Cell Bioprocesses Laboratory
Animal Cell Technology Unit
Our research is centered on the development of bioprocesses for complex biopharmaceuticals namely vaccines, recombinant proteins and viral vectors for gene therapy. Current efforts include also the development of tools and methodologies for cell therapy applications and pre-clinical research (novel 3D in vitro models for toxicology and disease models) namely the use of Stem Cells (hESC, Adult Stem Cells and iPS) and primary cultures of human hepatocytes, cancer and brain cells.
Head of Laboratory
Paula M. Alves | Research InterestsGroup MembersSelected Publications(PT) Cell Bioprocesses Laboratory |
Phone (+351) 214469362 |
Research Interests
As befits a technological area, the Cell Bioprocess Laboratory is integrated in the Animal Cell Technology Unit
where a number of knowledge competences have to be appropriately balanced: (i) the more “analytical” sciences of molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology of cells, viruses or tissues (ii) the more “synthetic” physico-mathematical tools required for process integration and optimization, keys for understanding complex phenomena like viral infection kinetics and to describe multi-protein particles assembly, disassembly and reassembly phenomena.
In the Cell Bioprocesses laboratory, research and development for complex biopharmaceuticals namely for the production, purification and storage of vaccines (e.g. virus like particles-VLP’s and marker vaccines), recombinant proteins (e.g. MAbs) and viral vectors (adenovirus, retrovirus, lentivirus and baculovirus). In particular we aim at understanding cell physiology and metabolism to improve the efficiency of bioprocesses.
We are also interested in the development of methodologies for pre-clinical research and cell therapy applications, namely in 3-D cell models, bioreactor technology and novel cell cryopreservation strategies. These approaches are used for primary cultures of brain cells (rat and mice), hepatocytes (human) and more recently, stem cells (human and rat, adult and embryonic) and patient derived cancer cells. All projects are hold in collaboration either with internal or international research laboratories and companies.
Group Members
- Catarina Brito, PhD, Assistant Researcher, Head 3D Models/Tox
- Margarida Serra, PhD, Assistant Researcher, Head Stem Cells Bioprocess/Clinical
- Gonçalo Real, PhD, Assistant Researcher, Coordinator of Research Contracts
- Marco Patrone, PhD, Pos-Doc
- Patricia Alves, PhD, Pos-Doc
- Carina Silva, PhD student
- Claudia Queiroga, PhD student (co-supervision with Helena Vieira)
- Fabiana Fernandes PhD student MIT-Portugal (co-supervisors Ana Teixeira and Kristala Pather, MIT, USA)
- Francisca Monteiro, PhD Student (co-supervisor Vicente Bernal, Murcia Univ)
- Paulo Fernandes PhD Student (co-supervisor Ana Coroadinha)
- Sofia Rebelo, PhD Student
- Daniel Simão, PhD Student (co-supervisor Catarina Brito)
- Claudia Correia, PhD Student (co-supervisor Margarida Serra)
- Tiago Duarte, PhD Student (co-supervision with Ana Teixeira)
- Barbara Cunha, PhD Student (co-supervisor Margarida Serra)
- Mafalda Dias, PhD Student (co-supervision with Ana Teixeira)
- Ana Terrasso, Master Student (co-supervised by Catarina Brito)
- Ana Pinto Master Student (co-supervised by Catarina Brito)
- Nuno Espinha Master Student (co-supervised by Margarida Serra)
- Marta Estrada, MSc, Young Research Fellow
- Marta Silva, MSc, Young Research Fellow
- Marcos Sousa MSc, Eng. Bioreaction
- Carina Brilha, Technician, Lab Manager
- External group: Helena L. A. Vieira Post-Doc (PI at CEDOC)
- João Sá, MSc, Young Research Fellow
- Raquel Cunha, MSc, Young Research Fellow
- Rita Costa, MSc, Young Research Fellow
Selected Publications
- TOSTÕES RM, LEITE SB, SERRA, M, JENSEN J, BJORQUIST, P, CARRONDO MJT, BRITO C, ALVES PM* (2012) “Human liver cell spheroids in extended perfusion bioreactor culture for repeated dose drug testing”, Hepatology, 55(4):1227-1236. JOURNAL COVER
- SERRA M, BRITO C, CORREIA C, ALVES PM* (2012) “Process engineering human pluripotent stem cells for clinical applications”, Trends in Biotechnology, 30(6):350-9. Citations: 1 (recent published April 2012)
- CARINHAS N, BERNAL V, MONTEIRO F, CARRONDO MJT, OLIVEIRA R, ALVES PM* (2010) “Improving baculovirus production at high cell density through manipulation of energy metabolism”, Metabolic Engineering, 12:39‐52.
ACT Unit Website
For further information please visit the ACT webpage
Cell Bioprocesses Laboratory (PT)
O Laboratório de Bioprocessos está integrado na Unidade de Tecnologia de Células Animais (TCA) onde se desenvolvem trabalhos de investigação para descoberta e implementação de processos de produção de biofármacos complexos, nomeadamente vacinas, vectores virais para terapia génica, produção de células animais para aplicação em terapias clínicas, em particular células estaminais para medicina regenerativa e o desenvolvimento de modelos in vitro para ensaios pré-clínicos.
Os projectos desenvolvidos no laboratório de bioprocessos enquadram-se em três temas principais: i) Integração de produção e purificação, em particular estamos interessados em aprofundar conhecimento sobre o metabolismo e fisiologia celular para melhorar a eficiência de bioprocessos; ii) estudos de cinéticas de infecção para desenvolvimento de produtos multiproteicos, ex. de VLP’s (partículas semelhantes a vírus) utilizadas em vacinação e terapia génica iii) modelos in vitro baseados em culturas 3D, tecnologia de biorreactores e novas estratégias para criopreservação.
