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On June 5th, during the 2023 National Agriculture Fair (Santarém), the closing and results presentation session of the NETA project (New Strategies in Wastewater Treatment) took place. The event featured the participation of researchers Rita Silva (CESAM/DBIO) and Diogo Cardoso (CESAM/DBIO).

The project was led by the company Ingredient Odyssey S.A., in partnership with the University of Aveiro (through CESAM), Agrotejo, the National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, the Polytechnic Institute of Beja, the Superior Technical Institute, and the Lusófona University. It was supported by ANI (National Innovation Agency) through co-promotion projects and co-financed by COMPETE2020, Lisboa2020, PORTUGAL2020, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The NETA project brought together these seven institutions with a common goal: transforming an environmental threat, wastewater and effluents, into a source of nutrients and water resources that can be used for irrigation, fertilizers, and even new bioindustrial solutions. The aim was to turn national scientific knowledge into both business and environmental added value.

Throughout the project, the Chemical Precipitation Technique was applied in wastewater treatment, reusing the treated water for agricultural purposes in processes ranging from irrigation to aquaponics. The sludge generated in this process was treated by insects, particularly black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens), transforming them into stable, odorless fertilizers ready for use in agricultural fields.

These insect larvae were also used in a biorefinery process, such as oil extraction for biofuels, cosmetics, and other chemical uses, and chitin was used to transform into chitosan, subsequently used in the creation of biodegradable bioplastics.

In a multidisciplinary framework, CESAM researchers, under the coordination of Susana Loureiro (CESAM/DBIO), were responsible for the ecotoxicological characterization of waters treated by the chemical precipitation technique (CPT), using different freshwater species such as the microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata, the microcrustacean Daphnia magna, and the zebrafish Danio rerio. They were also responsible for assessing the quality and health of soils after the application of residual sludge, analyzing the effects on the survival and reproduction of model species in ecotoxicology: the springtail Folsomia candida, the oligochaete Enchytraeus crypticus, and the dicotyledonous plant Brassica oleracea.

For more information about the NETA project, you can refer to this link.

On June 5th, 2023, World Environment Day was celebrated, in a year that also marks the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the organization responsible for the annual celebration of this date. The establishment of this organization in 1973 came a year after the first global conference on the environment, the ‘United Nations Conference on the Human Environment’. Bringing together 122 countries, this conference marked the first time that the environment became a truly global issue.

Over the years, the celebration of this date has brought together civil society organizations, academia, industry, and political power, becoming one of the largest global platforms for environmental awareness. In 2023, the celebration of this day focused on the theme of plastic pollution, under the slogan “Combat Plastic Pollution,” with the host countries being the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and the Netherlands.

The Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) at the University of Aveiro (UA) participated in this celebration with a public event that included the opening of a photographic exhibition and a series of speakers who addressed the building of partnerships for a sustainable future. This event took place between 10:30 and 13:00 at the University of Aveiro’s Rectorate Building.

At 11:00, the photographic exhibition “Bichos de cá, Bichos de lá” (“Critters from Here, Critters from There”) was inaugurated, with interventions from Paulo Jorge Ferreira, Rector of the University of Aveiro, José Luis Cordeiro, Researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Brazil), and Amadeu Soares, Scientific Coordinator of CESAM.

The photographic exhibition “Bichos de cá, Bichos de lá” is the result of a partnership between CESAM-UA (Portugal), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz, Brazil), and Osuwela Association (Mozambique), and is available for all interested parties until June 30th, 2023, in the atrium of the University of Aveiro’s Rectorate Building.

This exhibition consists of a presentation with 41 panels that address concepts, behaviors, and conservation aspects with examples of fauna species from Portugal, Brazil, and Mozambique. Visitors can observe how nature unites these three countries and speaks a common language through similarities in the functions performed by different species in these countries.

Partnerships for a Sustainable Future

As the UNEP states, “The rapid growth of plastic pollution levels represents a serious global threat, negatively impacting the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development. If the current trend continues, the amount of plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems could nearly triple: from 9 to 14 million tons per year in 2016 to between 27 to 37 million tons per year in 2040.”

In this context, the commemorative session, under the theme “Partnerships for a Sustainable Future,” also included a lecture directly related to the issue of plastic pollution and presented a set of guests who discussed possible strategic partnerships, current and future opportunities, as well as mechanisms to establish and/or strengthen them (e.g., European Union missions).

Speakers included Jorge Ferrão, Rector of the Pedagogical University of Maputo, Mozambique; Maria de Jesus Fernandes, President of the Order of Biologists; Márcia Chame, Researcher, Biodiversity and Wild Health Institutional Platform, Presidency of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil; Teresa Rocha Santos, Researcher, CESAM/DQ, University of Aveiro; Teresa Pinto Correia, “Soil Missions” of the EU, Full Professor, MED-CHANGE, University of Évora; Helena Vieira, “Ocean and Water Missions” of the EU, researcher CESAM/DAO, University of Aveiro; Mariana Alves, Co-director of the program “Letters with Science” and researcher CIDTFF, University of Aveiro.

For more information about the event program, you can consult here, and you can find some of its most significant moments (recorded on social media) here: Twitter 1 / Twitter 2 / Twitter 3.

You can also read an interview with two CESAM researchers whose work is related to the theme of plastic pollution here.

The awards ceremony for the 2023 VISÃO+ADP Green Awards took place on June 5th at the Águas de Alcântara Water Factory in Lisbon. José Alves, a researcher from the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and the Department of Biology at the University of Aveiro, received an honorable mention in the Research category. The first place in this category was awarded to researcher Miguel Araújo from CSIC at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid) and Full Professor at the University of Évora, who also received the Pessoa Prize in 2018.

The ceremony was attended by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Pires, and Professor Tiago Domingos (FCUL), who addressed the theme of reconciling climate commitments with economic growth in his speech.

These awards are an initiative of VISÃO, in partnership with the Águas de Portugal Group, and under the high patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic. They aim to recognize, promote, and reward good practices and examples of excellence that stand out for their contribution to the environment and sustainable development in the context of the current climate emergency.

The winners were selected by an independent jury, chaired by Filipe Duarte Santos, the current president of the National Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CNADS). In the evaluation process of the candidates, criteria such as the quality and originality of the project, its impact on society, and its potential for replication were assessed.

The work of José Alves, representing the EcoFlyway team, was awarded one of the 15 honorable mentions and 8 prizes awarded in 10 categories out of over 170 applications received. With articles published in some of the most reputable scientific journals, José Alves has particularly stood out in studies on migratory birds, focusing on the threats they face due to the effects of climate change and habitat destruction.

For more information about these awards and the application process, you can refer to this link.

The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest for short-term internships at the University of Texas at Austin, promoted by the UT Austin Portugal Program, has been extended to June 15th. These internships have a duration of two to three months, between September and December 2023, and are dedicated to Research and Development (R&D) activities in the areas of Advanced Computing, Nanotechnologies, Space-Earth Interactions, or Medical Physics.

This opportunity is open to individuals who:

• Hold Portuguese citizenship or have permanent residency in Portugal;
• Have a Master’s or PhD degree, or are enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program in Portugal;
• Are affiliated with an institution, university, or company established in Portugal that conducts R&D activities;
• Are motivated to carry out their work under the supervision of experts from one of the leading public universities in the United States.

All information about the application process and required documents is available here.

Between June 3 and 11, 2023, the InsectERA mobilizing agenda was present at the National Agriculture Fair (FNA23), held in Santarém. The University of Aveiro, a member of the InsectERA consortium, was represented by Susana Loureiro and Diogo Cardoso (CESAM/DBIO), Paula Quinteiro (CESAM/DAO), Marta Ferreira Dias (GOVCOPP/DEGEIT), and Ana Paula Tavares and Augusto Pedro (CICECO/DQ) (from left to right in the photograph).

Daniel Murta, General Director of Entogreen and Leader of the InsectERA Mobilizing Agenda, emphasized in the regional newspaper O Mirante the importance of the presence at FNA23, which “is the central national event for areas ranging from animal and human nutrition to the bioindustrial production of fertilizers and other agro-industrial products.” In turn, researcher Susana Loureiro (CESAM/DBIO), the contact point for the InsectERA Agenda at the University of Aveiro, also pointed out that: “The UA teams present at FNA introduced the work programs for the InFood, InFrass, and One Health Axes on June 7, 9, and 11. In these axes, we will address the development of new techniques for insect processing for the extraction of proteins and oils using alternative biocompatible solvents, the components of fertilizer safety and their effectiveness in various agricultural and forestry crops, as well as the Life Cycle and Sustainability of the products that will come out of this agenda. In addition, on June 7, we participated in the General Assembly of the InsectERA Agenda, giving a new impetus to the work.”

The mobilizing agendas for Business Innovation, framed within the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), were created with the aim of consolidating and expanding synergies between the business sector and the scientific and technological system in Portugal. Contributing to increasing the competitiveness and resilience of the Portuguese economy based on R&D, innovation, and the diversification and specialization of the productive structure.

In this context, the InsectERA Mobilizing Agenda was created to bring together different players from the entire value chain who intend to explore the potential of insects as a bioindustrial tool and bioindustrial solutions. Daniel Murta also emphasized in the regional newspaper O Mirante that they have the ambition to “make Portugal the world leader in a new bioindustrial sector.” Since this Agenda seeks to bring alternative food/nutritional solutions to respond to new sector needs, such as the increase in the world population, climate change, and food waste. Thus contributing to the green transition towards environmental sustainability, based on a circular economy.

Among the plans of this Mobilizing Agenda is the creation of three new factories for the production of insect-derived products, the creation of a chitosan production factory, and a logistics center, where 150 new jobs are expected to be generated. Investments are also planned, including construction or adaptation works, the acquisition of productive, processing, and biodigestion equipment, quality control laboratory equipment, packaging, and the installation of solar panels. With this investment program, it is expected to achieve the industrialization of at least 100 new products, processes, and services based on insects for the market.

Defined based on identified market needs, the InsectERA Agenda is structured into three transversal axes (InFrass; One Health; In2Market) and four major vertical axes:

• InFood – with a minimum target of 15 new product lines for human nutrition based on insects;
• InFeed – with a minimum goal of creating 8 new product lines (feeds) for animal nutrition;
• InIndustry – which aims at the development and industrialization of four new raw materials (chitosan, proteins, insect oil, lauric acid, and natural insect extracts);
• InBiorremediation – which aims at investing in R&D and creating a bioremediation research center.

The InsectERA consortium involves 42 partners, three of which are insect producers in Portugal (EntoGreen, Thunderfoods, and The Cricket Farm Company). The University of Aveiro participates in the consortium with three research teams from three different research units: the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM); the Institute of Materials of Aveiro (CICECO); and the Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policy Research Unit (GOVCOPP). The contact point at the University of Aveiro, as mentioned above, is researcher Susana Loureiro (CESAM/DBIO), with an investment of €1,660,414.03 by the Aveiro Academy.

To learn more about this Mobilizing Agenda, consult here.

Text by: CESAM in collaboration with Susana Loureiro (CESAM/DBIO)

Last Thursday, June 15th, the EuroMarine network, of which the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) is a part, held an online information session aimed at researchers in marine sciences at different stages of their careers. The event aimed to present the network’s initiatives, highlight career opportunities, address funding issues, and stimulate networking among participants.

During the session, participants had the opportunity to become acquainted with the activities and projects developed by the EuroMarine network, as well as to learn about opportunities available in the field of marine sciences.

For those who did not attend the event live but are interested in learning more about the content of this session, the following resources provided by EuroMarine are available:

Complete recording of the session here.

The pharmaceutical group ZENDAL will hold the IV edition of the International Zendal Awards 2023 this year. This award aims to recognize excellence in research and innovation in the field of biotechnology, rewarding the best projects in human and animal health.

In this year’s edition, the winner of the human health category will receive a prize of €40,000, while the winner of the animal health category will receive €25,000. These awards represent recognition of the impact of the winning projects in the field of biotechnology and the advancement of human and animal health.

The application process is open until October 3, 2023.

Interested parties can access the brochure of the 4th edition of the International Zendal Awards 2023 here.

For more information about the Zendal Awards, click here.

FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) has announced the postponement of the opening of the R&D Projects Competition in all scientific fields for the year 2023 to the period from November 1st to 30th.

FCT aims to increase the budget available for the R&D Projects Competition in all scientific fields for 2023. They are working to establish synergies with the PT2030 program in order to allocate a higher amount for the funding of this program.

For more information, please refer to the link provided.

On Tuesday, June 20th, José Pedro Granadeiro (FCUL/CESAM) participated in the program “90 Seconds of Science” on Antena 1 to discuss his research on ecology of oceanic seabirds.

José Pedro Granadeiro explains that these birds undertake long journeys in marine areas far from the coast, and through his research, it’s possible to gather more information about deep-sea ecology.

To collect data for his investigations, José Pedro Granadeiro’s team attaches small GPS devices to the feathers of the birds, which enables them to monitor and map not only the distances they travel but also the locations where they congregate. In these areas, they can find not only oceanic birds but also other species like tunas, sharks, and marine mammals. This way, the team can identify important areas for marine biodiversity conservation.

You can listen to José Pedro Granadeiro’s participation in “90 Seconds of Science” here.

Last Tuesday (June 27th), the General Council of the University of Aveiro visited CESAM. The visit consisted of a traditional meeting between the members of the General Council and the Scientific Coordinator of CESAM, where an overview of CESAM’s activities was presented, and the council members had the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarifications.

After the meeting, the General Council members had the chance to visit the laboratories on the third floor of building 3 at CESAM. They were received by the heads of each laboratory. This was followed by a visit to ECOMARE (Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources of the University of Aveiro) located in the port of Aveiro, Gafanha da Nazaré. At ECOMARE, the General Council was received by researchers Ricardo Calado and Catarina Eira (CESAM/DBIO), who are responsible for the Center for Aquaculture and Marine Research (CEPAM) and the Center for Marine Animal Research and Rehabilitation (CPRAM), respectively.

According to Professor Amadeu Soares, this visit was very useful for everyone involved. It provided an opportunity to showcase the quality and diversity of CESAM’s activities to both internal and external members of the General Council. Additionally, some suggestions were made that could be considered in the context of the ongoing revision of the University of Aveiro’s statutes.

The General Council of the University of Aveiro is responsible for electing the Rector, approving medium-term strategic plans, action plans for the Rector’s four-year term, as well as the general guidelines for the University in scientific, educational, financial, and patrimonial matters.

The Council consists of 19 members: ten representatives of professors and researchers, three students, one representative of technical, administrative, and management staff, and five external individuals of recognized merit, not affiliated with the University of Aveiro, who possess relevant knowledge and experience.

Text by: CESAM