UCIBIO actions and efforts to COVID-19 pandemic

Publication date

Jan 07, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic, due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been responsible for the disruption of universities and research institutes across the world. However, these institutions were the ones that immediately reorganized their resources and expertise to help. UCIBIO researchers have been very active and and promptly volunteered and mobilized efforts to fight COVID-19 in different ways.

SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS

1. Project "Research 4 COVID-19" - GLYCOVID-19 | 22 Apr 2020 - Read more here

Paula Videira, leader of the Glycoimmunology Lab at UCIBIO - FCT NOVA, has been awarded €30K for the research project “GLYCOVID-19 Testing existing glycan-based drugs to neutralize SARS-CoV- 2”, in the scope of the “Research 4 COVID-19” funding call launched by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). In this project researchers will test glycan nutraceuticals, humanized anti-glycan antibodies and convalescent plasma, already developed by the team, for their potential to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 entry during infection. The tests will take less than 3 months to implement, and effective compounds may be easily suggested for clinical trials by the National Health Service.

2. Project "Research 4 COVID-19" - QuiCoviDe | 1 Jul 2020 - Read more here

UCIBIO has been awarded €40K for the research project “Quick COVID-19 Detection (QuiCoviDe)”, in the 2nd Edition of "Research 4 COVID-19” funding call launched by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). Gabriela Almeida, collaborator of UCIBIO and coordinator of the project, and Alexandra Fernandes, leader of the Human Genetics and Cancer Therapeutics Lab at UCIBIO-NOVA, aim at developing a simple, quick and cost-effective test for direct detection of the new corona virus SARS-CoV-2,the QuiCoviDe, with no need of cumbersome viral RNA preparation.

3. Research project for COVID-19 - Eco2Covid | 27 Aug 2020 - Read more here

Maria Reis, leader of the Biochemical Engineering Lab at UCIBIO-NOVA, integrates a consortium that has been awarded €483K, for 6 months, to develop a project aiming to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. The project “Eco2Covid - Desenvolvimento de plataformas de deteção e monitorização em águas do Coronavírus” by ANI - National Innovation Agency and the consortium includes CENIMAT-NOVA, Tejo Atlântico, University of Coimbra, and INOVA+. The project aims “to create an innovative platform based on nanotechnology for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in wastewater, boosting the existing knowledge of the various partners of the consortium in the field of wastewater pretreatment and the development of biosensors”, explains Maria Reis, coordinator of the research activities of this project at UCIBIO and principal investigator of various European Research Projects in industrial and environmental biotechnology.

imh

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Garcia, KR; Rodrigues, L; Pereira, L; Busse, G; Irbe, M; Almada, M; Christensen, C; Midao, L; Dias, I; Heery, D; Hardy, R; Quarta, B; Poulain, MM; Bertram, M; Karnikowski, M; Costa, E. Improving the digital skills of older adults in a COVID-19 pandemic environment, Educ. Gerontol., 47(5), 196-206, May 2021

DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2021.1905216

Barreira, DF; Lourenço, RA; Calisto, R; Moreira-Gonçalves, D; Santos, LL; Videira, PA. Assessment of the Safety and Therapeutic Benefits of Convalescent Plasma in COVID-19 Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Front. Med., 06 April 2021

DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.660688

Lapaillerie, D; Charlier, C; Fernandes, HS; Sousa, SF; Lesbats, P; Weigel, P; Favereaux, A; Guyonnet-Duperat, V; Parissi, V. In Silico, In Vitro and In Cellulo Models for Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 Spike/Human ACE2 Complex, Viral Entry and Cell Fusion, Viruses-Basel, 13(3), March 2021

DOI: 10.3390/v13030365

Sousa, H; Frontini, R; Ribeiro, O; Paul, C; Costa, E; Amado, L; Miranda, V; Ribeiro, F; Figueiredo, D. Caring for patients with end-stage renal disease during COVID-19 lockdown: What (additional) challenges to family caregivers?, Scand. J. Caring Sci., March 2021

DOI: 10.1111/scs.12980

Moreira, VM; Mascarenhas, P; Machado, V; Botelho, J; Mendes, JJ; Taveira, N; Almeida, MG. In Silico, Diagnosis of SARS-Cov-2 Infection by RT-PCR Using Specimens Other Than Naso- and Oropharyngeal Swabs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Diagnostics, 11(2), February 2021

DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11020363

Sousa, H; Ribeiro, O; Costa, E; Frontini, R; Paul, C; Amado, L; Miranda, V; Ribeiro, F; Figueiredo, D. Being on hemodialysis during the COVID-19 outbreak: A mixed-methods' study exploring the impacts on dialysis adequacy, analytical data, and patients' experiences, Semin. Dial., 34(1), 66-76, January 2021

DOI: 10.1111/sdi.12914

Gaudencio, SP; Pereira, F. A Computer-Aided Drug Design Approach to Predict Marine Drug-Like Leads for SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibition, Mar. Drugs, 18(12), 66-76, December 2020

DOI: 10.3390/md18120633

Lenza, MP; Oyenarte, I; Diercks, T; Quintana, JI; Gimeno, A; Coelho, H; Diniz, A; Peccati, F; Delgado, S; Bosch, A; Valle, M; Millet, O; Abrescia, NGA; Palazn, A; Marcelo, F; Jimnez-Oss, G; Jimnez-Barbero, J; Ard, A; Ereo-Orbea, J. Structural Characterization of N-Linked Glycans in the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and their Interactions with Human Lectins, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit., 59(52), 23763-23771, December 2020

DOI: 10.1002/anie.202011015

Calina, D; Hartung, T; Docea, AO; Spandidos, DA; Egorov, AM; Shtilman, MI; Carvalho, F; Tsatsakis, A. COVID-19 vaccines: ethical framework concerning human challenge studies, DARU, 28(2), 807-812, December 2020

DOI: 10.1007/s40199-020-00371-8

Calina, D; Docea, AO; Petrakis, D; Egorov, AM; Ishmukhametov, AA; Gabibov, AG; Shtilman, MI; Kostoff, R; Carvalho, F; Vinceti, M; Spandidos, DA; Tsatsakis, A. Towards effective COVID-19 vaccines: Updates, perspectives and challenges (Review), Int. J. Mol. Med., 46(1), 3-16, July 2020

DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4596

ACTIONS

SARS-CoV-2 tests | 27 Apr 2020 - Read more here

UCIBIO researchers implemented CoVID-19 diagnostic tests at the UCIBIO research labs in FCT NOVA, being currently involved in the National roadmap. A team of 26 UCIBIO researchers started performing diagnostic tests for the molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 in samples from care homes in southern Portugal. Alexandra Fernandes, leader of the Human Genetics and Cancer Therapeutics Lab at UCIBIO - FCT NOVA, is coordinating this action at UCIBIO that involves UCIBIO researchers from the Life Sciences and Chemistry Departments at FCT NOVA. Tests are certified by the National Health Institute Dr. Ricardo Jorge and UCIBIO researchers are highly trained and qualified to perform the tests.

testes

Production of hand sanitiser gel | 30 Mar 2020

UCIBIO researchers produced 300 litres of hand sanitiser gel that was delivered to hospitals in the Lisbon region. Eurico Cabrita, leader of the (Bio)molecular Structure and Interactions by NMR Lab, Aldino Viegas and Micael Silva, researchers in the same lab, produced the gel with the reagents provided by various research labs. This action was coordinated by Maria João Romão, UCIBIO director, and Eurico Cabrita.

gel

Production of transport media of biological samples of SARS-CoV-2 | 3 Apr 2020

UCIBIO researchers from the BacT_Drugs Lab, the Biochemistry Lab and the Toxicology Lab at Faculdade de Farmácia of University of Porto have been involved in the preparation of the transport media of biological samples to be collected for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals.

Production of swabs to collect samples for COVID-19 testing | Apr 2020

UCIBIO researchers from XTAL - Macromolecular Crystallography Lab and Biochemical Engineering Lab have been involved in the hand made production of Dacron swabs, the best type of swabs to test for Covid-19. This action was coordinated by Maria João Romão, UCIBIO director, and developed in collaboration with researchers from UNIDEMI at FCT NOVA. We had the support of Electro Portugal with the donation of aluminum wire, Miguel Gama with the donation of 3 meters of dacron and Leroy Merlin with the donation of heat guns.