS 2075 stood out as the most promising in hexadecane consumption and biomass production, and further experiments were carried out in a stirredtank bioreactor (STR) to evaluate the effect of the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa). Increasing kLa from 11 h-1 to 132 h-1 improved the hexadecane assimilation rate, biomass final concentration, and lipids synthesis. The supplementation of medium with corn steep liquor, a low amount of (NH4)2SO4, and an increase in the C/N ratio boosted the production of microbial lipids (2.1 g·L-1) and protease (526 U·L-1). The yeast Y. lipolytica also demonstrated efficient assimilation of a hydrocarbon mixture (2 g·L1 dodecane, 2 g·L-1 hexadecane, and 2 g·L-1 hexadecene). In batch cultures, two Y. lipolytica strains grew without a lag phase, and dissolved oxygen saturation of 30 % was enough to prevent the limitation of lipids and protease production. Additionally, the strategy of stepwise batch cultures with 3 pulses of hydrocarbon mixture (24 g·L-1 of hydrocarbons in total) enhanced biomass production, and high protease activities (≈ 3000 U·L-1) and lipids concentrations of 3.4 g·L-1 and 4.3 g·L-1 were attained using Y. lipolytica CBS 2075 and DSM 8218strains, respectively. Lipids of the CBS 2075 strain were rich in C16:0 and C18:1, resembling the composition of palm oil, traditionally used in the biodiesel industry. Lipids from the DSM 8218 strain were mainly composed of C16:0 and C16:1, a valuable monounsaturated fatty acid employed in the pharmaceutical industry. This research demonstrates the capability of Y. lipolytica to bioconvert hydrocarbons into highvalue compounds, aligning with the principles of biorefinery and circular bioeconomy. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 34 VALORIZATION OF RED, GREEN AND BROWN SEAWEEDS THROUGH SOLIDSTATE FERMENTATION TO IMPROVE ITS NUTRITIONAL VALUE Marta Ferreira1, José Manuel Salgado2, Helena Peres3, 4, Isabel Belo1, 5 1 Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal 2 Biotecnia Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, UVigo (Campus Ourense), Spain 3 CIMAR/CIIMAR, Universidade do Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal 4 Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal 5 LABBELS – Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; ibel[email protected]nho.pt Keywords: Seaweeds, Solid-state fermentation, Carbohydrases 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG2, SDG12, SDG14 Seaweeds are promising ingredients for aquafeeds, but its use may be limited due to their recalcitrant polysaccharide structure. To disrupt this structure, a biotechnological approach such as solid-state fermentation (SSF) can be applied, using filamentous fungi to produce carbohydrases (xylanase, cellulase, and β-glucosidase) that degrade seaweeds biomass. In this study, the proximate composition of five seaweeds (Gracilaria sp., Porphyra dioica, Codium tomentosum, Ulva rigida and Alaria esculenta) were evaluated. SSF was performed using Aspergillus ibericus MUM 03.49 and A. niger CECT 2915 with 5 g of each dry seaweed, with initial moisture of 75% w/w (wet basis), at 25 ºC for 7 days. After SSF, crude protein and carbohydrate contents were determined in fermented solid, and an aqueous extraction was performed to assess carbohydrases activity. Red seaweeds had the highest protein content, specially Gracilaria sp. (28 % w/w dry solid) followed by P. dioca (24 % w/w). Comparing to the other seaweeds, C. tomentosum presented the highest lipids content of 6 % (w/w). Maximum xylanase and β-glucosidase activities were obtained using U. rigida as substrate for SSF with both fungi. Cellulase activity was higher in SSF of Gracilaria sp. and U. rigida with A. niger than when using the other seaweeds. Protein content increased by SSF of C. tomentosum with A. ibericus and by SSF of U. rigida with A. ibericus and A. niger. Carbohydrate content decreased after SSF of U. rigida using both fungi. Furthermore, Gelidium corneum by-product (GBP) obtained after agar extraction was also used for value-added compound production through SSF with the same fungal strains. GBP was used as substrate for SSF unsupplemented, supplemented with Mandel salt solution, and in a 50% (w/w) mixture of GBP with vegetable cakes by-products and U. rigida. The changes in crude protein and carbohydrases production in the fermented biomass were assessed. The maximum xylanase activity of around 500 Units per gram of dry solid (U g-1) was achieved with SSF of GBP mixed with sunflower cake using A. niger, while the mixture between GBP and rapeseed cake led to the highest cellulase activity (382 U g-1). Protein content increased 30%, 18% and 15% after SSF with A. niger in GBP mixed with rice bran, rapeseed, and sunflower cakes, respectively. Bioprocessing of seaweeds or seaweed by-product using SSF is an environmentally friendly strategy to produce high-valued enzymes simultaneously enhancing nutritionally these biomasses to be included in aquafeeds. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 35 THE HIDDEN POTENTIAL OF HYPERSALINE ENVIRONMENTS: EXTREMOPHILES AS SOURCE OF NEW BIOSURFACTANTS Joana S. Gomes1*, Cátia Santos-Pereira1, 2*, Joana Sousa1, Marta Simões3, André Antunes3, Ricardo Franco-Duarte4, 5, Sara C. Silvério1, 2, Lígia R. Rodrigues1, 2 * These authors contributed equally to this work 1 Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal 2 LABBELS, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 3 State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau Univ. of S&T, Macau, China 4 CBMA, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 5 IB-S, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; aglantune[email protected]u.mo; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Metagenomics, Biosurfactants, Hypersaline environments 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG12, SDG13, SDG17 The current awareness on climate change is prompting a growing interest in finding sustainable alternatives to replace the petroleum-based surfactants that are widely used in the daily life products. Biosurfactants emerge as eco-friendly alternatives to the conventional surfactants, since they are surface-active molecules synthesized by microorganisms with lower environmental impact. These molecules have application in several fields including cosmetics, pharmaceutical, detergents, food, and textile industries. Lack of well-known and characterised structure diversity associated with their high production and recovery costs are impacting the widespread use of biosurfactants. Extreme environments like those found in hypersaline sites are a good source of unique microbial diversity (extremophiles) capable of produce new compounds, including biosurfactants. In this context, the B3iS – “Biodiversity and Bioprospection of Biosurfactants In Saline environments” project aims to uncover new biosurfactants from hypersaline environments that can be promising eco-friendly alternatives to the conventional surfactants, to ultimately mitigate their environmental burden. For that purpose, culture-dependent and culture-independent (metagenomics) strategies were applied to explore the full microbial diversity of four selected environments: Aveiro and Rio Maior salterns (Portugal), Peña Hueca lagoon (Spain) and Cape Verde salterns (Sal Island). In the culture-dependent approach several halophilic microorganisms were isolated, screened for biosurfactant production and their genomes sequenced for functional analysis and identification of potential biosurfactant biosynthetic pathways. On the other hand, in the culture-independent approach, the total genomic DNA from the microbial communities of each selected environments was extracted and used to construct metagenomics libraries that were functionally screened to identify potential biosurfactant-producing clones. The physicochemical analysis revealed an interesting diversity in terms of salinity, pH, and ionic content for the different sampling sites. The strategies carried out allowed the identification of novel microorganisms and metagenomic clones with potential to produce promising biosurfactants. The sequence metagenomics approach also showed an enrichment in genes coding for biosurfactants with specific categories appearing only in some locations. This information was obtained by mapping the isolated metagenomes against the BioSurfDB database. Overall, the results corroborate the relevance of the B3iS project in identifying novel biosurfactants with attractive industrial properties by mining hypersaline environments. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 36 ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL OF NATURAL MICROBIOMES FOR MICROPLASTICS BIODEGRADATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF POLY(ΕCAPROLACTONE), POLYETHYLENE AND POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE Cristina I.S. Pires1, 2, Luís Costa1, 2, Sónia G. Barbosa1, 2, João Carlos Sequeira1, 2, Diogo Cachetas1, 2, José P. Freitas1, 2, Gilberto Martins1, 2, Ana Vera Machado3, Ana J. Cavaleiro1, 2, Andreia F. Salvador1, 2 1 CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 LABBELS – Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 3 IPC - Institute for Polymers and Composites, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal [email protected]; luiscost[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; gilberto.marti[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Microplastics, Biodegradation, Microbiomes 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG6, SDG14 Plastics have evolved into an essential component of modern society, assuming important roles across diverse economic sectors. Consequently, plastic waste accumulation has become a serious environmental problem, impacting both wildlife and human health. Microbial degradation of both synthetic and biodegradable plastics is a promising environmentally friendly approach to tackle this issue. This study delves into the capacity of natural microbiomes, found in landfill leachate and marine sediment, to biodegrade microparticles of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polycaprolactone (PCL). Microcosms were inoculated with the two microbiomes, and the assays were performed under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, at thermophilic (55 °C) and mesophilic (37 °C) temperatures. Plastics biodegradation was followed overtime by measuring oxygen consumption or methane production. PCL was extensively biodegraded by the landfill leachate, reaching 99±7% and 87±19% under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively, within 50-60 days. This polymer was also biodegraded by the marine sediment under aerobic conditions (i.e., 78±3%) within the same time period, but only 3±0.3% biodegradation was attained in the anaerobic assays. Limited biodegradation was verified for PE and PET with both inocula. Given the PCL biodegradation capability of landfill leachate, microbial communities in both anaerobic and aerobic assays were investigated. Coprothermobacter sp. emerged as a prevalent microorganism, representing 6.8% and 28% of relative abundance (based on 16S rRNA sequencing of total microbial community) in anaerobic and aerobic incubations, respectively. This shows its potential role in PCL biodegradation across diverse conditions. Additionally, Methanothermobacter sp. emerged as the predominant methanogenic microorganism in the anaerobic community, (21% of total microbial community). Since bacteria from Coprothermobacter genus are capable of hydrogen production, and Methanothermobacter is a hydrogen scavenger, syntrophic interactions are possibly occurring, which is a novel aspect in microplastics biodegradation. In the aerobic community, fungi from Exophiala (41% 18S rRNA relative abundance), Penicillium (17%), and Mucor (18%) genera were also abundant, suggesting a possible role in PCL degradation. Consequently, aerobic PCL biodegradation by landfill leachate likely involves a synergistic network of fungi and bacteria, either operating independently or interacting within a complex microbial matrix. These findings advance current knowledge on microplastics biodegradation. The insights derived from this study may pave the way for the development of more sustainable approaches to plastic waste management, emphasizing the crucial consideration of specific environmental conditions and microbial interplays in biodegradation studies. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 37 DEVELOPMENT OF FOAM-FREE BIOSURFACTANT PRODUCTION PROCESSES USING BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS STRAINS Eduardo Leal1, 2, José A. Teixeira1, 2, Eduardo J. Gudiña1, 2 1 CEB − Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 LABBELS − Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal [email protected]; jatei[email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Lichenysin, Lipopeptide, Surfactant. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG6, SDG9, SDG12, SDG13 Microbial biosurfactants (BS) are considered environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants in numerous applications. However, the main bottlenecks for their widespread use are the high production costs and the lack of effective processes for their production at industrial scale. BS production using conventional aerated bioreactors results in excessive foaming, due to the combination of air injection and the tensioactive properties of BS. Although several alternatives have been proposed to overcome this problem, none of them proved to be satisfactory. A not widely explored approach is the development of foam-free BS production processes, which requires the identification and characterization of appropriate microorganisms. For that purpose, eight Bacillus licheniformis strains were evaluated for BS production under oxygen-limiting conditions. The bacterial strains were grown in serum flasks using a mineral medium (MSM1) containing glucose as carbon source, and NaNO3 and NH4Cl as nitrogen sources (nitrate was used also as alternative electron acceptor). Among the different strains, only two reduced the surface tension (ST) of the culture medium to values below 30 mN/m, indicating BS production under oxygen-limited conditions. The best results were obtained with B. licheniformis EL3, isolated from an oil reservoir, which reduced the ST from 59.8 ± 0.8 mN/m to 29.3 ± 0.3 mN/m in 24 h. BS production under oxygen-limiting conditions by the strain EL3 was validated in bioreactor assays, using the culture medium MSM1. After optimizing the operational conditions, glucose concentration, and inoculum strategy, B. licheniformis EL3 produced 75 ± 3 mg BS/L in 43 h. The purified BS (most probably the lipopeptide lichenysin) exhibited exceptional surface-active properties, with minimum ST values (29 mN/m) and a critical micelle concentration (27 mg/L) similar to those achieved with commercial surfactin (produced by Bacillus subtilis), the most powerful BS known so far. Furthermore, BS yield per substrate (YP/S= 0.007 g BS/g glucose) was similar to the figures reported for B. subtilis strains grown in similar conditions, whereas BS yield per biomass (YP/X= 0.755 g BS/g biomass) and specific BS productivity (qBS= 0.018 g BS/(g biomass × h)) were almost three times higher when compared to previous reports. In summary, the results obtained indicate that B. licheniformis EL3 is a promising candidate for the development of foam-free BS production processes at industrial scale. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 38 UNCOVERING NOVEL CARBOHYDRATE-DEGRADING ENZYMES FROM COMPOSTING UNITS THROUGH METAGENOMIC STRATEGIES Joana Sousa1, Cátia Santos-Pereira1, 2, Ângela M. A. Costa1, Andréia O. Santos1, Joana Gomes1, Joana L. Rodrigues1, 2, Eduardo J. Gudiña1, 2, João Linhares3, Ricardo Franco-Duarte4, 5, Sérgio F. Sousa6, Lígia R. Rodrigues1, 2, Sara C. Silvério1, 2 1 Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal ² LABBELS - Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 3 Centre of Physics, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 4 CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 5 IB-S - Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 6 LAQV/REQUIMTE BioSIM – Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto 4200-319, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; joana.[email protected]; joana.joanaluci[email protected]; [email protected]; jli[email protected]; ricardofili[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; sarasi[email protected] Keywords: Metagenomics, Composting, Carbohydrate-degrading enzymes 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG9, SDG12 The vast diversity of unexplored microbial communities inhabiting the extreme environments of our planet drives the search for novel and interesting enzymes. Composting units that manage lignocellulosic residues exhibit a high microbial diversity and represent a suitable reservoir of robust carbohydrate-degrading enzymes (CAZymes). These enzymes are considered important catalysts in the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into added-value bioproducts that hold practical applications in numerous industries. Metagenomics is a powerful culture-independent technique to unravel the diversity and function of microbial communities through the analysis of DNA obtained from environmental samples. Two different methodologies have been proposed, namely functionand sequencebased metagenomics. The functional approach enables the discovery of novel enzymes and provides preliminary insights into their catalytic activities and physicochemical characteristics. On the other hand, the sequence-based studies allow finding new gene sequences that reveal similarities with the annotated genomes available in the databases. Under the scope of the Lignozymes project, compost samples were collected, during the thermophilic phase of the process, from different Portuguese composting units, which handle different types of waste. The total metagenomic DNA was extracted and the potential of composting samples as reservoirs of efficient CAZymes was successfully evaluated using metagenomic tools. Regarding the taxonomic classification of the putative enzymes found in the samples’ metagenomes, CAZymes largely belonged to the Bacteria domain. Furthermore, functional screening revealed that the composting samples showed a great abundance of glycoside hydrolases, particularly cellulases and xylanases. This work confirms the richness of composting habitats as a promising source of biocatalysts specialized in the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass through efficient and sustainable strategies. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 45 STRATEGY TO SAFEGUARD CORK AND RUBBER APPLICATION’S BEAUTY AND LONGEVITY: SUSTAINABLE THIN FILM DEPOSITION B. Tiss1, C. Mansilla2, D. Martínez1,3, L. Cunha1 1 Physics Center of Minho and Porto Universities -CF-UM-UP, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 CTECHnano Coatings Technologies S.L., Tolosa Hiribidea 76, 20018, San Sebastián, Spain 3 Department of Materials Research and Technology, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 28 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg s [email protected] / [email protected]; c.mansil[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Cork and rubber, Magnetron sputtering, TiO2 and ZnO thin films Optimizing materials’ performance while preserving essential bulk characteristics often involves surface modification through thin film deposition. However, when dealing with delicate or intricate substrates, this process becomes more challenging. Take, for example, cork and rubber—natural, polymeric materials widely used in various applications, including wine stopper, floor game and yoga mat, SpaceX rockets, etc. When exposed to sunlight or subjected to friction and mechanical wear, these materials undergo visible aging, manifested as discoloration, scratches, or even craters. Safeguarding such substrates against these harsh conditions necessitates a strategic solution—coating them with a compatible thin film that reinforces protection without compromising their inherent qualities. This approach ensures durability and longevity, addressing the unique challenges posed by sensitive and complex materials like cork and rubber. But both materials are difficult to coat. Besides temperature sensitivity, they show great deformation capability, which forces the deposited coating to be flexible and adherent. In addition, they show high roughness, and the polishing is very challenging, or even impossible. Despite these complexities, this work achieved a breakthrough by effectively depositing TiO2 and ZnO thin films, opaque to UV yet transparent to visible light, utilizing the magnetron sputtering technique. This innovative approach is strategically employed to preserve the inherent qualities of rubber and cork. In addition, this study provides a detailed examination of the physical characteristics of the deposited films, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of the coatings in response to the unique features of rubber and cork. Notably, the results pertaining to UV light and mechanical wear protection are elucidated, offering a comprehensive understanding of the practicality and efficacy of this advanced protective coating strategy. Amorim Cork Composites and Flowco are two companies’ members of this project. The first one belongs to Corticeira Amorim, the most important company in the world regarding cork manufacturing, being Portugal is the main producer and exporter of cork in the world. Flowco is a company devoted to circular economy, which recycles rubber pieces to create new objects for other applications. This supports the relevance of this project to this country. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 46 NEUROTRANSMITTER DETECTION WITH GRAPHENE NANOBIOSENSORS Mafalda Abrantes1, 2, 3, Mohammadmadhi Faraji1, Jérôme Borme1, Luis Jacinto2, Pedro Alpuim1, 3 1 International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal 2 Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal 3 Department of Physics, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Graphene, Nanobiosensors, Neural Diseases. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Dysfunctions of multiple neurotransmitters' transmission cause brain diseases such as depression or schizophrenia. Neural interfaces, bridging brain physiology and external electronic devices, allow brain function monitoring for preclinical research or clinical purposes. Despite recent advances in monitoring electrical brain activity, measuring chemical neurotransmission remains a significant challenge. We have recently developed a platform for robust and ultrasensitive detection of dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter that underlies several brain disorders, based on graphene multitransistor arrays (gMTAs) functionalized with a selective DNA aptamer. Not only did we achieve the lowest limit-of-detection ever reported (1 aM), but we could also detect dopamine with great sensitivity in complex samples such as artificial cerebral spinal fluid and brain homogenates, including in a mouse model of Parkinson's Disease. Herein, we present a novel nanobioelectronic neural interface based on gMTAs that allows monitoring of neurotransmitter opto-evoked release in ex vivo brain slices of transgenic mice for preclinical research in neuroscience or pharmacology. By optimizing our gMTAs' fabrication process, we developed an interface with higher sensor density that can accommodate mice's brain slices and allows optogenetic modulation through integrated microLEDs. The platform presented in this work can lead the way to novel neurotransmitter sensors suitable for real-world academic and preclinical pharmaceutical research and clinical diagnosis. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 47 SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS FOR ANTI-COUNTERFEITING APPLICATIONS B. D. D. Cruz1, 2, *, R. Polícia1, N. Pereira1, P. Nunes4, M. Fernandes4, 5, C. R. Tubio6, G. Botelho3, V. de Zea-Bermudez4, 5, S. Lanceros-Méndez1, 6, 7, D. M. Correia3 1 Physics Centre of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP) and Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies (LapMET) University of Minho 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, University of Minho 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 3 Centre of Chemistry, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 4 CQ-VR, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro,5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal 5 Chemistry Department, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro,5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal 6 BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940 Leioa, Spain 7 Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain [email protected]; dcorrei[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Anti-counterfeiting, Sodium Alginate, Photoluminescence 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG5, SDG9, SDG11 Sodium alginate (SA) is a linear polysaccharide, derived from alginic acid, comprising 1,4-β-dmannuronic (M) and α-l-guluronic (G) acids. The incorporation of photoluminescent compounds into the SA matrix allows the development of smart materials able to convert incident electromagnetic radiation of specific wavelengths (e.g. ultraviolet, UV) into emitted electromagnetic radiation of different regions of the spectra (visible or infrared). In the present work, photoluminescent materials based on SA and different contents (5,10 and 20% wt.) of the luminescent compound sodium tetra(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) europate (III) (Na[Eu(tta)4]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetra(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) europate (III) ([Bmim][Eu(tta)4]) were developed by solvent casting. FTIR-ATR and DSC analysis showed that no relevant changes occurred in the SA structure upon incorporation of the guest compounds. TGA analysis revealed a small increase of thermal stability of the composites with respect to neat SA. The electrical conductivity of neat SA slightly increased with the Na[Eu(tta)4] content increase. The observed decrease in the Young Modulus is indicative that both luminescent compounds acted as nucleating agents during the SA crystallization, inducing a plasticizing effect in SA. The photoluminescence properties were evaluated and demonstrating the potential of the composites for anti-counterfeiting purposes. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 48 ECO-FRIENDLY LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SEPARATORS BASED ON CARRAGEENAN BIOPOLYMER FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS João Serra1, Renato Gonçalves2, Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez1, 3, 4, Carlos M. Costa1 1 Physics Centre of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP) and LapMET, Gualtar, Braga 2 Centre of Chemistry of University of Minho, Gualtar, Braga, Portugal 3 BCMaterials-Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, Leioa, Bilbao, Spain 4 Ikerbasque-Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain [email protected]; r[email protected]; l[email protected] [email protected]; Keywords: Battery Separator, Energy; Natural Polymers 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG7, SDG12, SDG13 Rapid technological developments in sensors, actuators and energy storage areas are taken place for advanced devices and applications. Energy storage systems, mainly lithium-ion batteries, are extensively applied in electric vehicles, smartphones, and laptops. Moreover, they play a crucial role integrated with renewable energy sources, storing surplus energy during periods of excess production and supplying it during energy deficits. This approach aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda's goal of utilizing sustainable and renewable energy (SDG7) and also meets SDG 13 - combat climate change and its impacts, as these systems allow for the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels and all the harmful consequences that come from the use of this type of energy production. Although these systems solve some of the sustainability problems, they have other consequences, since most of the materials used in batteries derived from synthetic sources, often rooted in fossil fuels, contributing to current environmental pollution. Addressing this challenge entails substituting synthetic materials with those of natural origin, particularly if sourced from industrial waste or abundant in nature. Natural polymers, derived from biological feedstock, offer notable environmental advantages—such as natural abundance, renewability, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. The use of these materials meets the objectives of the 2030 Agenda in terms of ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG12) and combating climate change (SDG13) for the same reasons mentioned previously. This study details the development of a lyophilized carrageenan membranes with varying polymeric concentrations (1, 2, 3, and 4% wt.) for lithium-ion battery separators. In order to understand the morphology, physicochemical, thermal and mechanical characteristics of the carrageenan membranes were characterized, and their electrochemical characteristics were analysed to verify their performance as battery separators. The electrochemical characteristics of the membranes are influenced by the carrageenan polymer concentration. With 4 wt% carrageenan, the membranes exhibit ionic conductivity, tortuosity, MacMullin number, and lithium transference number of 1.34 mS cm-1, 3, 7, and 0.48, respectively. Half-cells cathodic assemblies with these membranes demonstrate robust cyclability and rate capability. The discharge capacity values at C/10and 1C-rates are 145 and 25 mAh g-1, respectively, showcasing outstanding cycling performance and long-term stability. This study highlights the potential of iota-carrageenan biopolymer membranes, developed through freeze-drying, as separators for the next generation of sustainable batteries. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 49 LOCALIZED SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE (LSPR) SENSORS BASED ON SPUTTERED NANOPLASMONIC THIN FILMS Diana I. Meira, Joel Borges, Filipe Vaz Physics Center of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP), University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal [email protected] Keywords: Nanotechnology, Sensing, Nanoplasmonic thin films 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG2, SDG3, SDG12 The field of nanotechnology, with its revolutionary innovations, presents many solutions to address and fulfil current global demands. Among its most notable advancements is the development of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) sensors, a cutting-edge application of nanotechnology that is changing the landscape of sensitive detection mechanisms. The LSPR effect arises from the excitation of localized surface plasmons on the metallic nanoparticle’s surface. This effect is particularly observed in nanoplasmonic thin films, which consist of metallic nanoparticles (gold or silver) embedded in various dielectric matrices (oxide or nitrate). Due to their unique optical properties, these films can be used as suitable label-free and highly sensitive optical transducers. After depositing the nanoplasmonic thin films through reactive direct current magnetron sputtering, post-deposition heat treatments at various temperatures are employed to induce the growth of the nanoparticles and enhance their plasmonic behavior. To evaluate the films' performance as LSPR sensors, they are exposed to external stimuli that modify the refractive indices of their adjacent media. These alterations in refractive indices directly impact the plasmonic behavior (LSPR band) of the plasmonic films, which are meticulously monitored using a high-resolution LSPR spectroscopy system. Beyond the sensitivity, selectivity is a critical feature in LSPR sensor technology. This selectivity can be achieved through different immobilization processes by attaching specific binding elements (i.e., proteins, aptamers, and antibodies) to the surface of the thin films. In a proof-of-concept experiment, a biorecognition layer was immobilized on the surface of Au-TiO2 thin films, providing target analyte specificity. Streptavidin and biotin were the bioreceptoranalyte model chosen to prove the immobilization efficiency and to demonstrate the LSPR sensor potential. The chemical interaction between the aimed target was confirmed by an LSPR wavelength shift, suggesting successful detection. Essentially, the main advantage of the LSPR sensor, using nanoplasmonic thin films, is its versatility since its fundamental principles can be applied adaptively to a wide range of targets, underlining its broad potential in advanced detection applications. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 50 3D-PRINTED MULTILAYER MEMBRANES FOR PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF CIPROFLOXACIN Dinis. C. Alves1, 2, P.M. Martins2, 3, D.M. Correia4, S. Lanceros-Méndez2, 5, 6 1 Centre/Department of Physics, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 IB-S – Institute for Research and Innovation on Bio-Sustainability, University of Minho 4710057 Braga, Portugal 3 Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Gualtar, Braga 4 Centre of Chemistry, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 5 BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940 Leioa, Spain 6 Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain [email protected].pt, [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: 3D-printing, Membranes, Photocatalysis 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG6, SDG7, SDG12 The strong technological development and high population growth have generated increased pollutants released into the environment. These pollutants, also called emerging pollutants, are found in products used in everyday life. They are resilient and very stable in the environment, making current conventional water treatment methods ineffective for their removal. New technological concepts based on photocatalytic membranes have proven effective in removing these contaminants. This work focuses on the production, characterization and application of multilayer photocatalytic membranes produced by additive manufacturing. The technique used in this work was direct ink writing (DIW), testing the influence of various printing parameters, such as the printing multiplier and infill. This technique allows the production of multilayer membranes with high reproducibility, controls their shape and morphology and reduces material waste. Thus, TiO2 nanoparticles were immobilized in a fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene polyvinylidene (PVDF-HFP) and sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. A layer of this solution was printed on a glass substrate followed by a thermal cycle of 30 minutes at 120oC for solvent evaporation and crystallization of the polymer, then a second layer was printed under the previously printed one and the thermal cycle was repeated. The materials were characterized, and their efficiency in ciprofloxacin photocatalytic degradation was tested. The multilayer membrane exhibited a highly porous structure and hydrophilic behaviour, obtaining positive results in the various photocatalytic tests performed, with up to 44% efficiencies in the degradation of ciprofloxacin (2.5 mg/L) under ultraviolet radiation for 240 minutes, confirming remarkable results in reutilization. These results validate the creation of membranes for environmental remediation by additive manufacturing. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 51 ATTOMOLAR SENSING OF MUTATED BRAIN TUMOR DNA USING ELECTROLYTE-GATE GRAPHENE TRANSISTORS Telma Domingues1,2, Jérôme Borme2, Bruno M. Costa3, Pedro Alpuim1, 2 1 Department of Physics, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal 2 International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal 3 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal telma.doming[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; pedro.alpuim[email protected] Keywords: Circulating Tumor DNA, Graphene Transistors, Early Detection 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in the central nervous system, with very high morbidity and mortality. Glioblastoma is the most common and malignant subtype of glioma in adults, and even with optimal treatment, the median survival time is only 12-15 months. Detection methods are expensive and invasive for patients and effective only when the disease is already in advanced stages. Recently, early brain tumor diagnosis by detecting trace amounts of circulating tumor DNA in liquid biopsies was demonstrated. This finding could be a game changer in the fight against brain cancer if new versatile biosensing technology is available. This work develops a novel graphene liquid-gate transistor with an unprecedented low limit of detection. The signal comes from the local gating of the graphene transistor channel, directly exposed to the analyte in solution. The specificity for the target stems from graphene functionalization with synthetic DNA immobilized by non-covalent chemistry. The graphene electrolyte gated field-effect transistor (EG-gFET) chip was integrated with a miniaturized Arduino-compatible reader that provides an easy and “within-seconds” route toward DNA detection. A small amount of mutated synthetic DNA is mixed with a large amount of healthy DNA in a proportion similar to the expected occurrence in clinical samples, e.g., 0.1:100, 1:100, and 10:100. The sensors show sensitivity to the detection of the mutated DNA even though it differs only by one base (single-nucleotide polymorphism) from the unmutated sequence. The lowest mutated DNA detection level was in the femtomolar range. Experiments were performed in synthetic phosphate buffer, spiked undiluted human plasma, and diluted buffer. With an increase of dilution from 1× to 100×, a reversal of the output signal, from negative to positive, is observed. A plasma dilution of 25× enabled bio-sensing results similar to those in an artificial buffer. These findings denote the potential of graphene field-effect transistors for the record-low level of detection of circulating tumor DNA in a complex matrix required for future clinical use. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 52 INVESTIGATING FLUORINATED POLYMER MATRICES' IMPACT ON SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE PERFORMANCE WITH IONIC LIQUIDS FOR ADVANCED SOLID-STATE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES Rafael Pinto1, 2, João Barbosa1, 2, Daniela Correia2, Maria Silva2, Renato Gonçalves2, Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez1, 3, 4, Carlos Costa1, 5 1 Physics Centre of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP) and Laboratory of Physics for Materials and Emergent Technologies, LapMET, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 Centre of Chemistry, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 3 BCMaterials, Basque Centre for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940 Leioa, Spain 4 Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain 5 Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, 4710057 Braga, Portugal [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Ionic liquids, Solid polymer electrolyte, Solid-state batteries 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG7, SDG13 This work reports on the effect of the polymer chain polarity, degree of crystallinity and dielectric constant on the electrochemical properties and battery performance of solid polymer electrolytes. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) were produced using different fluorinated polymer matrices, including poly(vinylidene-fluoride), PVDF, poly(vinylidene fluoride-cohexafluoropropylene) - P(VDF-HFP), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) - P(VDFTrFE) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) - P(VDF-TrFECFE) filled with an ionic liquid (IL) (1-Methyl-1-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide – [PMPyrr][TFSI]). It is proven that the use of the different polymers does not significantly affect the thermal properties and morphology of the SPEs. However, regarding mechanical properties and degree of crystallinity, they show lower values for the P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) sample. Concerning electrochemical parameters, all samples present ionic conductivity and lithium transference number values suitable for lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications, with emphasis in the P(VDF-HFP) sample, showing a room temperature ionic conductivity of 6.2 x 10-5 S.cm-1 and a lithium transference number of 0.71, for P(VDF-TrFE-CFE), associated to a lower degree of crystallinity and a high dielectric constant. Regarding battery cycling assessments, P(VDF-TrFE) shows, under room temperature and C/10 rate, a maximum discharge value of 146 mAh.g-1. Moreover, the P(VDFTrFE-CFE) sample exhibits outstanding cycling performance at elevated discharge rates, attaining 91 mAh.g-1 at 1C rate, while maintaining remarkable stability after 60 cycles, under room temperature conditions. This highlights its considerable potential for utilization in LIBs, attributed to its low crystallinity and elevated dielectric constant. Considering the aforementioned facts, it is proven the suitability of fluorinated polymers for SPEs development when allied to an IL active filler for a next generation of solid-state batteries. Additionally, it offers important insights into the influence of the polymer’s dielectric constant and degree of crystallinity on battery performance. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 53 CENTRO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM ENFERMAGEM RESEARCH CENTER OF NURSING CIENF UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 54 COSTEFFECTIVENESS OF A HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN IN SOCIALLY VULNERABLE CONDITIONS - CLUSTERRANDOMIZED STUDY (BEE-SCHOOL) Juliana Martins1, 2, 3, 10, Cláudia Augusto1, 2, 3, Maria José Silva1, 2, Ana Duarte1, 2, 3,-4, Silvana Martins2, 5, Henedina Antunes6, 7, Paulo Novais8, Beatriz Pereira4, 9, Paula Veiga10, 11, Rafaela Rosário1, 2, 3, 4 1 School of Nursing, University of Minho, Braga 2 UICISA:E,The Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, School of Nursing of Coimbra, Coimbra 3 CIENF: Research Center of Nursing, Braga 4 CIEC: Research Center of Child Studies, University of Minho, Braga 5 ProChild CoLAB Against Poverty and Social Exclusion – Association, Guimarães 6 Unidade Local de Saúde de Braga e Centro Clínico Académico, Braga 7 ICVS: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute; ICVS/3B's Associate Laboratory; School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga 8 ALGORITMI Research Center, Department of Informatics, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Braga 9 Institute of Education, University of Minho, Braga 10 School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga 11 JusGov: Research Center on Justice and Governance, University of Minho, Braga [email protected]; colivei[email protected]; mjsil[email protected]; [email protected]; silvana.mart[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; beatr[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Child, Obesity, Cost-effectiveness 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG4, SDG10 Objective: The goal of this study is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the health promotion program (BeE-school) concerning the Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score in children attending primary schools facing vulnerable conditions. Methods: The BeE-school study involved 735 children (51.7% boys, average age 7.7 years old) from 10 primary schools in the Northern region of Portugal. These schools were part of two school groups identified as Educational Territories for Priority Intervention. After the initial assessment, the schools were randomized into two groups: one receiving the intervention (4 schools) and the other not (6 schools). The intervention included educating and training teachers for 16 weeks, their implementation in the classroom, and giving families challenges every two weeks. To assess the program’s effectiveness, we measured the children's weight and height using standardized methods. Then we calculated their BMI and used the World Health Organization LMS to compute their BMI z-score (BMIz). We analyzed the data with IBM SPSS V.28, setting our significance level at 5%. The primary outcome was the difference in BMIz from baseline to post-intervention. We used Generalized Linear Model considering the outcome as the difference in BMIz from baseline to post-intervention and the predictor as group allocation (control/intervention). We also adjusted for school groups, school level, length of time from baseline to post-intervention assessment, sex, age, and mothers’ and fathers’ UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 61 CENTRO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM PSICOLOGIA PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER CIPsi UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 62 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SHORT MOTIVATIONAL PROGRAMME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL Teresa Silva1, Olga Cunha2, Sónia Caridade1 1 Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), University of Minho, Braga 2 HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Lusófona University, Porto [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] Keywords: Short Motivational Programme; Motivational Interviewing; Forensic context. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG5 Motivational Interviewing (MI) has proven to be a crucial tool in reducing offending behaviour, preventing recidivism, and reintegrating individuals into society by enhancing the effectiveness of intervention programs with a heightened focus on the needs of each person. The aim of this study is to adapt and culturally validate the Short Motivational Programme (SMP), and to implement and assess its effectiveness in terms of both process and outcome (i.e. clinical change and inter-group and intra-subject change) among individuals sentenced to custodial and non-custodial measures using a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Sixty individuals (30 female and 30 male) will be screened for eligibility and assigned to one of four conditions: 1) individuals in prison receiving intervention; 2) individuals in prison without intervention; 3) individuals in the community receiving intervention; and 4) individuals in the community without intervention. Participants will complete instruments assessing motivation to change, criminogenic beliefs, and blame attribution in four moments: baseline, post-treatment, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. Upon completion of the program, a final assessment will be conducted to assess the quality and integrity of the implementation of the SMP and the psychologist's performance. This evaluation will be conducted using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI 4.2.1), a qualitative methodology measuring the fidelity and quality of MI. Considering previous studies (e.g., Austin et al., 2011), it is anticipated that the SMP will exhibit significant changes in variables such as motivation to change, attribution of guilt for the crime, commitment to the intervention, recidivism, and dropout. Through this study, we aim to contribute to a deeper scientific understanding of the impact of MI in the forensic context, facilitating the integration of mechanisms to support interventions with perpetrators. The ultimate goal of these mechanisms is to enhance reintegration and prevent recidivism in Portugal. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 63 EMPATHY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING IN INCARCERATED WOMEN: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN VIOLENT AND NON-VIOLENT CRIMES Ana Beatriz Machado1, Marina Pinheiro1, Sónia Caridade1, Olga Cunha2 1Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Azurém, Braga 2School of Psychology, University of Minho; Lusófona University, Hei-Lab [email protected]; [email protected].pt; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Female Criminality, Empathy, Executive Functioning 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG5. The lack of empathy and deficits in executive functioning are often related to antisocial behavior which may increase the likelihood of involvement and perpetration of criminal acts. In the Portuguese context, scientific research focused on the phenomena of female criminality has been neglected over the years, with only a small number of studies dedicated to the study of how empathy and executive functioning relate to that matter. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze empathy and executive functioning in incarcerated women who committed violent and non-violent crimes. The research is expected to involve 102 female participants from different prison facilities in Portugal. The participants were asked to complete a survey that sought information on their sociodemographic and sociolegal backgrounds, the Basic Empathy Scale, and the Frontal Assessment Battery. Based on prior research, the following research hypotheses can be developed: women who are incarcerated tend to have lower levels of empathy and greater deficits in executive functioning; incarcerated women who have committed violent crimes exhibit similar levels of empathy as those who have committed non-violent crimes; incarcerated women who committed violent crimes tend to demonstrate higher deficits in executive functioning compared to non-violent offenders. Additionally, there appears to be a positive correlation between empathy and executive functioning in incarcerated women. This study aims to provide information on the functioning of women who committed crimes in Portugal, along with its underlying mechanisms. It also hopes to reduce some of the discrepancies that exist between research conducted on men and women. In summary, the study aims to shed more light on the nature of female criminality in Portugal. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 64 “A RAINBOW SCHOOL PROGRAM”: DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF AN INTERVENTION WITH EDUCATIONAL AGENTS TO PREVENT VICTIMIZATION OF LGBTQ STUDENTS Marlene Ferreira1, Sónia Caridade1, Carla Fonte 2 1 Research Center on Psychology (CIPsi), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 Research, Innovation and Development Institute”, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]du.pt Keywords: Intervention program; Educational Agents; LGBTQ Students 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG4, SDG16 The LGBTQIA+ population faces daily challenges, which impact social, work and school inclusion. LGBTQIA+ students experience high levels of victimization, generating feelings of insecurity, poor academic performance and high rates of school absenteeism, feeling unprotected and little understood by educational agents (EA). Although most of these abusive behaviors and discrimination are carried out by peers, EA can also discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students, by revealing unpreparedness to deal with theme on daily basis, due to lack of skills, awareness, needs and challenges of this population. Causing a barrier to social inclusion and revictimization of these students. The present study aims to develop and test the effectiveness of a group psychological intervention program, together with EA, to promote school inclusion as a victimization prevention strategy. The construction of it, will be based on the literature, using a systematic review and a meta-analysis. A focus group will also be held with experts and partner entities, with aim on understanding the main problems and needs of the LGBTQIA+ population. A literacy scale on school inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ population will also be constructed, which allows understanding the literacy level of EA in relation to the school inclusion of LGBTQIA+ students, identifying the main needs to be met with the implementation of the intervention program. This is a longitudinal study, with a quasi-experimental design, and will feature pre and post intervention assessment, using an assessment protocol that integrates quantitative measurement instruments and semi-structured interviews. We estimated that the follow-up will be carried out between 6-8 months after implementing the program, allowing us to understand the stability of the results over time. It is expected that participants will be able to understand the behaviors, vulnerabilities, fears and weaknesses of LGBTQIA+ students, adopting more effective intervention strategies, capable of minimizing the risk of victimization in this population on school context, promoting a higher level of literacy in school inclusion of LGBTQIA+ students. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 65 DEVELOPMENT AND EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT OF AN INTERVENTION FOR INTERNET CHILD SEX OFFENDERS USING A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL Cláudia Gouveia1, Olga Cunha2, Michael Seto3, Sónia Caridade1 1 Research Center on Psychology (CIPsi), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Lusófona University, Porto, Portugal 3 Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, Brockville, Ontario, Canada [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Keywords: Online Sexual Offending, Intervention Program, Randomized Control Trial 2030Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4, SDG16 Internet-child sex offenders (I-CSO) are a cause of public concern due to the negative impact they have on their victims, the sense of insecurity they instil in the community, and the increase in the demand for child pornography that they contribute to. As these behaviors become more prevalent, there is a pressing need for the development of intervention programs tailored to the needs and characteristics of I-CSO. In the Portuguese context, to best of our knowledge, there are no specific interventions targeting I-CSO. Research on the characteristics of I-CSO suggests that they differ in many ways from other child sex offenders, indicating a different risk of recidivism. Consequently, interventions should be designed based on these differences and specificities. This study aims to design and implement an intervention protocol for I-CSO serving community and prison sentences, and to evaluate its effectiveness in terms of both process and outcome. The intervention program's development will be informed by a review of literature, identifying techniques deemed most effective with the I-CSO population. Subsequently, a population characterization study will be conducted to pinpoint the specific criminogenic needs of the Portuguese I-CSO, guiding intervention objectives based on specialized research and integrating proven theoretical models. The program will encompass individual and group components, addressing criminogenic needs and accommodating diverse learning styles. A randomized clinical trial, adopting a longitudinal design, will incorporate pre/post-intervention assessments and follow-ups at 3 and 6 months, with intervention and control groups in both community and prison settings. We expect to have eight groups with 6-8 individuals each, two intervention groups and two control groups of I-CSO serving prison sentences, and two intervention groups and two control groups serving community sentences. Evaluation will also include participant feedback and regular program assessments. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with program completers will provide deeper insights into the intervention and the process of change. This integrated approach aims to align study objectives with methods allowing a comprehensive analysis of the intervention protocol's effectiveness, addressing the specific needs of I-CSO in both community and prison settings. We expect to reduce the risk factors, equip offenders with information and skills to overcome their behaviors, and reduce the risk of recidivism. Furthermore, the program seeks to protect children by lowering the likelihood of them falling victim to sex crimes, a critical concern given their vulnerability. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 66 DARK TRIAD, SEXTING, AND ONLINE GROOMING: MALEVOLENT SIDE OF ONLINE SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN YOUNG ADULTS Mariana F. Costa, Sónia Caridade Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Gualtar, Braga [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Sexting, Online grooming, Dark Triad 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG16 Young adults frequently engage in Online Sexual Activities (OSA) through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to maintain intimate relationships and explore their sexuality. OSA encompasses activities such as sexting and online grooming, and the prevalence of these behaviors has surged with the widespread adoption of ICT in interpersonal communication. While the link between personality traits and OSA is well-established, scant attention has been given to the association between the Dark Triad personality traits and sexting and online grooming behaviors. Existing literature indicates positive correlations between the Dark Triad traits and sexting, with higher levels of sexting serving as a predictor for grooming. Furthermore, there is a notable absence of validated instruments for assessing these phenomena within the Portuguese population. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to characterize the prevalence of sexting and online grooming among young Portuguese adults and examine their potential association with personality traits. Specifically, this study aims to: i) validate and describe the psychometric characteristics of The Sexting Scale and The Grooming Scale for the Portuguese population; ii) explore the relationship between sexting experience and Dark Triad personality characteristics; iii) explore the relationship between online grooming experience and Dark Triad personality characteristics. Conducted as an exploratory cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, the sample will consist of 260 participants aged 18 to 25 years. Based on existing literature, it is anticipated that The Sexting Scale and The Grooming Scale instruments will demonstrate satisfactory internal consistency and divergent and convergent validity. High levels of sexting are expected to be associated with online grooming, and both high levels of Dark Triad traits and online grooming experiences are expected to be linked with sexting. This study aims to contribute valuable insights into the prevalence of sexting and online grooming among young adults in Portugal, informing preventive and intervention strategies addressing internet-related risks. Additionally, it is hoped that this research will encourage further investigations into these phenomena within the Portuguese context. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 67 SOCIAL INTEGRATION SKILLS DURING IMPRISONMENT: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY Ana Filipa Mourão1, Olga Cunha2, Leonel Gonçalves3, Sónia Caridade1 1 Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Lusófona University, Porto, Portugal 3 Geneva University Hospitals, Division of Prison Health, Geneva, Switzerland 3 University of Bern, Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), Bern, Switzerland [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Prison, Detained persons, Reintegration, Rehabilitation, Risk and Protective Factors, Longitudinal Study While numerous studies have focused on recidivism (or its absence) as the primary measure of successful community reintegration, it is important to broaden this perspective. This study aims to evaluate the social integration capabilities of individuals upon entering the open regime (facing the interior or exterior), as well as 6 and 12 months after entering the open regime. We will also seek to include an assessment after release from prison. We intend to collect data from 100 males aged 18 or over. Several psychometric instruments will be used, including a measure of social integration as the dependent variable, measures of criminogenic factors, physical and mental health, coping strategies, violence, and crime as independent variables. The independent variables will only be administered at the first assessment moment. The assessment after release from prison will be conducted by sending the social integration measure to participants by post or email, or through telephone questioning. This approach will allow for an update of knowledge on important indicators in the process of transitioning from prison to society, not limited to recidivism. Furthermore, we will be able to assess whether the Portuguese prison system helps individuals to develop their social integration and identify the factors necessary for developing these skills. Our research may provide valuable insights that can guide correctional policies and, ultimately, promote the rehabilitation of detained persons. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 68 ONLINE GROOMING OF CHILDREN: PREVALENCE AND IMPACT Joana Araújo1, Sónia Caridade1, Ana Isabel Sani2, Celina Manita3 1 Psychology -Research Centre (CIPsi), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 Child Studies Research Centre (CIEC), Braga, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal. Portugal. 3 Center for Deviant Behaviour Sciences (FPCEUP), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto (FPCEUP), Porto, Portugal. [email protected]; sca[email protected]minho.pt; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Online grooming, child, prevalence, impact 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG4, SDG16 Grooming is a premeditated behavior aimed at enticing, typically, underage victims with a specific goal. Online grooming is understood as the sexual enticement of minors, a process through which the offender prepares the child by gaining their trust, with the aim of obtaining content, maintaining contact, or developing sexual interactions, with or without physical contact, either directly or via the internet, while keeping it a secret. Despite being a concern in international studies, it is relatively unknown in the Portuguese context. Online sexual violence against minors has been on the rise over the years, driven by the increasing challenges and risks of the internet and/or social networks. In 2016, an exploratory study in Portugal revealed a 20.5% victimization rate due to online grooming. The Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) report from 2016 to 2020 indicates that the solicitation of minors for sexual purposes represents 2.9% of reported cases. In Portugal, online grooming remains a mystery to the majority of children and a phenomenon relatively overlooked by the scientific community and society at large. However, research on this issue and its impact, especially existing support responses, is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to adapt and validate an instrument for the Portuguese population ascertain the prevalence in children aged 12 to 18 who are victims of online grooming and impact of this type of victimization, as well as the characteristics of victims and offenders. These findings open possible directions for research on the characteristics and consequences of online grooming It is estimated that the results of multivariate and content analyses will indicate effective intervention modalities in addressing and preventing online grooming. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 69 EMOTIONAL PROCESSING IN MALE PRISONERS: COMPARING PSYCHOPATHS AND NON-PSYCHOPATHS Daniela Ramos1, Marina Pinheiro1, Sónia Caridade1, Olga Cunha2 1 Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Azurém, Braga 2 School of Psychology, University of Minho; Lusófona University, Hei-Lab [email protected]; [email protected].pt; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Emotional Processing, Male Prisoners, Psychopaths 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG16 Emotional processing involves perception, expression, and emotional regulation, which are central to interpersonal dynamics and daily decisions in a prison environment. Psychopathy, characterized by traits such as lack of empathy, manipulation, and antisocial behaviour, is often associated with deficits in emotional processing. Psychopathic individuals tend to exhibit a low physiological response to stimuli related to the suffering of others, supporting the relationship between these two variables. The main aim of this study is to investigate the differences in emotional processing between psychopathic and non-psychopathic male inmates. Specifically, the study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between higher scores on the affective facet of psychopathy and greater deficits in emotional processing. This study employs a quantitative methodology and a sample of 176 male inmates from prisons in northern Portugal who are considered imputable and over 18 years old. The study will consist of two groups: one composed of individuals with psychopathy and the other composed of individuals without psychopathy. The study will use three measures: a socio-demographic and socio-legal questionnaire, the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-Short Form, and the Emotional Processing Scale (EPS-25). Psychopathic inmates are expected to exhibit deficiencies in emotional processing, particularly in areas such as empathy, emotion recognition, and emotion regulation. High scores on psychopathic affective traits, such as lack of remorse or empathy, are predicted to be correlated with these deficiencies. These findings may reveal unique emotional processing patterns in psychopathic individuals, contributing to a deeper comprehension of psychopathy. This study explores the relationship between psychopathy and emotional processing. The conclusions of this study could contribute to the development of more effective strategies in the area of rehabilitation and prevention of antisocial behaviour, as well as improving mental health professionals' understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with psychopathic traits. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 70 EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING AND EMPATHY IN MALE INMATES: A COMPARISON BETWEEN VIOLENT AND NON-VIOLENT CRIMES Matilde Soares Gamelas1, Marina Pinheiro1, Sónia Caridade1, Olga Cunha2 1 Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Gualtar, Braga 2 School of Psychology, University of Minho; Lusófona University, Hei-Lab [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Empathy, Executive Functioning, Inmates 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG16 Empathy can be seen as a protective factor that reduces the likelihood of criminal behaviour. On the other hand, deficits in executive functioning are related to self-regulation problems, and individuals with executive deficits are more likely to manifest aggression. Empathy involves comprehending and reacting to the emotional experiences of others, while executive function plays a role in regulating our emotional responses. This interaction between executive functioning and empathy suggests that executive function can either enhance or diminish empathic responses. Research indicates that violent offenders exhibit lower levels of empathy and higher executive deficits compared to non-violent offenders, establishing a positive correlation between these variables. Thereby, the main aim of the present study is to assess executive functioning and empathy in male inmates, analyse the relationship between them, and explore the potential differences between individuals who committed violent crimes and individuals who committed non-violent crimes. A quantitative exploratory cross-sectional study will be conducted, in which participants will be recruited from Portuguese male prisons. The sample will include 176 participants, who will be divided into two groups, one composed of individuals who have committed violent crimes and the other of individuals who have committed non-violent crimes. In order to collect the data needed, a socio-demographic and socio-legal questionnaire will be completed by the participants, as well as the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Based on research, in this investigation it is expected that individuals in prison for violent crimes will show greater executive deficits and less ability to express and feel empathy compared to non-violent ones, and that executive functioning and empathy will be positively correlated. This study can be considered highly significant as it could contribute to understanding the relationship between executive functioning and empathy in prisoners, increasing research on this topic in Portugal. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 77 ON-CHIP OPTICAL MICROSYSTEM FOR PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MALARIA DETECTION Vitória Baptista1, 2, 3, Gabriel Ferreira1, Graça Minas1, 4, Maria Isabel Veiga2, 3, Susana O. Catarino1, 4 1 Centre for Microelectromechanical Systems (CMEMS-UMinho), School of Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal 2 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal 3 Life and Health Sciences ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 4 LABBELS – Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; mariave[email protected]minho.pt; scatari[email protected]minho.pt Keywords: Spectrophotometry, Diagnosis, Malaria 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG1, SDG3, SDG4 The limitations in the currently used diagnostic methods pose challenges to effective malaria control and elimination. To overcome this, herein, optical spectrophotometry is explored for the detection and quantification of low-level Plasmodium falciparum infections. Specifically, we characterize the optical spectra of healthy and infected samples and design, simulate, and fabricate an on-chip optical detection microsystem. For a preliminary characterization of samples, a 200 W Halogen source directed light onto the sample and the subsequent transmitted or reflected light was detected on a top-bench spectrophotometer. The fabricated CMOS microsystem features a sophisticated array of 16 n+/psubstrate silicon junction photodiodes functioning as photodetectors, coupled with 16 current-to-frequency converters, and was tested with healthy and P. falciparum-infected red blood cells (RBCs). The results indicate that the absorbance and reflectance spectra of the samples in the 400 – 800 nm range can be mimicked by a set of 16 discrete wavelengths. This facilitates the detection (when integrated into a diagnostic device), allows the detection of low level parasitaemia (12 parasites/µL of RBCs) and potentially disease quantification and stage differentiation. Additionally, the designed microsystem was validated through transmittance detection of healthy RBCs and infected samples of 12, 25 and 50 parasites/µL. Overall, our study demonstrated that the sensitivity of spectrophotometry is competitive to the one of the gold standard diagnostic methods, affirming its potential for malaria diagnosis. Furthermore, the incorporation of these technologies into an affordable and rapid diagnostic device addresses the escalating clinical demands for improved malaria control and elimination. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 78 FALL RISK ASSESSMENT IN OLDER ADULTS: TOWARDS REAL-TIME & CONTINUOUS ESTIMATION Luís Martins1, 2, 3, Nuno Ribeiro1, Cristina Santos1, 2, 3 1 CMEMS, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal 2 LABBELS—Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 3 LABBELS—Associate Laboratory, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Fall Risk Assessment, Daily Activities, Artificial Intelligence 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Falls are a prevalent cause of injuries in the elderly, escalating treatment costs and emphasizing the importance of real-time Fall Risk Assessment (FRA) tools. While wearable devices, such as waistbands or smartwatches linked to smartphones, have been explored for FRA integration, further refinement is imperative. This study addresses the critical need for strategies that promptly identify risky situations, considering a broad spectrum of factors, to assist seniors and mitigate fall consequences. The primary objective is the development and validation of a continuous, objective, and multifactorial FRA tool. The envisioned FRA strategy emphasizes inertial data-based recognition of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) in the elderly and employs a tripartite modular architecture for real-time fall risk assessment, incorporating a waistband with an inertial sensor and an eHealth application. Each module, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, scrutinizes a widespread range of risk factors, including movement data, biological data, environmental changes, and behavioural aspects to give an objective and personalized FRA. The validation of the envisioned tool commenced with the ADLs recognition module, employing an inertial data collection protocol. Data from 8 unrestricted ADLs, including fast transitional ADLs, performed by 54 senior individuals in continuous and unrestricted conditions, were gathered in 6 different nursing homes. A rigorous 2-step validation and optimization of various Deep Learning (DL) models (CNN, LSTM, and CNN-LSTM) was performed, revealing highly satisfactory subject-independent recognition results and a trend towards optimizing window size for enhanced algorithm performance. The CNN-LSTM architecture demonstrated the most promising results, achieving the highest accuracy across all ADLs in a Leave-p-out cross-validation for 9 test subjects. While not uniform across all ADLs, the potential of neural networks highlights AI algorithms as future solutions for recognizing unrestricted ADLs, promising continuous and real-time FRA in older adults. Future work should focus on refining DL models, acquiring additional data from elderly individuals and validating the remaining modules of the defined FRA strategy. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 79 INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS DA TERRA INSTITUTE OF EARTH SCIENCES ICT UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 80 DEVELOPING A 3D WEB-GIS MAPPING PLATFORM TO SUPPORT SEISMIC VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF URBAN AREAS: AN INTRODUCTION Óscar Costa1, Paula Marinho Reis1, Raquel Menezes2, António Silva3 1 Instituto de Ciências da Terra (ICT) – Polo Minho, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710 – 057 Braga 2 Centro de Matemática, Universidade do Minho 3 LRB – Investimentos e Consultoria, Lda. [email protected]; [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Earthquake, Urban Resilience, Decision support tool 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG1, SDG9, SDG11 In 2020, natural disasters globally affected around 100 million people, causing substantial economic and human losses. The population density in low-lying coastal or riverside areas heightens the risk of significant impacts from natural disasters. Due to its location, Portugal's tectonic environment induces low to moderate seismic and co-seismic hazards with the potential for considerable economic and human losses, especially in urban areas like Lisbon, underlying the urgency for enhanced risk assessment and preparedness strategies. While robust seismic risk models exist for Lisbon, the absence of a user-friendly tool capable of automatically estimating real-time earthquake damages and safe rescue pathways is a notable gap. This is where the proposed 3D web-GIS platform will play an important role. This platform aims to provide dynamic maps that illustrate the city's vulnerability to these natural disasters. The incorporation of 3D model buildings will enhance the visualization and communication of potential impacts and losses, thus facilitating more effective preventive and response measures. The platform's dynamic nature allows the integration of various models, including those for assessing building collapse risks and identifying priority areas and safe rescue routes. With dynamic, visual, and interactive representation of seismic risk data, the platform will enhance seismic vulnerability comprehension and improve the decision-making process for various stakeholders. For policymakers and urban planners, this platform will offer a powerful tool for visualizing the potential impacts of seismic events, aiding more effective urban planning and risk mitigation strategies. It will also provide emergency response teams with critical information for swift and safe response actions in the aftermath of an earthquake, potentially saving lives and reducing economic losses, ultimately contributing to safer, more resilient urban environments. The PhD thesis, entitled "Developing a 3D Web-GIS Mapping Platform to Support the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Urban Areas," which forms the basis of this abstract, is in its early stage. The research is currently in a comprehensive literature review, concentrating on seismic risk modelling, specifically in Lisbon City. This initial stage is crucial for identifying potential gaps and opportunities in current methodologies, which will inform and guide the development of the web-GIS platform. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 81 INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM CIÊNCIAS DA VIDA E DA SAÚDE LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE ICVS UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 82 SPATIOTEMPORAL PROFILING OF GENE EXPRESSION DURING SARCOID GRANULOMA FORMATION Marcela Oliveira1, 2, Relber Aguiar Gonçales1, 2, Ana Baptista1, 2, Daniela Antunes1, 2, Nuno Osório1, 2, Hélder Novais e Bastos3, 4, 5, 6, Cristina Cunha1, 2, Agostinho Carvalho1, 2 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3B’s – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 3 i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal 4 IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal 5 Department of Pneumology, Hospital de São João, Porto, Portugal 6 Department of Pneumology, Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Sarcoidosis, RNA-sequencing, IL-17 signalling 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG9, SDG10 Granulomatous lung diseases encompass an array of disorders caused by both infectious and noninfectious agents in combination with genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disease with unknown etiology characterized by the presence of epithelioid, nonnecrotizing granulomas in several organs, predominantly the lungs. The granulomatous response involves a stepwise program in which a series of macrophage transformations recruits additional cells to produce structural and molecular modifications. Nonetheless, the regulation of the local transcriptional landscape during granuloma formation. To fulfil this gap, we have resorted to a mouse model of granuloma formation to dissect the transcriptional dynamics of isolated granulomas during their formation, namely the early (day 0), intermediate (day 2) and late (day 4) stages. RNA-sequencing analysis of microdissected granulomas revealed that the majority of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) is noticeable two days after eliciting granuloma formation (568 DEGs) with genes like and Retnla, Mmp12, Saa3 and Acod1 being upregulated and directly/indirectly involved in the inflammatory response and genes like Tmem100 and Dpep1 implicated with peptide metabolism downregulated. At this time point, the most pronounced pathways included the ones related with chemokines, chemokine receptors, and the complement system. Processes related with structural alterations are more pronounced in later stages, such as extracellular matrix organization and pathways related to fibronectin matrix formation. Our results also point out classical pathways involved in the inflammatory response such as TNF, NF-Kβ and complement cascade. Besides, IL-17 signalling also appears to be critically implied throughout the granuloma formation process (gene ratio of 0.23). Particularly, DEGs related with IL-17-mediated signals are distinctively expressed across all stages of granuloma formation, and more prominently at the intermediate stage. Overall, the spatiotemporal mapping of the transcriptomic signatures upon granuloma formation pinpoint the most important pathways, and individual genes as potential targets to further explore using pharmacological inhibition or in vitro models. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 83 GENETIC VARIATION IN IL-37 INFLUENCES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS AND PREDISPOSES TO FUNGAL DISEASE AFTER STEM-CELL TRANSPLANTATION Inês Caldeira1, 2, Rita Silva-Gomes1, 2, Samuel M. Gonçalves1, 2, Raquel Fernandes1, 2, Charles A. Dinarello3, Frank L. van de Veerdonk4, Cristina Cunha1, 2, Agostinho Carvalho1, 2 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal 3 Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, 80045, USA 4 Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Aspergillosis, Antifungal Immunity, Interleukin-37 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG9, SDG10 Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a life-threatening infection, particularly among patients undergoing chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), caused by the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Among several clinical risk factors, genetic variations may render individuals more susceptible to IPA. Therefore, the identification of allelic patterns that predispose to a higher risk of disease is essential for risk stratification and consequently the development of preemptive diagnostics for patients at high risk of IPA. The balance between proand anti-inflammatory responses is a prerequisite for successful antifungal host defences. Although inflammation is an essential component of the protective response to fungi, its dysregulation may significantly worsen fungal diseases and limit antifungal immune responses. A newly described negative regulator of inflammatory responses is interleukin-37 (IL-37), an immunosuppressive cytokine from the IL-1 family that exerts broad protective effects in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In the context of infection, IL-37 was demonstrated to be able to inhibit inflammasome activation and disease severity in murine aspergillosis. IL-37 is produced by several non-immune and immune cells, including macrophages, and has been described as a fundamental suppressor of innate and acquired immunity. In this study, we aimed to dissect the contribution of genetic variation within the IL37 gene to the risk of IPA in high-risk patients. Our results demonstrate that the donor rs3811047 variant in IL37 was significantly associated with an enhanced risk of IPA after transplantation, as demonstrated by the higher cumulative incidence of IPA displayed by patients who received a transplant from donor with the AA or the GA genotypes than patients with GG donors (34% and 16%, respectively, P=0.0006). Supporting these data, we found that the rs3811047 variant in IL37 regulated alveolar cytokine production in patients, with AA or GA genotype carriers displaying lower levels of TNF and IL-1b in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALs) when compared to patients with the GG genotype. Moreover, human monocyte-derived macrophages from healthy donors from AA or GA donors displayed an impaired ability to eliminate the fungus in an in vitro infection model, compared to GG macrophages. Overall, our results uncover, for the first time, the putative clinical relevance of genetic variation in IL-37 in the regulation of susceptibility to IPA. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 84 ENHANCING MALARIA ELIMINATION STRATEGIES IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: EVALUATING RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST ACCURACY AND UNRAVELING PARASITE GENETIC DIVERSITY Claudia Federo1, 2, 3, Francisco Cuevas3, Isaac Miguel3, Ana Margarida Gonçalves1, 2, Vitoria Baptista, Mariagiulia Conte, Nuno Osorio1, 2, Modesto Cruz3, Maria Isabel Veiga1, 2, 3 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 3 Autonomous University of Santo Domingo [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; mariaveig[email protected]ho.pt Keywords: Malaria, Rapid diagnostic test, Molecular surveillance 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG10, SDG11 Malaria remains a significant public health concern in tropical regions globally, characterized by challenges such as limited diagnostic tools, drug resistance, and the compounding impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dominican Republic (DR), a participant country in the E2025 WHO program for malaria elimination, confronts distinctive challenges due to ongoing transmission of Plasmodium falciparum. This study meticulously assesses the accuracy and limitations of malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) in DR, delves into the genetic diversity of Plasmodium spp, and explores factors contributing to the high prevalence of P. falciparum on the island. A comprehensive molecular analysis involving 1,653 samples from suspected malaria cases in Dominican Republic, our study uncovered a 2.3% false negative rate for Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs). Employing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), we identified that all false negative RDTs contained Plasmodium spp. at low-level parasitemia, underscoring the imperative for more sensitive diagnostic tools, such as molecular analyses. Delving deeper into the Plasmodium spp. landscape, our findings revealed that P. falciparum accounted for the entirety of cases, except for a singular incidence of P. vivax. Additionally, genotyping the Duffy domain rs2814778 mutation showcased a significant genetic diversity, with 59% of samples exhibiting Duffy-negative status, potentially influencing malaria susceptibility and transmission dynamics. This study underscores the limitations of RDTs in detecting low-density parasite infections, posing challenges for malaria elimination efforts in DR. The detection of P. vivax raises concerns about relapse, emphasizing the necessity for innovative surveillance and disease management strategies. These findings contribute valuable insights to shape future malaria control approaches, steering efforts toward achieving the 2025 elimination goal and underscoring the significance of continued research endeavors in this critical domain. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 85 NORADRENERGIC DEGENERATION IN A DJ-1 KNOCKOUT MOUSE MODEL Filipa Ferreira-Antunes1, 2, Belém Sampaio-Marques1, 2, Jonas Campos1, 2, Daniela Monteiro-Fernandes1, 2, Sandra Barata-Antunes1, 2, Andreia G. Pinho1, 2, Bárbara Mendes-Pinheiro3, Ana Marote4, António J. Salgado1, 2 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3B's Associate Lab, PT Government Associated Lab, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 3 Stemmatters, Biotecnologia e Medicina Regenerativa S.A, Guimarães, Portugal 4 i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal p[email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Parkinson’s Disease, DJ-1, Noradrenaline 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3 Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, with approximately 10% familial cases, caused by several identified mutations, such as in the DJ-1 gene. DJ1 knockout (KO) mouse models have been shown to present progressive motor behavioral deficits, without significant alterations in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system, described as the neuropathological substrate of PD. Degeneration of the noradrenergic nucleus - locus coeruleus (LC) - has been linked to the development of non-motor symptoms and to the aggravation of motor symptoms. We aimed to study the involvement of LC degeneration in a DJ-1 KO model looking at both motor and non-motor phenotype. For that, we have administered a selective noradrenergic neurotoxin (DSP-4) in DJ-1 KO mice. First, we optimized the appropriate dosage to be administered. To assess functional alterations, we have performed a battery of behavioral tests covering several symptoms associated with PD, including depression, anxiety, cognitive impairments, impaired locomotor activity and gait dysfunction. To assess the histological effects of both DSP-4 and the mutation we have performed Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry on the LC, substantia nigra (SNpc), and striatum (STR). DJ-1 animals have shown tendencies to impaired motor functioning, gait dysfunction and a tendency to develop anxiety-related to novelty. DJ-1 KO treated with DSP-4 showed impaired swimming ability, gait dysfunction, tendency for depressive-like behavior, and improved fear memory retrieval. DJ-1 animals showed a reduction of 42.6% in striatal densitometry and a decrease in the number of TH+ cells in the SNpc compared to WT littermates. The injection of DSP-4 led to a decrease of 83-85% neurons within the LC. DSP-4 administration in DJ-1 mice led to a 58% decrease in dopaminergic fibers content in the striatum but did not affect nigral neurons. In this work, we developed a model capable of recapitulating noradrenergic degeneration described in PD, which led to significant nigrostriatal degeneration, and was translated into mild behavioral phenotype, at the motor and non-motor level. This model may provide a suitable approach for the study of neuroprotective therapies focused on the LC noradrenergic neurons. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 86 ITACONATE DEFICIENCY ENHANCES ANTI-FUNGAL EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS OF MACROPHAGES AND CONFERS RESISTANCE TO INFECTION WITH ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS Raquel Fernandes1, 2, Samuel Gonçalves1, 2, Rita Silva-Gomes1, 2, Inês Caldeira1, 2, Inês Pinheiro1, 2, Miguel Fernández-García3, Coral Barbas3, Fernando Rodrigues1, 2, Cristina Cunha1, 2, Agostinho Carvalho1, 2 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal 3 Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, CEU Universities, Madrid, [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; cristi[email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Aspergillosis, Itaconate, Immunometabolism. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG3, SDG9, SDG10 The success of cancer chemotherapy and solid organ and stem-cell transplantation has, paradoxically, increased the population of immunocompromised patients. These patients display extreme susceptibility to opportunistic life-threatening forms of fungal infections, such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), a devastating infection caused primarily by the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Over 30 million people worldwide are at risk of IPA, with >300,000 cases of infection reported each year. Its challenging diagnosis coupled to the absence of licensed vaccines and ineffectiveness of antifungal drugs have resulted in significant mortality and economic burden. Dissecting the complex pathogenesis of IPA requires a molecular understanding of the physiological processes of antifungal immunity. It is known that, in response to infection, activated myeloid cells display enhanced expression of the immune-responsive gene 1 (IRG1), which encodes the aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1) that catalyzes the decarboxylation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate cis-aconitate to itaconate. Itaconate has been widely recognized by its immunoregulatory and antimicrobial properties and even though the precise mechanisms controlled by this metabolite are not fully clarified, its net-function is thought to be antiinflammatory. Hence, we aimed to elucidate the contribution of ACOD1 function and itaconate to host defense against the opportunistic fungal pathogen A. fumigatus. We found that infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) with A. fumigatus resulted in increased expression of Acod1 and consequent itaconate production. Interestingly, BMDMs from Acod1-/- mice displayed an enhanced ability to phagocytose and eliminate conidia of A. fumigatus comparing to wild-type macrophages, a phenotype that was compromised when Acod1-/- macrophages were pre-treated with itaconate, highlighting a possible unexpected and detrimental role of itaconate during A. fumigatus infection. Since no differences were observed regarding the production of reactive oxygen species between macrophages of the two backgrounds, we are currently exploring a possible direct role of itaconate as a “virulence trigger” that leads to enhanced fungal germination and/or remodels the fungal cell wall. Of note, A. fumigatus exposed to different concentrations of itaconate displayed different patterns of germination in a dose dependent-manner. Altogether, these results highlight a possible detrimental role of itaconate in antifungal immunity and shed light on a possible new mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of IPA. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 93 MAGNETICALLY TRIGGERED SHAPE DEFORMATION OF POLYURETHANE COMPOSITES Mariana M. Silva1, José A. Covas1, Maria C. Paiva1, Mariana P. Proença2 1 Institute for Polymers and Composites, Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal 2 ISOM and Departamento de Electrónica Física, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Avda. Complutense 30, 28040 Madrid, Spain [email protected]; jcov[email protected]nho.pt; [email protected]; mariana.proenc[email protected] Keywords: Shape-memory polymers, Magnetic particles, Thermoplastic polyurethane 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG9 Granting magnetic properties to rubbery polymers opens possibilities to generate smart materials for multiple applications, allowing reversible deformations under a magnetic external stimulus. Magnetic responsive shape-memory polymer composites can be designed at low magnetic particle content to enable remote actuation, achieving shape deformation by inductive heating or magnetorheological effects. Commercial (Sigma-Aldrich) and sol-gel synthesized Yttrium-Iron Garnet (YIG, Y3Fe5O12) nanopowder (NP) as described in the literature were characterised before and after calcination at 1000 °C. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites with loads from 5 to 40 wt.% of calcined commercial YIG were produced by compression moulding. Their shape-memory ability was tested under a magnetic field. Thermal treatment of YIG NP (3h at 1000ºC) modified the structure of commercial and sol-gel synthesized (pH 10) YIG NP, increasing the saturation magnetization of the particles. All TPU/YIG composites display a magnetic response that increases with YIG content. Shapememory behavior, triggered by a magnetic field of 500 G, was observed for all the composites with calcined and sol-gel synthesized YIG. A simple method was used to produce composites with YIG particles, that display magnetic response at low particle loading. Such composites respond to a magnetic field, displaying a shape-memory behavior, and can be used as soft actuators, for example, in soft robotics. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 94 STUDY OF ORGANOLEPTIC ADDITIVES AND INSECT REPELLENTS FOR POSTCONSUMER RECYCLED POLYOLEFINS Camila Pereira, Carla I. Martins Institute for Polymers and Composites (IPC), University of Minho, Azurém, Guimarães [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Post-consumer recycled materials, Rotational molding, Organoleptic 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG12 Post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials are becoming available for the substitution of virgin plastic materials. They are a viable alternative solution for increasing their circularity. The recycling process may reduce the overall properties of the plastics and the final product may exhibit undesirable odors. Therefore, this research evaluates the processing and properties of post-consumer recycled polyethylene with aromatic additives to deliver active insect repellency and fragrance in products made by rotational molding. This technique is known for the manufacturing of hollow parts through a slow process at high temperatures in an oxidative atmosphere. Therefore, it’s important to evaluate the properties of both the polymeric matrix and additives, as they must remain stable under such conditions. This study aims to produce parts made from recycled polymer matrix impregnated with fragrance additives, in solid and liquid states. The polymeric matrix used was Sirblend R 00 040 CS AX, provided by SIRPLASTE (Porto de Mós, Portugal), a recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in powder form, whereas the additives were citronella oil, cinnamon powder, and laurel powder. The investigation focused on the effect of the additives on PCRHDPE, its processing characteristics, and also on the morphological and mechanical properties of the parts. A mixture containing 3% by mass of the additive was used for this purpose. Pristine and compounded materials were characterized by granulometry, dry flow, apparent density, melt flow index (MFI), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The incorporation of additives did not cause significant changes in melting and crystallization temperatures, implying that their presence does not influence the structural organization of the polymer matrix. The MFI results indicated a plasticizing effect of the oil. Furthermore, its addition reduced the apparent density and hindered the dry flow; that was attributed to the polymer’s humidification. Despite of that, the direct introduction of oil improved the surface finish of the part, reducing the occurrence of surface pinholes. In the case of powdered additives, pinholes were abundant, as well as voids on the part. The citronella, cinnamon and laurel fragrances were well present in the parts after processing. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 95 DEVELOPMENT OF ECO-SUSTAINABLE COMPOSITE SANDWICH STRUCTURAL PANELS Rui Pereira1, Braian Uribe2, Paulo Antunes2 1 Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal 2 PIEP, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal [email protected] Keywords: Eco-sustainable, Sandwich structure, Composites 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG9, SDG12 The paper discusses the development of an eco-sustainable composite sandwich structure that presents good physical and mechanical properties. This type of structures has applications in various areas, from construction to railways, where materials with a high strength-to-weight ratio are required. Currently, the materials most used in the construction of these structures are based on thermosetting resins, polyurethane foams, and polystyrene, among others. Although these materials perform well mechanically, they are not eco-sustainable and cannot be reused after their lifespan. To overcome this limitation, we investigate the feasibility of replacing conventional materials used in the construction of sandwich structures with ecosustainable materials. To achieve this goal, the project has specific stages: 1) produce a prototype sandwich panel through hot compression techniques; 2) develop a honeycomb core with proprietary technology that allows the manufacture of a highly rigid composite structure; 3) characterize the mechanical and physical properties of the sandwich composite structure to ensure its technical viability. The obtained prototype was made of thermoplastic resin and bio-based reinforced fibers. Additional evaluation tests are suggested to confirm the mechanical and thermal properties, including low-velocity impact resistance, compressive strength, thermal insulation, flammability, and other relevant properties. Thus, it is expected to provide the industry with the opportunity to substitute conventional sandwich panel structures with environmentally friendlier alternatives. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 96 CALCULATING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF PLASTIC PARTS Mariana Lima1, Carla I. Martins1, Ricardo Simões1, Tiago Barbosa2 1 Institute for Polymers and Composites (IPC), University of Minho, Azurém, Guimarães 2 Fehst Componentes Lda, Ferreiros, Braga [email protected] [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Carbon Footprint, Environment Management, Plastics 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG9, SDG12, SDG13 This abstract provides insights on the importance of calculating the Carbon Footprint of plastic parts and how this calculation can be of benefit to the automotive industry. The aim of this work is to calculate the Carbon Footprint of a decorative plastic part for the automotive industry. The part consists on an injection moulded part made of PC/ABS and a TPS stopper, which is then painted with a high-gloss paint. A steel spring is attached to the part after paining. The work enables a detailed assessment of the part's life cycle, providing a comprehensive overview of the environmental implications of this product, as well as identifying opportunities for reducing emissions throughout the production chain. The review begins by elucidating the fundamental principles of the production processes of the product under study, the Carbon Footprint, the methodologies to be considered for calculating the Carbon Footprint and the various possible approaches to specify the life cycle of a product. All the activities necessary for the production of the parts were first established. They consisted briefly on the injection mould of the parts, painting of the PC/ABS part, moulting the TPS stopper and finally assemble the steel spring. The necessary data such as energy power consumption, emission factors and allocation factors were further collected. The Carbon Footprint value was obtained by adding up the Carbon Footprint of all the life cycle stages, which is obtained by multiplying the emission factor by the consumption. If the stage is related to transport, it is also multiplied by the allocation factor. It was concluded that painting of the part and transportation of the product to the client (buyer) where the most relevant steps for greenhouse gases emission. The painting process has a higher percentage of scrap and large quantities of GHG are emitted resulting from that. The transport of the product to the buyer is also important, since the GHG emissions do not depend exclusively on the company. This highlighted the need to involve the supply chain in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint and to apply this metric to other products. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 97 PROCESSING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POST-CONSUMER RECYCLED MATERIALS FOR ROTATIONAL MOULDING APPLICATIONS Maria S. Ribeiro, Carla I. Martins Institute for Polymers and Composites (IPC), University of Minho, Azurém, Guimarães [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymers, Rotational moulding, polymer properties 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG12 The circular economy has become an increasingly unavoidable issue for the plastics processing industry. The mechanical recycling of thermoplastic polymers is a good opportunity to address this matter and to reduce the consumption of virgin raw materials and to obtain products at very low costs. This work belongs to an ongoing study into the use of postconsumer recycled (PCR) polymers, predominantly consisting of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE)r, provided by SIRPLASTE company (Portugal) in powder form for rotational molding applications. This processing technique is typically used to produce large hollow, rigid and resilient structures, like tanks, kayaks, leisure furniture, etc. The study includes a comprehensive analysis of the material in terms of its composition, thermal and physical characteristics by means of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Melt flow Index (MFI), apparent density, dry flow and granulometry and also processing and characterization of parts. The results identified a HDPE material with a small fraction of Polypropylene (PP). The powder quality analysis revealed a dry flow time and granulometry of recycled HDPE slightly lower than that designed for rotational molding, which may indicate possible challenges in its flow during rotational molding. Its implications may be observed on the thickness distribution, the appearance of surface pinholes and also voids on the part. The processability of HDPEr revealed the presence of pin-holes at the surface, indicating insufficient sintering of the material during the processing cycle. Although increasing the mass and temperature inside the mold reduced these defects, there was an increase in warping and distortion of the parts. The study has shown that HDPEr is indeed viable for rotational molding process. The work is under way to improve the quality of the parts and to reduce its defects through, for example, its mixture with virgin materials, and optimization of processing conditions. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 98 STUDIES ON THE REPROCESSING OF POLYETHYLENE AND POLYPROPYLENE BLENDS Diogo A. Cruz, Carla I. Martins, Júlio C. Viana IPC/LASI – Institute for Polymers and Composites/Associated Laboratory of Intelligence Systems, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Polyolephins, Blends, Recycling 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG8, SDG9, SDG12, SDG13, SDG17 Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) dominate plastic packaging. Their mechanical recycling is used to recover materials. However, given its similarities in density, they are difficult to separate in the stream lines. The mixtures of materials with different rheological characteristics is also frequent and unavoidable. This study explores the properties of virgin and reprocessed PE/PP blends with strong difference in melt flow index. Extrusion-blown highdensity polyethylene (HDPE PCG863 from SABIC, MFI 0.35g/10 min, 190°C/2.16 kg) and PP injection moulded grade (ISPLEN PP080G2M by Repsol, MFI 20g/10 min, 230°C/2.16 kg), were mixed at varying weight percentages (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of PP into HDPE matrix) and further processed by injection moulded to produce small tensile specimens. They were characterized for their thermal, mechanical and morphological properties. The increase of PP into HDPE increased the melt flow index (MFI) of the blends. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed two peaks corresponding to the HDPE and PP. Melting temperatures were consistent across all blends. A slight rise in the degree of crystallinity for PP and a minor decrease for PE was observed when PP content increase on the blend. A typical skin-core structure, with a very thin skin, elongated spherulites in the sub-skin region and small spherulites in the core was obtained. Virgin or reprocessed blends showed similar microstructures. SEM images show no visible phase separation between polymers but reveal a transition in fracture surface around HDPE/40% to 60% PP, from grooved surface typical of HDPE to smooth fracture surface of PP. Tensile behaviour varies significantly according to the content of the blend: both materials are ductile, however PP exhibits much higher ductility than HDPE. Therefore, the increase content of PP on the blend enhances the blend's Young modulus and elongation at break. Polyolefins were successfully blended and reprocessed, exhibiting slight variations in properties based on composition. Reprocessed blends generally show up to a 20% reduction in properties compared to virgin counterparts due to the additional processing step. This topic is relevant to guide companies on the reprocessing of their own materials and blend and for understanding mechanical recycling of polyolefin waste streams. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 99 CIRCULARITY THROUGH RECYCLING OF THERMOPLASTIC MATRIX COMPOSITES Carolina Cadilhe, Braian Uribe Polo de Inovação em Engenharia de Polímeros, Azurém, Guimarães [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Composites, Recycling, Circularity 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG9, SDG12, SDG13 Continuous fiber composites with a thermosetting matrix exhibit excellent chemical and mechanical resistance due to the matrix crosslinking process and the structural reinforcement of the fibers, respectively. However, this crosslinking process is irreversible, preventing the fusion of the matrix for reprocessing and recycling, thus hindering material circularity. To avoid the end-of-life disposal of these materials in landfills or their reuse as fillers for lower-value components, liquid thermoplastic matrices have emerged for the processing of continuous fiber composite materials using conventional composite material production methods (e.g., RTM, vacuum-assisted infusion, hot compression). Thus, the main objective was to verify if recycling of this material was possible. To validate the process, a laminate consisting of carbon fibers and ELIUM 188 XO liquid thermoplastic resin, composed of polymethyl methacrylate, was initially produced through the vacuum-assisted resin infusion process. To facilitate mechanical recycling, the initial laminate was cut into smaller squares and subsequently subjected to a milling machine. Once all the crushed material, which exhibited a highly heterogeneous particle size distribution, was obtained, it was sieved to separate the different fiber sizes. To analyze the material properties based on the fiber size distribution, each sample's material was then hot compressed. Finally, flexural tests were performed on the initial material and the recycled material plate, DSC and FTIR tests were conducted on the initial laminate, crushed material, and the compressed plate of recycled material, and densities were calculated and compared. It was observed a decrease in mechanical properties of the composite material with the reduction in fiber size, as expected, it remained usable, unlike thermosetting matrix composites. However, it is crucial to consider that these properties depend on the particle size. Larger particle sizes, associated with higher fiber lengths, limitate the material reprocessing and compaction, compromising its properties negatively. With this study, the validation of this circularity process was achieved, confirming the possibility of utilizing thermoplastic matrix composite materials through mechanical recycling processes and subsequent hot compression moulding techniques. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 100 INSTITUTO PARA A SUSTENTABILIDADE E INOVAÇÃO EM ESTRUTURAS DE ENGENHARIA INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING ISISE UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 101 ADAPTATION OF TRADITIONAL RISK-BASED METHODOLOGY FOR SLOPES TO PROBABILISTIC-BASED APPROACH INTEGRATING SURROGATE MODELS Carlos Mendoza Cabanzo, Joaquim Tinoco, Helder Sousa, Mário Coelho, José Campos e Matos University of Minho, ISISE, ARISE, Department of Civil Engineering, Guimarães, Portugal Keywords: Risk analysis, Seismic fragility curves, Parametric analysis, Railway systems, Surrogate models Due to the economic importance that railways systems have in Europe, it is pertinent to ensure good performance and long-term safety. Failure of earth structures (e.g., slopes) often results in major economic consequences, and it is a result of the uncertainties associated with these structures and their failure modes due to a given hazard. Nowadays, different methodologies can be used to assess slopes during operational phases, but often the required information to achieve a reliable assessment may provide the methodologies inapplicable, especially when assessing multiple assets. This research uses methodologies that have been implemented in the industry and adapts them to a probabilistic approach toward risk assessment, supported by the implementation of kriging surrogate model, thus improving its reliability while maintaining the same level of information and computational cost required for its application. A soil cutting located in the Lisbon (Portugal) was selected as case study. Seismic fragility curves are obtained, and a moderate risk level is obtained. The derived fragility curves are based on peak ground acceleration and were developed for different combinations of geometric and geotechnical parameters. The methodology provides useful information for prioritizing assets and taking preventive actions to maintain the desired performance of the railway system. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 102 DEVELOPMENT OF AN ECOLOGICAL THERMAL INSULATION PRODUCT FOR A REGENERATIVE BUILDING DESIGN Livia Cosentino, Ricardo Mateus, Jorge Fernandes Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), Associate Laboratory Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems (ARISE), Azurém, Guimarães [email protected]; [email protected]; jorge.fernand[email protected]minho.pt Keywords: Bio-based insulation, Regenerative design, Low-carbon construction 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG11, SDG13, SDG15 This research aims to investigate invasive plant species in Portugal to develop a bio-based thermal insulation product for buildings. Currently, in the European Union, buildings account for nearly 40% of energy consumption, a third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and approximately 50% of all extracted materials. While insulation products are crucial in reducing energy demand, commonly used materials often have high embodied energy. Bio-based thermal insulation products, however, sequester carbon and exhibit lower embodied energy. On the other hand, using invasive species biomass allows controlling their spread and establishes a value chain for this resource. This work intends to characterise the Cortaderia selloana reed, also known as pampa grass, to understand its possibilities as an insulation material. The primary objectives include developing and examining manufacturing processes for insulation panels in compliance with regulatory requirements: one utilising the entire culm sections and another employing waste from the first in a crushed reed agglomerate. The study also aims to analyse the environmental and economic life cycle performance of the new insulation products, comparing them with conventional counterparts. Furthermore, it aspires to contribute to a circular economy by creating low environmental impact, minimally processed, cost-effective, and biodegradable products. Research methods are based on the experimental characterisation of the new insulation products, to evaluate if they fulfil specific construction requirements, and life cycle assessment of environmental impact. Results indicate a significant advantage of fast-growing bio-based materials in terms of environmental impact due to their biogenic carbon content. Additionally, thermal analysis reveals that reed panels exhibit performance comparable to cork as insulation products, possibly attributed to internal structures with voids trapping air. Overall, the research highlights the potential of bio-based insulation materials, particularly those derived from fast-growing and invasive species. The developed material not only promotes sustainable development but also contributes to biodiversity preservation by aiding in species control and maintaining native lands. This research plays a vital role in advancing sustainable and resilient building sector. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 109 ANOMALY DETECTION: A TOOL TO FIND NEW PHYSICS Maura Barros1, Nuno Castro1, Rute Pedro2, Miguel Romão1,3, Fernando Souza1 1 Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas (LIP), Departamento de Física, Escola de Ciências, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas (LIP), Av. Professor Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal 3 The Palatine Center, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected], m[email protected]t; [email protected] Keywords: Anomaly Detection, Particle Physics, New Phenomena 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4, SDG8, SDG9 The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics describes the fundamental constituents of visible matter successfully. Multiple experimental results validate the theory. However, there are certain phenomena like the existence of dark matter (DM) that are not explained by the SM. This discrepancy motivates the search for new physics. At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), an expansive program is dedicated to these searches, characterised by the exploration of specific signals and event topologies. Machine learning (ML) has become a tool across diverse scientific domains, and Particle Physics stands as a prime example of its extensive application. Over the past several years, ML has played an important role in increasing analysis sensitivity at particle colliders. Common algorithms such as Gradient Boosted Decision Trees (GBDTs) and Neural Networks (NN) have been the go-to choices in this field. However, the spotlight is increasingly turning towards Anomaly Detection (AD). Typically, AD is employed to identify anomalies that deviate significantly from established patterns. In particle physics, AD emerges as a tool to explore collider data without making assumptions about the nature of new physics phenomena. By learning to reconstruct Standard Model (SM) events effectively, the AD algorithm becomes a sensitive detector of deviations, thereby offering a promising tool for the identification of new physics signals. This study goes into a comprehensive examination of autoencoder architectures, a subset of AD methodology. The primary objective is to find the intricate relationships between different architectural parameters and their influence on the sensitivity to new signals. By scrutinizing the inner workings of autoencoders, this research seeks to advance our understanding of how these algorithms can be optimized for the nuanced task of uncovering new physics phenomena in the rich and complex datasets produced by particle colliders. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 110 USING MACHINE LEARNING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SCAN BEYOND THE STANDARD MODEL PARAMETER SPACES IN PARTICLE PHYSICS Fernando Abreu Rocha de Souza1, Nuno Filipe Castro1, Miguel Romão1, 2 1 LIP – Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas, Escola de Ciências, Departamento de Física, Universidade do Minho, Gualtar, Braga 2 Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, Durham University [email protected] Keywords: Particle Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Parameter Spaces 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4, SDG8, SDG9 The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics describes the fundamental particles and forces in our universe and is the most successful theoretical ground available for particle physicists. However, there are still several uncharted territories to explore that remain unexplained by the SM. Among those, the existence of dark matter (DM) and neutrino masses, which demand explanations which go Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) scope. When trying to come up with solutions to these problems, physicists, in general, propose new BSM theories which often employ a vast number of free parameters. In order to assess the validity of such theories, it is necessary to confront their predictions with the available experimental data. However, due to the large number of free parameters and experimental results, this task is typically computationally intensive and time consuming. We propose a solution to this problem by adopting sampling algorithms which make use of Machine Learning methods in order to improve the efficiency of this validation task. The efficiency and exploratory capacity of these algorithms were tested using the parameter space of supersymmetric models and constrained experimentally by the Higgs mass and the Dark Matter relic density. The results show a massive improvement in efficiency with only minor sacrifices in parameter space coverage. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 111 LABORATÓRIO DE PAISAGENS, PATRIMÓNIO E TERRITÓRIO LANDSCAPE, HERITAGE AND TERRITORY LABORATORY Lab2PT UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 112 ANADROMOUS SEASCAPES: UNDERSTANDING MARINE SPATIAL USAGE IN TACKLING THE IMPACT OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE ON MIGRATORY SPECIES. Luís Carlos Mestrinho, Ivo Pereira Oliveira UMinhoEscola de Arquitetura, Arte & Design/Lab2PT [email protected] Keywords: Human-environment interactions, Marine urbanization, Anadromous fishes 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG14, SDG11 This work explores the potential impact of a marine infrastructure on migratory marine species and human-environment interactions. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the spatial usage of the marine territory, which includes not only nearshore and offshore areas but also brackish water and freshwater areas such as river mouths, estuaries, and bays. It is suggested that such an understanding is crucial for managing the externalities brought by the infrastructure and for mitigating its impact on marine fauna. The investigation follows an inductive approach as some authors argue that findings derived from particular cases are capable of supporting the elaboration of generalizations (Marconi, 1993; Gil, 1999). To conduct this study, three case studies were analysed: the Offshore Wind Park along the coast of Viana do Castelo in Portugal, the Afsluitdijk dike between the Wadden Sea and the former Southern Sea estuary in the Netherlands, and the Port of Suape in Northern Brazil. They have in common the potential or actual impact on migratory species that depend on the surrounding areas where the infrastructure is located as well as impacts on the populations that have different sorts of relationships with the marine fauna. The Offshore Wind Park case study showcases the importance of understanding the seascape as experienced by migratory fishes such as sea lamprey and shad, anadromous species that use both the sea and the river Minho basin during their lifecycle. The Afsluitdijk dike case study illustrates how the closure of the estuary had an impact on migratory fishes that transited between the estuary and the sea, resulting in the decline of biodiversity and, finally, the Port of Suape case study describes how the location and modifications brought by the Port may have a contribution for the rise in the shark encounters along the urban marine areas of the city of Recife due to the behaviour patterns of the bull and tiger sharks and the characteristics of the nearshore in the area. Taking into consideration the fluidity of the water and the great mobility of migratory species, relevant insights are provided about the importance of looking at the spatial features and territory usage that exist beyond the infrastructure location. Moreover, it also clarifies how human-environment interactions can be affected by the implementation of marine infrastructure which can not only modify the environment but also have unexpected impacts on the multi-species entanglements between humans and marine fauna. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 113 AUTISM AND HIGHER EDUCATION: A LOOK AT DESIGN Thaís Eleotério, Paula Trigueiros Mestrado em Design de Produto e Serviço, Couros, Guimarães [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Universal design for learning, ASD, Service logics 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4, SDG10 This essay was developed as part of Seminar I, taught by Professor Dr. Paula Trigueiros, and proposes to highlight the potential of the Universal Design for Learning strategy, recognizing the vitality of personalized and flexible approaches to meet the diverse needs of students on the autistic spectrum. Data from national research highlights the significant gap in education for people with disabilities. Given the increasing identification of autistic individuals as a result of greater access to diagnosis, it is imperative that educational environments are properly prepared to welcome these students, with a view to achieving goals related to sustainable development, such as those stipulated in Goals 4 and 10. The methodology adopted in this study is qualitative, based on a literature review, analysis of research on adaptations in higher education for autistic people and the collection of reports through different formats, such as podcasts, videos and personal messages. These reports provide an in-depth view of the experiences of individuals on the autistic spectrum in the academic environment. As a guide, the conclusions presented in Jennifer Sarret's article entitled "Autism and Accommodations in Higher Education: Insights from the Autism Community" are explored. This reference offers a valuable framework for contextualizing the practices and challenges associated with the inclusion of autistic people in higher education. Universal Design for Learning is highlighted in Jennifer Sarret's article as a potential methodology to be used in educational environments and, by exploring the effectiveness of Universal Design for Learning in promoting inclusive educational environments, we question if it alone is enough to promote awareness and if adapting educational materials is enough to guarantee equity in these spaces. Faced with this question, we introduced service logic from an inclusive perspective as an approach with the potential to consider all interactions and agents as co-creators of solutions in the educational environment, in addition to being able to put into practice the UDL application model proposed by Schwanke, Smith and Edyburn. This essay concludes by highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to promoting social inclusion, involving awareness, educational and architectural adaptation to ensure equity for all students. Furthermore, given the increasing prevalence of autism diagnoses, it is crucial to conduct further research in this area, with a particular focus on the adult population, often neglected in large investigations. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 114 LABORATÓRIO DE SOFTWARE CONFIÁVEL HIGH-ASSURANCE SOFTWARE LABORATORY HasLab UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 115 HOW SUSTAINABLE IS YOUR PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE? ANALYSING THE IMPACT OF POWERCAP ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES Simão Cunha, Luís Silva, João Saraiva HasLab, University of Minho, Gualtar, Braga [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Green Software, Programming Languages, RAPL 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG9, SDG12, SDG17 This abstract provides a concise summary of an in-depth investigation into the energy efficiency of sorting algorithms implemented in various programming languages, employing statistical analysis techniques and multi-criteria optimization methods. The study considers parameters such as development cost, execution time, energy consumption, cores’ temperature, and memory consumption. We utilize the PowerCap library to monitor and control processor power consumption for enhanced energy efficiency assessment. To measure the energy consumption of the sorting algorithms implemented in all programming languages under consideration, we employ the Running Average Power Limiting (RAPL) interface from Intel. The research encompasses a thorough examination of three sorting algorithms across thirteen programming languages. Quick Sort demonstrated superior performance in execution time, especially under enforced power caps. Notably, the programming language C emerged as the most optimal choice, showcasing superior execution time and power efficiency. In contrast, Selection Sort exhibited weaker performance under power limitations, and Kotlin demonstrated comparatively lower efficiency in both execution time and power metrics. The study's analysis provides profound insights into the energy efficiency of sorting algorithms across programming languages, highlighting the significance of parameters on algorithm evaluation and language ranking. Multi-criteria optimization emphasizes the critical role of time and performance in the assessment of sorting algorithms, underscoring the efficiency variations among programming languages. In conclusion, the study offers valuable insights into the energy efficiency of sorting algorithms, emphasizing the necessity of language-specific optimizations for energy-efficient software solutions. The combined use of statistical analysis and multi-criteria optimization provides a comprehensive perspective on sorting algorithm performance, facilitating informed decisionmaking in energy-efficient software development. The PowerCap library's effectiveness in managing and optimizing processor power consumption contributes to a more sustainable computing environment. Overall, this study adds a nuanced perspective by specifically evaluating three sorting algorithms across thirteen programming languages, elucidating the impact of power limitations on their performance. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 116 NÚCLEO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO EM POLÍTICAS ECONÓMICAS CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT NIPE UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 117 THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: KEY FACTORS TO ADOPT FROM THE ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Enzo Fernandes, Ana Carvalho School of Economics and Management, Gualtar, Braga [email protected]; [email protected],pt Keywords: Sustainability, Higher Education Institutions, Development 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4, SDG11, SDG12 This abstract focuses on presenting concepts and actions that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) must adopt for a concise implementation of Sustainability guidelines on an organizational level. Since HEIs pursue a significant role in civil society forming individuals on an educational and civil level with the transmission of ideas, the strengthening of Sustainable Development is a core factor that must be stimulated by those educational organizations. Sustainability as an academic study area has been heavily influenced by the status quo that our globalized civil society is currently facing. The excessive production and consumption of goods led humans to rethink and evaluate their lifestyles, which influenced different alternatives that can create a positive impact on a societal level. In this context, it makes sense that HEIs increase their engagement and promotion for sustainable transition. Furthermore, the sustainability commitment of HEIs is a factor that reaches different directions and emerges with creative solutions. The implementation of sustainable goals proposed by the author focuses on topics such as digitalization, responsible consumption, and awareness promotion. Even digitalization isn’t oblivious to HEIs, there is a considerable number of internal processes that should be evaluated to maximize the services on an organizational level that stimulate the sustainable transition at the same time. There is an urgent necessity of rethinking and understanding that digitalization improves the quality of services and processes’ transformation can be implemented easier than it appears. Is paper necessary for some processes? How does dislocation to physical facilities affect the city that those HEIs are in? Moving on, responsible consumption will become a reality if the HEIs campuses promote it in direct or indirect ways. Which are the energy sources of the campus? Does the campus have efficient recycling facilities? How do the campuses manage food waste? Some of those examples are factors that even if they look obvious, some universities still struggle to manage properly. Finally, the awareness promotion must be done with clear communication and with student participation. Digitalization is also a core resource able to stimulate the importance of sustainability. To conclude, the engagement of HEIs on sustainable development is something crucial and that is possible to be expressed effortlessly. The know-how from pioneering HEIs on sustainability, maximization of digitalization, the promotion of engagement and awareness, and finally the revaluation of the current service design of the organization is always necessary to boost HEI’s sustainable transition, following the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. UMinho Research & Innovation Open Days, 30-31 January 2024 118 FULL-TIME EDUCATION: ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT ON LEARNING OF THE BRAZILIAN PROGRAM NOVO MAIS EDUCAÇÃO Luiz Felipe Magnago Blulm1, Ana Carolina Giuberti2, João Carlos Cerejeira Silva1 1 University of Minho, Gualtar, Braga 1 Federal University of Espírito Santo, Jardim da Penha, Vitória - ES 2 Federal University of Espírito Santo, Jardim da Penha, Vitória – ES [email protected]; ana.gi[email protected]; joao.[email protected] Keywords: Full-time Education, Difference-in-Differences, Learning 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4 Although there is no consensus on the effectiveness of full-time education on learning, several Latin American countries have developed programs to extend school hours to achieve a higher level of student performance. In Brazil, the federal government implemented two policies to increase school hours: the Mais Educação Program (PME), from 2008 to 2017, and the Novo Mais Educação Program (PNME), in 2018 and 2019. Therefore, this article evaluates the impact of PNME on student learning and discussion on the effectiveness of the PNME design in relation to the previous policy, PME. We used official data from the Brazilian government and the methodology combined Difference in Differences with propensity score matching to evaluate students' grades in mathematics and languages. Although recent developments show that the TWFE is biased, to evaluate policies that are implemented over a period, the PNME was implemented all at once, making this case a classic 2x2, allowing for the adoption of the TWFE. For the initial years of primary education, the results show a positive impact on learning, but for the final years the results were ambiguous: a null effect on language students' grades and a negative impact on mathematics test results. A result consistent with the literature that points to the cumulative effect of learning. However, these results were more promising than those of its predecessor, the PME, which can be attributed to the design of the PNME being more focused on expanding the hours of language and mathematics learning. Our results indicate that the way in which the integral education policy is designed can directly impact the results obtained in student learning. The design of the PNME is focused on education as measured by national tests, while the PME had no such focus. This research contributes new evidence on the effectiveness of comprehensive education. Furthermore, it brings into discussion the relevance of an adequate design to obtain the expected results. We suggest that future studies compare other policies with different designs to check whether there are consistencies between the designs that obtained positive learning results.