Research at CEB

CEB is part of the Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, a R&D unit ("Laboratório Associado") aiming to be a strategic infrastructure for the development of the Portuguese R&D and innovation policies in the areas of Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Life, and Biomedical and Agricultural Sciences.

CEB is a research centre that combines fundamental science - Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology – with Engineering Sciences – viz. Transport Phenomena, Reaction Engineering – to obtain value-added products or processes in the Food, Chemical, Biotech, and Environmental Industries.

CEB acquired external recognition of its research activities and deploys regularly a number of actions concerning the dissemination of knowledge. Due to its high scientific production (see list), CEB-UM stands amongst the research units with the highest number of citations per paper in the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering area (see list), with several papers amongst the "Hottest and Most Read Articles" (see list). This is why CEB-UM researchers are invited to take part in several Editorial Boards of journals (see list), several technical committees (see list), numerous Scientific Committees of International Conferences (see list) and to be reviewers of a high number of scientific articles every year (see list).

Research is allocated to 2 interdisciplinary thrust areas that cover the molecular, cellular and process scales, viz. Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and Biological Sciences and Applied Microbiology.

The core research, educational and training activities of CEB are being addressed through four thematic areas indicated below. In each thematic area the relevant current projects are included:

Environmental Biotechnology and Chemistry:

Helicobacter pylori survival in drinking water systems; Surveillance and control of microbiological stability in drinking water networks; Low cost biofilm wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), Biodegradation of azo dyes; Microfauna analysis for diagnosis of WWTP; Ecocytotoxicity studies using protozoa; Technology of anaerobic processes; Biodegradation of Lipids/LCFA; Granular sludge production and stability; Anaerobic digestion of slurries and solid wastes; Supervision, monitoring, and and control of WWTP - image analysis characterization, chemometrics and KBES; VOC biological removal; Process integration and design for pollution prevention; Optimization of filter media composition for drinking water systems; Biodegradation of aromatic compounds, Zeolite-supported biosorbents, Heavy metals recycling, Environmental catalysis, Biorecovery of contaminated soils. 

Health Biotechnology:

Physiology of Staphylococci attached to indwelling devices, Virulence aspects of adhered Candida spp., Removal of infectious biofilms with bacteriophages, Adhesion of Candida albicans to prosthetic devices surfaces and epithelial cells, Biofouling in contact lenses,  Bioactive mycological products, Carbohydrate Binding Modules (CBMs) for biomedical applications, Diffusion mechanisms in cell-tissues, Biodegradability of implants, Development of genetic probes for the rapid detection of pathogens, Cytotoxicity of medical textiles and metallic prosthesis, health benefits of whey bioactive components, biosurfactants for clinical applications.   

Agro-Food Biotechnology:

Development of ingredients for functional food, Cleaning and disinfection in dairy industries, Process development for the production of food flavour by biotransformation of lipids using yeasts, Bacteriophages as alternatives to antibiotics in animal production, Edible films for food application, Moderate electric fields (including ohmic heating) application, Novel food hydrocolloids, Advanced processes for beer production, Food wastes recovery – cheese whey and egg by products – for functional ingredients production, Filtration of beverages, Toxic compounds in foods, Wine flavours. 

 

Industrial Biotechnology:

Systems biology as a driver for industrial biotechnology (software workbench for in silico simulation of metabolic networks); Novel processes for bio-ethanol fermentation, Recovery and biotransformation of cellulosic wastes, Biodiesel from algae, Industrial enzymes (b-galactosidase, tannases; fucoidannases, biosurfactants production, Paper recycling and cotton biopolishing, Porous media for bio-separations; oscillating meso tube reactor as an improved mass transfer system for process intensification, the development of a monofibre optical probe for local measurements of the gas phase characteristics; the development of an enhanced lipase production system by Y. lipolytica.