QUARTAS-FEIRAS :: 12h :: VIDEOCONFERÊNCIA
2024
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12 de dezembro
» Nir Stern - "From eggs to adults: fish dynamics in the Israeli Eastern Mediterranean coast"
» Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute
(+ info)
14:30 h | ECUM Auditorium
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12 de dezembro
» Noé Ferreira-Rodríguez - "Bridging species interactions with human perspectives on water quality"
» CBMA
(+ info)
15:30 h | ECUM Auditorium
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11 de dezembro
» Filipe Castro - "Genome Stories: the splendor of life forms and their origin"
» (CIIMAR)
12:00 h | ZOOM (broadcast in the DB Auditorium)
► https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/99866030073
Summary: How are Phenotypes “built”? Such a seemingly eternal question has fascinated biologists since the dawn of scientific reasoning, from Aristotle’s Historia Animalium to Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. And yet, we marvel at the “adaptation unknowns”: the aerodynamic swimming of a penguin, the deep diving hunt of a sperm whale or the energy-saving movements of a seahorse. These “visions” encompass key concepts in Biology, such as that of Adaptation and the Phenotype. Thus, a key challenge of contemporary Evolutionary Biology is to understand the emergence and evolution of novelty at the molecular level, from an inherent gene set (phenotype-genotype link), and their relationship to adaptive landscapes. This quest has greatly benefited from the revolution in omic technologies. These have offered an unforeseen capacity to decipher the molecular origin of complex traits. In this talk, I will explore a few examples describing the power of comparative genomics to understand the dynamics of extant genomes (gene duplication and loss) in the comprehension of the splendor of biodiversity on planet Earth.
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15 de novembro
» Rui Oliveira - "Students as engaged readers of study materials in interactive social reading"
» Summary: Online Workshop Series on Teaching Innovation for Arqus Teachers (https://arqus-alliance.eu/arqus-teaching-innovation/teaching-innovation-workshops/) em particular para o workshop "Students as engaged readers of study materials in interactive social reading" em que Rui Oliveira mostrará como envolver os estudantes no estudo dos manuais das UCs utilizando a plataforma Perusall integrada na Blackboard.
09:00 h | Anfiteatro DB
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12 de novembro
» Paula Campos - "History of marine resource exploitation in Atlantic and Mediterranean communities, a molecular perspective"
» Summary: Marine resources have been vital for humans, providing an alternative food, fuel, clothing and various raw materials, significantly shaping the economic trajectories of European societies bordering the Atlantic, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean. Initially, the use of these resources involved opportunistic catches and the use of stranded animals on beaches. However, as these resources became targeted for food, overexploitation ensued. Whales, in particular, with their large size and slow reproductive rate, emerged as one of the most vulnerable groups subject to human exploitation. Historical evidence suggests that whaling, was likely pioneered by the Basques in the 11th century. While fishing has roots dating back to the Palaeolithic era, its industrial exploitation started with the Roman fish salting plants for the production of garum, liquamen, and salted fish. Records of hunted or caught species are often ambiguous, and archaeological evidence is limited due to the butchering of large animals on shore and the fragmentary nature of fish and mollusc remains rendering its’ morphological identification especially difficult. Modern populations are now a mere echo of their former distribution. Understanding the dynamics of human exploitation of marine resources requires identifying preferentially exploited species over time and understanding how exploitation pressure has shifted hunting and catching preferences. Palaeogenomics, the use of ancient molecules like proteins and DNA, enables access to genetic information from past individuals, facilitating the tracking of population histories. Here, I will go through some of my current research projects on the exploitation of three iconic species, North Atlantic Right Whales, Mediterranean monk seals and sardines.
12:00 h | Anfiteatro DB
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05 de novembro
» Raúl Machado - Beyond nature´s blueprint: modular engineering of protein-based block copolymers (Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA))
» Summary: Beyond nature´s blueprint: modular engineering of protein-based block copolymers - "The design of sustainable, bioinspired materials is a pivotal area of research, driven by the need to develop advanced biomaterials that mimic and even surpass the unique properties found in nature. Protein-based block copolymers offer a powerful platform for material innovation, as they combine the precision of genetic engineering with the versatility of protein structures found in biological systems. In this talk, I will present a modular approach to engineering recombinant protein polymers, where each construct is designed with specific structural and functional domains—akin to "Lego" blocks—that can be strategically assembled to create multifunctional materials. By drawing inspiration from natural fibrous proteins like silk and elastin, we employ synthetic biology techniques to create custom-designed protein sequences that exhibit unique mechanical, biological, and responsive properties. This modular methodology allows for a high degree of control over material characteristics, enabling the development of protein-based copolymers that are both biocompatible and environmentally sustainable.”
10:00 h | Anfiteatro DB
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29 de outubro
» João Carneiro - Al-Powered Workflows in Biotechnology: From Environmental Remediation to Health (Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)) (+ info)
» Summary - AI workflows can be used to tackle important challenges in blue biotechnology and other fields, emphasizing sustainability and environmental remediation. I will demonstrate how AI-powered computational tools can transition from data analysis to practical biotechnological applications. AI workflows present significant opportunities to address critical challenges in blue biotechnology, as well as in various other sectors. By focusing on sustainability and environmental remediation, these workflows can create innovative solutions that benefit both ecosystems and human communities.
12:00 h | ECUM Auditorium
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18 de outubro
» Rudiger Simon- Genetically encoded chemical tools for studying protein interactions in living cells" (Professor for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University, Germany) + Info
» Summary: Regulation of plant stem cell niches - "Plant growth and development strongly depends on the activities of meristems, the plant stem cell niches, which can generate flowers, leaves or new branches. The number, size, position and identity of meristems ultimately determines a plant productivity, i.e. how many seeds a plant can generate or the size of its fruits. The last decades have allowed immense progress in our understanding of basic meristem activities, mostly with lab model plants such as Arabidopsis. Grasses like barley are important crop plants, and we are now starting to employ our knowledge on Arabidopsis stem cell systems to investigate and engineer barley architecture. In addition to this applied aspect, we found that technological innovations such as single cell RNA sequencing and gene editing, together with vast genome datasets allow us now to work with „difficult“ crop plants in a similar manner as we are used from the Arabidopsis model.”
10:00 h | Anfiteatro DB
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30 de Abril
» Winfred Espejo - "From Penguins to the Health of the Planet: An Interdisciplinary View of Biogeochemistry"
Universidad de Concepción (Chile)
12:00 h | IB-S Auditorium
The theme "From Penguins to the Health of the Planet: An Interdisciplinary View of Biogeochemistry" highlights the broad scope of biogeochemistry, an interdisciplinary field that explores the complex interactions between the Earth's biological, geological and chemical processes. Using penguins as a flagship species, this theme highlights how biogeochemical cycles, persistent pollutants influence living organisms, and chemical distribution in the environment. It ranges from the impact of these interactions on specific ecosystems to the global implications on the health of the planet. By integrating principles from diverse disciplines, biogeochemistry offers a holistic perspective for understanding and addressing environmental challenges, promoting sustainable practices and preserving the delicate balance of terrestrial ecosystems.
Short bio
O Professor Winfred Eliezer Espejo Contreras, médico veterinário formado pela Universidade de Concepción, no Chile, é reconhecido pela sua investigação sobre os impactos dos poluentes orgânicos persistentes e inorgânicos (elementos-traço) na fauna selvagem. O seu trabalho centra-se especialmente na saúde dos pinguins de Humboldt, que vivem no litoral chileno, bem como nos pinguins do género Pygoscelis, que residem na península Antártica. Esta abordagem reflete a importância da preservação destas espécies e dos seus habitats, que são dos mais sensíveis e indicativos dos desequilíbrios ambientais causados pela atividade humana. O Professor Winfred é membro ativo da Sociedade de Toxicologia e Química Ambiental (SETAC) e da Sociedade de Toxicologia do Chile, contribuindo significativamente para o avanço da ciência ecotoxicológica a nível global.
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26 de março
» Irene Coin- Genetically encoded chemical tools for studying protein interactions in living cells" (Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzing University, Alemanha)
» Summary: "Modern methods for expansion of the genetic code have made it possible to incorporate artificial moieties into proteins as they are synthesized by the ribosomal machinery directly in the living cell, without the need of any chemical step. We apply genetically encoded non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) to address general questions about functioning of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the natural environment of the live mammalian cell. On one hand, we use photo-and chemical crosslinking amino acids [1] to define the topology of GPCR interactions both with ligands (especially peptide ligands) [2] and intracellular partners [3]. On the other hand, we have engineered enhanced tRNAs that have enabled efficient incorporation of last generation ncAAs for bioorthogonal chemistry into challenging protein targets [4]. In this way, we could achieve quantitative single-residue labeling of sensitive GPCR regions, such as the loops, with small organic fluorescent probes [5] and put the basis for the development of small-size fluorescent sensors for in-cell studies of GPCR dynamics.”
12:00 h |ZOOM
Link: https://videoconfcolibri.zoom.us/j/98190054437?pwd=aFZqbktGYXVNVWJyc04yeUVHeENrQT09
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04 de março
» Andreas Thum- "From structure to function: what we can learn from the connectome of the Drosophila larva" (Departmant of Genetics, Leipzing University, Alemanha)
» Summary: "The Drosophila larva is a relatively simple, 10 000-neuron study case for learning and memory with enticing analytical power, combining genetic tractability, the availability of robust behavioral assays, the opportunity for single-cell transgenic manipulation, and an emerging synaptic connectome of its complete central nervous system. Indeed, although the insect mushroom body is a much-studied memory network, the connectome revealed that more than half of the classes of connection within the mushroom body had escaped attention. Further, it was found that activating individual dopaminergic mushroom body input neurons can have a rewarding or a punishing effect on olfactory stimuli associated with it, depending on the relative timing of this activation, and that larvae form molecularly dissociable short-term, long-term, and amnesia-resistant memories. Together, the larval mushroom body is a suitable study case to achieve a nuanced account of molecular function in a behaviorally meaningful memory network.”
Prof. Andreas Thum did his PhD at the University of Würzburg in the Department of Genetics and Neurobiology of Martin Heisenberg, where he studied the basis of learning and memory in adult Drosophila. In 2006 he moved to Fribourg (Switzerland) to the lab of Reini Stocker to analyze learning and memory in the fly larva. In 2011 he was awarded with an Emmy-Noether group, which allowed him to establish his own lab at the University of Konstanz. Since 2017, he has been a professor at the University of Leipzig, head of the Department of Genetics and, more recently, director of the Institute of Biology. His research group utilizes the Drosophila larva to identify the neuronal, molecular and behavioral basis of learning and memory.
12:00 h |ZOOM
Link: https://bit.ly/DBIOseminars
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20 de fevereiro
» Rüdiger Simon- "Regulation of plant stem cell niches" (Heinrich-Heine University, Alemanha)
» Summary: Plant growth and development strongly depends on the activities of meristems, the plant stem cell niches, which can generate flowers, leaves or new branches. The number, size, position and identity of meristems ultimately determines a plant productivity, i.e. how many seeds a plant can generate or the size of its fruits. The last decades have allowed immense progress in our understanding of basic meristem activities, mostly with lab model plants such as Arabidopsis. Grasses like barley are important crop plants, and we are now starting to employ our knowledge on Arabidopsis stem cell systems to investigate and engineer barley architecture. In addition to this applied aspect, we found that technological innovations such as single cell RNA sequencing and gene editing, together with vast genome datasets allow us now to work with “difficult“ crop plants in a similar manner as we are used from the Arabidopsis model.“
12:00 h |Online
Link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/98190054437?pwd=aFZqbktGYXVNVWJyc04yeUVHeENrQT09
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06 de fevereiro
» Sonia Albillos Arenal- "Understanding recombinations between HXT6 and HXT7 in Saccharomyces wine strains and its influence on sugar transport" (Universidad of Valencia, Espanha)
12:00 h | Anfiteatro do Dep. Biologia
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18 de janeiro
» Ana Hortelão - "Enzime-Driven Nanobots: a journey from achieving nanoscale motion to in vivo translation in cancer therapeutics"
12:00 h | Aiditorium (5th floor) IB-S
