MOSTMICRO-ITQB Exploratory Projects 2026
A Call is open for exploratory projects in the core areas of the Unit with the goal of obtaining preliminary results to support subsequent funding applications. Projects should develop novel research ideas, which have not yet secured funding, contributing to the understanding of biological processes at the molecular, structural, cellular, or population levels, with a focus on microbes important for human health, biotechnology, and the environment.
A total of five projects will be funded with 20 000€ for one year.
Project Start Date
Projects are expected to start in 2026.
Application
Applicants should complete the Application Form and submit it by email, in PDF format, to:
soraia.chocho@itqb.unl.pt
Application Deadline
Applications start by May 11, 2026 and must be submitted until June 8, 2026.
Evaluation
Evaluation guidelines are available [here].
Additional Information
For further details, please check the Regulations.
MOSTMICRO-ITQB Exploratory Projects 2023
The exploratory projects in the core areas of the MOSTMICRO-ITQB unit aim to get preliminary results to support subsequent funding applications and develop novel research ideas to understand biological processes at the molecular, structural, cellular or population levels, with a focus on microbes important for human health, biotechnology, and the environment. Collaborations with other ITQB NOVA laboratories are allowed. 25000€/project for one year.The five following projects, out of 20, have been selected within this call:
1. Description of the bacteriome of the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, Cristina Silva Pereira’s Lab
2. How is mycobacterial cell division rapidly arrested to evade innate immunity? Probing divisome interactions in isolation and in vivo, Zach Hansel’s lab
3. Unravelling ecological interactions leading to antimicrobial tolerance in polybacterial communities of the human gut microbiota, Sarela Garcia Santamarina’s Lab
4. Stressing Out: Promoting Antifungal Activity by Fostering Reductive Stress with Metal Complexes, Ana Petronilho’s Lab
5. How the Nucleocapsid protein hijacks the TGFβ pathway to enforce COVID-19 pathogenicity? – a structural perspective, Tiago N. Cordeiro’s lab
Important documents: