???global.info.a_carregar???
I hold a BSc in Microbiology (2016), an MSc in Applied Microbiology (2018) and a PhD in Biotechnology with a specialization in Microbiology (2024) from the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. During 2017-2018, I participated in an ERASMUS program at the University of Reading (United Kingdom) within the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, investigating the in vitro impact of insect flours on the human gut microbiota, as part of my master’s thesis. From 2019-2023, I worked as a Lab Assistant at Alchemy Project (a co-joined project between Amyris Bio Products Portugal and Universidade Católica Portuguesa), contributing to the development of animal and human gastrointestinal in vitro models to evaluate the bioactive properties present in ingredients produced from sugar cane by-products. In 2020, I was accepted in a PhD program in Biotechnology with a specialization in Microbiology at the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. My doctoral research focuses on creating a comprehensive platform of in vitro models, known as the GIOTA platform, to accurately simulate both animal and human gastrointestinal tracts. Currently, I am working as a Research Assistant at Biorbis, a company that develops sustainable bioactive ingredients derived from agro-industrial by-products. My expertise spans food microbiology, gastrointestinal tract simulation, gut microbiota, prebiotics and probiotics. I am particularly passionate about the relationship between diet and the well-being/health of animals and humans, including the intricate implications of gut microbiota's metabolism.
Read full resume ↓
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Nelson Mota de Carvalho

Citation names

  • Mota de Carvalho, Nelson

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
A01E-3E9A-6F9B
ORCID iD
0000-0002-8691-8255

Email addresses

  • ncarvalho@ucp.pt (Professional)

Addresses

  • Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005, Porto, Porto, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Microbiology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2020/09/01 - 2024/03/11
Concluded
 Biotecnologia (Doutoramento)
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
"GIOTA Platform: Development, optimization and implementation of in vitro gastrointestinal models for human and animal gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) microbiota studies" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2016/09/19 - 2018/09/12
Concluded
 Microbiologia Aplicada (Mestrado integrado)
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
"In vitro impact of Tenebrio molitor insect flour on human gut microbiota." (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 18
2013/09/21 - 2016/06/22
Concluded
 Microbiologia (Licenciatura)
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
"Optimization of a gut microbiota simulation model applied to assessment of the prebiotic potential of an insect flour" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2023/11/01 - Current Research Assistant (Research) Biorbis, Lda, Portugal
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Portuguesa Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Portugal
2019/01/15 - 2023/10/31 Research Assistant (Research) Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
2017/09/18 - 2018/06/01 Visiting Researcher (Research) University of Reading Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, United Kingdom
University of Reading Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, United Kingdom
2016/02/18 - 2017/09/19 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Rita Vedor; Joana C. Barbosa; Daniela Machado; Nélson Mota de Carvalho; Célia Maria Costa; Ana Raquel Madureira; Ana M. Gomes. "Modulatory effects of calcium-alginate encapsulated Akkermansia muciniphila in healthy and pathogen-infected faecal models". 2025.
  2. Inês Ribeiro; Mota de Carvalho, Nelson; Silvia S. Pedrosa; Maria Raquel Costa; Ana Lucia Oliveira; Cláudia Popov; Filipa Antunes; et al. "Optimizing protein digestion and bioavailability in cow milk-based products using protease S53". Paper presented in X International Conference on Food Proteins and Colloids (CIPCA 2025), 2025.
  3. Helena Araújo-Rodrigues; Henrique Maziero Fogarin; Ana Sofia Salsinha; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; João Bettencourt Relvas; Freni K. Tavaria; Manuela E. Pintado. "Influence of the gastrointestinal tract on mushroom biomass: understanding their potential for gut microbiota modulation". Paper presented in Encontro Ciência 2024, 2024.
  4. Daniela Machado; Vedor, R.; Joana C. Barbosa; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Celia Maria Costa; Madureira A. R.; Ana Maria Gomes. "Modulatory effects in microbiota metabolic function triggered by calcium-alginate capsules containing Akkermansia muciniphila". 2024.
  5. Mota de Carvalho, Nelson; Souza, Carla G.; Costa, Célia Maria; Cláudia Castro; Joana F. Fangueiro; Bruno Horta; Outor-Monteiro, Divanildo; et al. "Supplementation of agro-industrial by-products in animal feed towards well-fare and sustainability: Case study of sugarcane bagasse lignin". Paper presented in Food Systems Microbiomes, 2024.
  6. Teresa Bento de Carvalho; Joana Barbosa; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Souza C. G.; Celia Maria Costa; Norton Komora; Alexandra Azevedo; Madureira A. R.; Paula Teixeira. "Impact of novel clean label ham formulations on the human gut microbiota". 2024.
  7. Vedor, R.; Joana C. Barbosa; Daniela Machado; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Celia Maria Costa; Madureira A. R.; Ana Maria Gomes. "Indirect evidence of microbial modulation induced by encapsulated A. muciniphila". 2024.
  8. Ana Sofia Oliveira; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; CMH Ferreira; Joana Odila Pereira; Pintado, M.; Madureira A. R.; Ana P. Carvalho. "Peptide-rich extracts from spent yeast as potential microbiota modulators". 2021.
  9. Margarida Faustino; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Joana Durão; Pintado, M.; Madureira A. R.; Ana P. Carvalho. "Evaluation of mannans from saccharomyces cerevisiae as potential human microbiota modulators". 2021.
  10. Carvalho, Nelson; Sara Nunes da Costa e Silva; Maria Manuela Faria Amorim; Frances Jackson; Gemma Walton; Ana Raquel Madureira; Paula Jauregi; Manuela Estevez Pintado; Glenn Gibson. "In vitro impact of Tenebrio molitor insect flour on human gut microbiota". Paper presented in Host Bacteria Interaction Symposium 2018, 2018.
  11. Carvalho, Nelson; Sara Nunes da Costa e Silva; Maria Manuela Faria Amorim; Frances Jackson; Gemma Walton; Ana Raquel Madureira; Paula Jauregi; Manuela Estevez Pintado; Glenn Gibson. "In vitro impact of Tenebrio molitor insect flour on human gut microbiota". Paper presented in 6th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota: Towards Clinical Revolution, 2018.
  12. Carvalho, Nelson; Ana Raquel Madureira; Manuela Estevez Pintado. "Insects, a pathway to a new nutritional source". Paper presented in Mission 10000 conference- Nanotechnology: An enabler for the Bioeconomy, 2018.
Journal article
  1. Teresa Bento de Carvalho; Joana Bastos Barbosa; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Norton Komora; Fátima Carvalho; Ana Raquel Madureira; Paula Teixeira. "In vitro colonic fermentation of clean label ham formulations: Gut microbiota modulation and metabolite production". Food Research International (2025): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116287.
    10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116287
  2. Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Carla Giselly de Souza; Célia Maria Costa; Cláudia Castro; Joana F. Fangueiro; Bruno Horta; Divanildo Outor-Monteiro; et al. "In Vivo Study of the Effect of Sugarcane Bagasse Lignin Supplementation on Broiler Chicken Diet as a Step to Validate the Established Chicken Gastrointestinal Tract In Vitro Model". Sustainability (2024): https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208946.
    10.3390/su16208946
  3. Célia Maria Costa; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Diana Luazi de Oliveira; Ana Raquel Madureira. "A Critical Review on In Vitro and Ex Vivo Models of the Intestinal Epithelium of Humans and Monogastric Animals". Gastrointestinal Disorders (2024): https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord6010023.
    10.3390/gidisord6010023
  4. Marco Duarte; Maria João Carvalho; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Azevedo-Silva, J.; Adélia Mendes; Inês Pinto Ribeiro; Fernandes JC; et al. "Skincare potential of a sustainable postbiotic extract produced through sugarcane straw fermentation by saccharomyces cerevisiae". BioFactors 49 5 (2023): 1038-1060. https://ciencia.ucp.pt/en/publications/ad60315e-f2a9-41de-a76e-13a1ac417cc5.
    10.1002/biof.1975
  5. Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Célia Maria Costa; Cláudia Castro; Mayra Anton Dib Saleh; Manuela Estevez Pintado; Diana Luazi Oliveira; Ana Raquel Madureira. "Development of a Chicken Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) Simulation Model: Impact of Cecal Inoculum Storage Preservation Conditions". Applied Microbiology (2023): https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol3030066.
    10.3390/applmicrobiol3030066
  6. Joana R. Costa; Maria J. Pereira; Sílvia S. Pedrosa; Beatriz Gullón; Nelson M. de Carvalho; Manuela E. Pintado; Ana Raquel Madureira. "Sugarcane Straw as a Source of Arabinoxylans: Optimization and Economic Viability of a Two-Step Alkaline Extraction". Foods (2023): https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12122280.
    10.3390/foods12122280
  7. Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Diana Luazi Oliveira; Célia Maria Costa; Manuela Estevez Pintado; Ana Raquel Madureira. "Strategies to Assess the Impact of Sustainable Functional Food Ingredients on Gut Microbiota". Foods (2023): https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112209.
    10.3390/foods12112209
  8. Ana L. S. Oliveira; Marta Seara; Maria João Carvalho; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Eduardo M. Costa; Sara Silva; Marco Duarte; et al. "Production of Sustainable Postbiotics from Sugarcane Straw for Potential Food Applications". Applied Sciences (2023): https://doi.org/10.3390/app13063391.
    10.3390/app13063391
  9. Joana F. Fangueiro; Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Filipa Antunes; Inês F. Mota; Manuela Estevez Pintado; Ana Raquel Madureira; Patrícia Santos Costa. "Lignin from sugarcane bagasse as a prebiotic additive for poultry feed". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2023): 124262-124262. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124262.
    10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124262
  10. Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Diana Luazi Oliveira; Célia Maria Costa; Manuela Pintado; Ana Raquel Madureira. "Can Supplemented Skim Milk (SKM) Boost Your Gut Health?". Fermentation 8 3 (2022): 126-126. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8030126.
    10.3390/fermentation8030126
  11. Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Diana Luazi Oliveira; Mayra Anton Dib Saleh; Manuela Pintado; Ana Raquel Madureira. "Preservation of Human Gut Microbiota Inoculums for In Vitro Fermentations Studies". Fermentation 7 1 (2021): 14-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation7010014.
    10.3390/fermentation7010014
  12. Carvalho, Nelson. "Importance of gastrointestinal in vitro models for the poultry industry and feed formulations". Animal Feed Science and Technology (2020): 114730-114730. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2020.114730.
    10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2020.114730
  13. Carvalho, Nelson. "Fecal microbiota transplantation in the intestinal decolonization of carbapenamase-producing enterobacteriaceae". Revista Española de Enfermedades Digestivas 112 (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.17235/reed.2020.7150/2020.
    10.17235/reed.2020.7150/2020
  14. Carvalho, Nelson. "The potential of insects as food sources – a review". Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2019.1703170.
    10.1080/10408398.2019.1703170
  15. Carvalho, Nelson. "Study of in vitro digestion of Tenebrio molitor flour for evaluation of its impact on the human gut microbiota". Journal of Functional Foods (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2019.05.024.
    10.1016/j.jff.2019.05.024
  16. Nelson Mota de Carvalho; Francisco Teixeira; Sara Silva; Ana Raquel Madureira; Manuela Estevez Pintado. "Potential prebiotic activity of Tenebrio molitor insect flour using an optimized in vitro gut microbiota model". Food & Function 10 7 (2019): 3909-3922. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8FO01536H.
    10.1039/C8FO01536H
  17. Carvalho, Nelson. "Potential prebiotic activity of Tenebrio molitor insect flour using an optimized in vitro gut microbiota model". Food & Function (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c8fo01536h.
    10.1039/c8fo01536h
  18. Mota de Carvalho, N.; Costa, E.M.; Silva, S.; Pimentel, L.; Fernandes, T.H.; Estevez Pintado, M.. "Fermented foods and beverages in human diet and their influence on gut microbiota and health". Fermentation 4 4 (2018): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85062207902&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.3390/fermentation4040090
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Establishment of in vitro gastrointestinal models platform for human food and animal feed ingredients development". 2024. https://ciencia.ucp.pt/en/publications/f0554368-25bf-4f78-b43c-e9eb30c620e3.
  2. "In vitro impact of Tenebrio molitor insect flour on human gut microbiota". 2018. https://ciencia.ucp.pt/en/publications/5329fd38-97fa-4050-ad5f-63c5ca7cd82e.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2025/09/15 Encapsulation of Akkermansia muciniphila in calcium-alginate matrix: a live biotherapeutic strategy for gut microbiota modulation and intestinal infection mitigation 13th Probiotics, Prebiotics & New foods
(Rome, Italy)
2025/07/22 Effects of contrasting phenolic pea genotypes on gut function: insights from human in vitro gastrointestinal models XX International Plant Nutrition Colloquium
(Porto, Portugal)
2025/07/03 Use of a novel serine protease in milk matrices for development of new products CBQF Day: Biotechnology-driven science addressing the Sustainable Development Goals
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal)
2025/06/16 Evaluation of P24’s impact on a corn- and soy-based chicken feed formulation X International Conference on Food Proteins and Colloids (CIPCA 2025)
Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal)
2025/04/30 Sustainable solutions for gut microbiota modulation: from discovery to application Exploring the Microbiome Series
Don Whitley Scientific Ltd, 2025
2024/05/14 Supplementation of agro-industrial by-products in animal feed towards well-fare and sustainability: Case study of sugarcane bagasse lignin Food System Microbiomes 2024 International Conference
Food System Microbiomes (Turim, Italy)
2023/12/06 Exploring sustainable ingredients to enhance animal and human gut microbiota: From the lab to real-word application Aula de Tópicos de Biotecnologia na Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal)
2023/04/19 Healthy or sick, poop doesn't lie: application of microbiology in veterinary parasitology Semana Aberta da Escola Superior de Biotecnologia
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia - Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal)
2023/02/01 Applied microbiology on the poultry industry: from nutrition to the gut microbiota CBQF Day
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal)
2022/11/07 Establishment of in vitro gastrointestinal models for human food and animal feed Aula de Tópicos de Biotecnologia na Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Catolica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal)
2022/09/07 Applied Microbiology on Poultry industry: from nutrition to the gut microbiota 73rd Annual Meeting of EAAP
European Federation of Animal Science (Porto, Portugal)
2021/11/03 Demystifying the prebiotic potential of functional ingredients incorporated in food matrices 35th EFFoST International Conference: Healthy Individuals, Resilient Communities, and Global Food Security
European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) (Lausane, Switzerland)
2018/04/26 Impact of insect flour on gut microbiota FNS Seminar, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences
University of Reading (Reading, United Kingdom)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2025/03/20 - 2025/03/21 Speaker in the round table discussion on "Microbiota and the Use of Antibiotics in Clinical Practice"
Congress
 XVIII Congresso Científico NEF/AAC: The Human Microbiota - The Link Between Health and Disease
Núcleo de Estudantes de Farmácia da Associação Académica de Coimbra (NEF/AAC), Portugal