As of 1st of September 2022, Maria João Amorim is an Associate Professor at the Católica Medical School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa and will serve as vice-director of the new Católica Biomedical Research Centre. Read more here
September 2022
1st LOFlu conference
The LOFLU meeting brought together 17 researchers to discuss how viruses integrate the principles of phase separation driving the formation of biomolecular condensates in their lifecycles, using influenza as model virus. These researchers comprise cell biologists, virologists, biochemists, that utilize in vitro, ex-vivo, and animal models of infection (even with complex systems) because LOFlu aims to understand the molecular interactions, regulatory mechanisms and physiological relevance of biological condensates in influenza infection. Two of the key collaborators in LOFlu were present or represented in the meeting: Yohei Yamauchi, with whom we started looking into how phase separation regulates metabolism in infected cells and Petr Chlanda, represented by his PhD student,Moritz Wachsmuth-Melm, with whom we look into the structure of influenza induced liquid viral inclusions. As such, these researchers not only presented their own work, but also provided feedback related to their expertise on the work developed in LOFlu. With this strategy, we wanted to critically assess the progression in the projects being developed under LOFlu and identify key questions that needed resolving and how. This 2-day meeting had an outstanding scientific quality, led to strengthening of international collaborations and provided valuable input for the three manuscripts that are being prepared for submission funded by the ERC COG_101001521_LOFlu.
Feb 2022 - May 2021 COVID-19 AND SARS-CoV-2 AWARENESS AND INFORMATION:
- 7th January 2022 – Participation in documentary - Viruses – obligatory parasites with three episodes exhibited in RTP1, Portuguese television (links: https://www.rtp.pt/play/p9768/e590721/virus;
- 2nd December 2021 - Participation in the documentary – “The art of curing people”, appearance in several episodes – recorded on 3rd of March 2020 and broadcasted from the 2nd of December in RTP2 – Rita Saldanha. https://www.rtp.pt/play/p9539/e597918/a-arte-da-cura
- 14th October 2021 – Invited speaker for the debate – Let’s talk about vaccines- FIC.A festival, Oeiras, PT
June 2022 Nuno Santos, former phd in the CBV lab has been awarded a #EMBO postdoctoral fellowship to explore fundamental virology of SARS-CoV-2 with @DavidLVBauerat @TheCrick.
May 2019 Os cérebros da Ciência - da ideia às descobertas Fotographic exhibition Jardim da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian 31 de maio a 28 de julho 2019
Scientist: Maria João Amorim Laboratory: Cellular Biology of Viral Infection Education: Biochemistry, PhD in Virology, University of Cambridge, UK. Every year flu makes the news headlines because of the impact it has on the population and on health services. At the origin of this infectious disease is a virus with unique particularities. Maria João Amorim studies the secrets of influenza virus to understand how this virus interacts with infected cells and our immune system. During a lecture, she showed us an image of an infected human cell, obtained simultaneously by fluorescence and electron microscopy, and shared the latest discovery of her lab: that the virus establishes sites dedicated to the assembly of influenza A virus genome - a first step in the formation of viral particles that will later infect other people. These advances are crucial to define strategies to mitigate, prevent and combat new strains of the flu virus. Outside the laboratory Maria João expresses her creativity dedicating herself to crafts.
April 2019 Our paper published in Nature Communications was mentioned in several Portuguese and international media. Press release - NATIONAL:
Lovely walk by the beach after a great pizza lunch
LAB INSTITUTIONAL PHOTOS
From left to right - The lab composition in 2015 and 2013
IN "CIÊNCIA VIVA" IN FARO
EVENT: Ciência a 4 Tempos
PUBLIC: General Public
XMAS LUNCH 2016
LAB NEWS - NEWS FEED:
CONGRATS TO: Débora Cruz Who was accepted in the Master: "Biologia Celular e Molecular com especialização em Neurobiologia, from the "Universidade de Coimbra".
26th July 2015 CBV lab welcomes: Megan Milarski
Undergraduate student of the University of Oxford for an 8 week internship in our lab.
17th November 2015
We congratulate Ana Nascimento for her MSc!
She defended her thesis brilliantly!
31st December 2015
We say goodbye to Bárbara Kellen after being in the lab for 2.5 years. You will be missed.
9th September 2016
We congratulate Inês Veríssimo on her MSc.
8th September 2017
We congratulate Joana Perdigão on her MSc.
27th February 2018
We congratulate Zoé Enderlin Silvafor completing her PhD. She defended her thesis brilliantly!
March 2018 We say goodbye to Luka after an internship in the lab.
March 2018 We say goodbye to Zoé, she'll be missed. Next step: travel in Asia for 1 year! Safe travels!!