Exploring an uncommon host-parasite interaction to unveil the uniqueness of Perkinsus sp as a model organism

We report the exploration of some unique metabolic pathways in Perkinsus olseni a marine protist parasite, responsible to significant mortalities in mollusks, especially in bivalves all around the world. In Algarve, south of Portugal carpet shell clam Ruditapes decussatus mortalities can reach up to 70%, causing social and economic losses. The objective of studying those unique pathways, is finding new therapeutic strategies capable of controlling/eliminating P. olseni proliferation in clams. In that sense metabolic pathways, were explored, and drugs affecting these cycles were tested for activity. The first step involved the identification of the genes behind those pathways, the reconstitution of the main steps, and molecular characterization of those genes and later on, the identification of possible targets within the genes studied. Metabolic cycles were screened due to the fact of not being present in host or differ in a critical way, such as the following pathways: shikimate, MEP-­‐ isoprenoids, Leloir cycle for chitin production, purine biosynthesis (unique among protists), the de novo synthesis of folates (absent in metazoa) and some unique genes like, the alternative oxidase (a branch of respiratory chain) and the hypoxia sensor HPH. All those pathways were covered and possible chemical inhibition using therapeutic drugs was tested with positive results. The relation between the common host Ruditapes decussatus and P. olseni was also explored in a dimension not possible some years ago. With the accessibility to second generation sequencers and microarray analysis platforms, genes involved in host defense or parasite virulence and resistance to the host were deciphered, allowing aiming to new targets (mechanisms and pathways), offering new possibilities for the control of Perkinsus in close environments. The thousands of genes, generated by this work, sequenced and analyzed from this commercial valuable clam and for Perkinsus olseni will be an important and value tool for the scientific community, allowing a better understanding of host-­‐parasite interactions, promoting the usage of P. olseni as an emerging model for alveolata parasites.

An integrated and comparative approach to genetic selection of the aquaculture species Dicentrarchus labrax

The European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, is one of the most important marine species cultivated in Southern Europe and has not benefited from selective breeding. One of the major goals in the sea bass (D. labrax) aquaculture industry is to understand and control the complexity of growth associated traits. The aim of the methodology developed for the studies reported in the thesis was not only to establish genetic and genomic resources for sea bass, but to also develop a conceptual strategy to efficiently create knowledge in a research environment that can easily be transferred to the aquaculture industry. The strategy involved; i) establishing an annotated sea bass transcriptome and then using it to, ii) identify new genetic markers for target QTL regions so that, iii) new QTL analysis could be performed and marker based resolution of the DNA regions of interest increased, and then iv) to merge the linkage map and the physical map in order to map the QTL confidence intervals to the sea bass genome and identify genes underlying the targeted traits. Finally to test if genes in the QTL regions that are candidates for divergent growth phenotypes have modified patterns of transcription that reflects the modified whole organism physiology SuperSAGE-SOLiD4 gene expression was used with sea bass with high growth heterogeneity. The SuperSAGE contributed to significantly increase the transcriptome information for sea bass muscle, brain and liver and also led to the identification of putative candidate genes lying in the genomic region of growth related QTL. Lastly all differentially expressed transcripts in brain, liver and muscle of the European sea bass with divergent specific growth rates were mapped to gene pathways and networks and the regulatory pathways most affected identified and established the tissue specific changes underlying the divergent SGR. Owing to the importance of European sea bass to Mediterranean aquaculture and the developed genomics resources from the present thesis and from other studies it should be possible to implement genetic selection programs using marker assisted selection.

A talha no Algarve durante o Antigo Regime

Tese de Doutoramento, História da Arte Moderna, Unidade de Ciências Exactas e Humanas, Universidade do Algarve, 1999

Anticoagulantes orais: velho versus novo

Dissertação de mestrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Modelação de cenários de exploração no sistema aquífero Luz-Tavira

Dissertação de mestrado, Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Definição do modo de operação, descontínuo ou semi-descontínuo, para produção de bioetanol utilizando um novo substrato misto pela levedura Kluyveromyces sp.

Dissertação de mestrado, Engenharia Biológica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

O castro da Columbeira (Bombarral): a exploração dos recursos faunísticos no Calcolítico estremenho

Dissertação de mestrado, Arqueologia, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

Impacto fisiológico do parasita dinoflagelado Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown, 1931) em corvina-legítima (Argyrosomus regius, Asso, 1801) produzida em aquacultura

Dissertação de mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

A influência da batimetria no regime de impacte de tempestades. Estudo de um caso prático com recurso a SIG

Dissertação de Mestrado, Geomática – Ramo de Ciências da Informação Geográfica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

O discurso do professor no ensino e aprendizagem das equações literais no 8.º ano, no âmbito da experimentação do novo programa de matemática do ensino básico

Relatório da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, Mestrado em Ensino da Matemática 3.º Ciclo e Secundário, Universidade de Lisboa, 2010

Uma escola chamada eu : a exploração da identidade através da expressão plástica

Relatório da prática de ensino supervisionada, Mestrado em Ensino de Artes Visuais, Universidade de Lisboa, 2011

Exploração do contexto de implantação da escola como matéria-prima projetual : Desenho A, 12º ano

Relatório da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, Ensino de Artes Visuais no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e no Ensino Secundário, Universidade de Lisboa, 2013

Um objeto, um ponto de partida : uma exploração em Desenho A, 11º ano

Relatório da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, Ensino das Artes Visuais, Universidade de Lisboa, 2013

Diatom-based characterization of iberian coastal environments at different time scales

Tese de doutoramento, Geologia (Geologia Económica e do Ambiente), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2014