Ana Catarina Santos Leite da Silva (9215-96F9-3053)

Curriculum Vitae

Ana Silva

Ana Catarina Silva (ACS) completed her PhD in Chemistry, with a specialisation in Physical and Analytical Chemistry, at the Chemistry Centre at the University of Minho. Her thesis, entitled 'Valorisation of organic wastes: assessment of compost quality', was the culmination of her research endeavours. Prior to this, ACS successfully completed an Integrated Master's Degree in Biological Engineering with a specialisation in the Food Branch at the same university (2012). Since then, she has participated in various national and international research projects, acquiring extensive experience in the physical-chemical characterisation of materials, process optimisation and the recovery of organic waste. From 2018 to 2022, she was involved in the Res2ValHum project, which was funded by the European Union's INTERREG programme and focused on the production of humic substances from organic waste. Subsequently, she participated in the FEDER-funded Res4ValOr project, which involved conducting adsorption tests of organic contaminants in composts. Currently, ACS is involved in the Lusitano project, in which she contributes to innovation in textile recycling technologies, optimising separation and functionalisation processes for recycled fibres. Throughout her career, ACS has published articles in indexed scientific journals, participated in academic events and presented papers at national and international conferences. She has advanced skills in techniques such as ATR-FTIR, DSC, TGA and electrochemical analysis. In addition to his research contributions, ACS has also acquired experience in academic supervision, having guided undergraduate students. In recent years, ACS has consolidated its work in the area of sustainability and the circular economy, exploring innovative approaches to the valorisation of waste and textile materials. Motivated by the development of sustainable solutions, ACS combines interdisciplinary expertise and dedication to scientific research with practical impact.

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Identification

Personal identification

Full name: Ana Catarina Santos Leite da Silva

Author identifiers

Ciência ID: 9215-96F9-3053
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9000-3752

Education

	Degree	Classification
2017 - 2022/10 Concluded	Química (Doutoramento) Major in Química física e Analítica Universidade do Minho, Portugal "Valorisation of organic wastes: assessment of compost quality" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	Muito Bom
2017/02 - 2017/11 Concluded	Técnico superior de segurança e higiene no trabalho (Outros) Cefolgest, Portugal
2016/09 - 2016/10 Concluded	Formação Pedagógica Inicial de Formadores (Outros) Cefolgest, Portugal
2012/11 Concluded	Engenharia Biológica (Mestrado integrado) Major in Ramo Alimentar Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Affiliation

Science

	Category Host institution	Employer
2025/02/15 - Current	Invited Auxiliary Researcher (Research)	Universidade do Minho Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Portugal
	Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2024/02/22 - 2025/02	Postdoc (Research)	Universidade do Minho Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Portugal

2023/02 - 2023/06	Postdoc (Research)	Universidade do Minho Centro de Território Ambiente e Construção, Portugal

2017 - 2022	Researcher (Research)	Universidade do Minho, Portugal
	Universidade do Minho, Portugal (...)
2014 - 2015	Researcher (Research)	Universidade do Minho, Portugal
	Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina

Projects

Grant

	Designation	Funders
2023/02 - 2023/06	Reducción, reutilización, reciclado y revalorización de residuos orgánicos (Res4ValOr) (0791_RES4VALOR_1_E) Post-doc Fellow Universidade do Minho Centro de Química, Portugal Universidade do Minho Departamento de Biologia, Portugal Universidade do Minho Centro de Território Ambiente e Construção, Portugal	Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento regional (FEDER) Concluded
2017 - 2022	Valorization of organic wastes: assessment of compost quality NORTE -08-5369-FSE-00033 PhD Student Fellow Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2018/02 - 2021/04	Organic Residues Valorization: Production of Humic Substances 0366_RES2VALHUM_1_P Research Fellow Universidade do Minho, Portugal	INTERREG IVC Concluded
2014/10 - 2015/09	BiVAlvi IRSES-GA-2013-611493 Research Fellow Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina	Concluded

Other

	Designation	Funders
2025/02/15 - Current	Lusitano - Agenda Mobilizadora para a Inovação Empresarial da Indústria Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal 01/C05-i09/2024.PC644933224-00000043 Researcher Universidade do Minho Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Portugal	Ongoing
2024/02/22 - 2025/02/15	Lusitano - Agenda Mobilizadora para a Inovação Empresarial da Indústria Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal 01/C05-i09/2024.PC644933224-00000043 Post-doc Fellow Universidade do Minho Departamento de Engenharia Têxtil, Portugal	Ongoing

Outputs

Publications

Conference paper	Ribeiro, Ana Isabel ; Tiago Azevedo; Barreiros, Mariana; Silva, A. Catarina; Chaves, Diego Morais; Nuno Fernandes; Carvalho, Oscar; Fangueiro, Raul; Ferreira, Diana . Corresponding author: Ribeiro, Ana Isabel. "Aqueous solutions for sustainable elastane degradation in textile recycling". Paper presented in Autex - World Textile Conference 2025, Dresden, 2025. Accepted Silva, Ana; Ribeiro, Ana Isabel ; Azevedo, Tiago; Chaves, Diego Morais; Fangueiro, Raul; Ferreira, Diana Sara Pereira. Corresponding author: Silva, Ana. "Alternative organic solvents for elastane removal from textile waste: a case study of polyester/elastane fabric". Paper presented in Autex - World Textile Conference 2025, Dresden, 2025. Accepted Azevedo, Tiago; Silva, A. Catarina; Ribeiro, Ana Isabel ; Chaves, Diego Morais; Barreiros, Mariana; Fangueiro, Raul; Ferreira, Diana Sara Pereira. Corresponding author: Azevedo, Tiago. "Promoting recycling of wool-polyester-elastane yarn through sustainable elastane degradation methods and impact on remaining fibres integrity". Paper presented in Autex - World Textile Conference 2025, Dresden, 2025. Accepted
Conference poster	Silva, A. Catarina; Azevedo, Tiago; Brás, Duarte; Guimarães, Renato; Diana P. Ferreira; Fangueiro, Raul. "The development of technical yarns containing recycled textile fibres and natural fibres". 2025. Silva, Ana; Rocha, Pedro; Juan Antelo; Fátima Bento; Paula Bettencourt; Geraldo, Dulce; Sarah Fiol. "Characterization, acid-base properties and metal complexation of humic-like substances extracted from organic matter during the composting process". Paper presented in XXV Encontro Galego-Português de Química, Santiago de Compostela, 2019. José Pedro Rocha; Silva, Ana; J. Antelo; F. Bento; P. Bettencourt; S. Fiol; Geraldo, Dulce. "Comparison of cadmium binding by humic and fulvic acids extracted from compost of different feedstock". 2019. Silva, Ana; Pedro Rocha; J. Antelo; F. Bento; P. Bettencourt; S. Fiol; D. Geraldo; Proenca, Fernanda. "Comparison of cadmium binding by humic and fulvic acids extracted from two composts of different origin". Paper presented in 5th international conference, Wastes: Solutions, Treatments and Opportunities, 2019. Silva, Ana; Pedro Rocha; J.Antelo; S. Fiol; Geraldo, Dulce; P. Bettencourt; R. López; et al. "Characterization of organic matter at different stages of a composting process". Paper presented in 5th international conference, Wastes: solutions, treatments and opportunities, 2019. Silva, Ana; Woitovich Valetti, Nadia; M. Emilia Brassesco; José A. C. Teixeira; Picó, Guillermo. "Caracterización de matrices de polieletrolitos naturales con alta capacidad de adsorber proteinas y su aplicación para recuperar enzimas.". Paper presented in XVI National Congress of the Mexican Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico,, 2015.
Journal article	Silva, A. Catarina; Barreiros, Mariana; Teixeira, Marta A.; Azevedo, Tiago; Brás, Duarte; Fangueiro, Raul; Diana P. Ferreira. Corresponding author: Silva, A. Catarina. "Textile Recycling from the Fibre Level: Strategies, Challenges, and Opportunities". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2025): Open access • Submitted Brás, Duarte; Silva, A. Catarina; Azevedo, Tiago; Fangueiro, Raul; Diana P. Ferreira. "Transforming Post-Industrial Textile Cutting Waste into Circular Garments: A Replicable Eco-Design and Recycling Strategy". Journal of Cleaner Production (2025): Submitted Azevedo, Tiago; Silva, Ana Catarina; Machado, Gonçalo; Chaves, Diego; Ribeiro, Ana Isabel; Fangueiro, Raul; Ferreira, Diana P.. "Reinforcing Cotton Recycled Fibers for the Production of High-Quality Textile Structures". Polymers 17 10 (2025): 1392. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17101392. Accepted Santos Leite da Silva, Ana C; Woitovich Valetti, Nadia; Brassesco, María E; Teixeira, José A; Picó, Guillermo. "Adsorption of peroxidase from Raphanus sativus L onto alginate–guar gum matrix: Kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic analysis". Adsorption Science & Technology 34 6 (2016): 388-402. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0263617416659287. Published • 10.1177/0263617416659287
Thesis / Dissertation	"Valorization of organic wastes: assessment of compost quality". PhD, Universidade do Minho, 2022. "Development of methodologies for operational optimization of a production line for galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and fructooligosaccharides (FOS).". Master, Universidade do Minho, 2012.

Activities

Oral presentation

	Presentation title	Event name Host (Event location)
2025/06/11	Alternative organic solvents for elastane removal from textile waste: a case study of polyester/elastane fabric	Autex - World Textile Conference 2025 (Dresden, Germany)
2019/09	Influence of the feedstock material on the compost maturity, stability and reactivity	WASTES: Solutions, Treatments and Opportunities, 5th International Conference (Costa da Caparica, Portugal)
2019/06	Characterization (FTIR and TGA) of the compost and its humic substances	Centro de Valorização de Resíduos (Braga, Portugal)
2015	Recovery of molecules with high biotechnological interest from agriculture wastes using adsorption in solid bed	XVI National Congress of the Mexican Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, (Guadalajara, Mexico)

Event organisation

	Event name Type of event (Role)	Institution / Organization
2025/04/03 - 2025/04/05	UPA - Universidade portas abertas (2025/04/03) Exhibition (Member of the Organising Committee)	Universidade do Minho Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Portugal

Event participation

	Activity description Type of event	Event name Institution / Organization
2025/06/25 - Current	Science Meetings Second Edition: Natural Fibers and Sustainability Meeting	Science Meetings Second Edition: Natural Fibers and Sustainability Universidade do Minho Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Portugal
2025/03/26 - Current	Science Meetings - medical textiles Meeting	Universidade do Minho Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Portugal
2025/09/26 - 2025/09/26	European Researchers Night 2025 Exhibition	Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
2025/09/24 - 2025/09/24	Science Meetings Third Edition: Smart Textiles Meeting	Universidade do Minho Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, Portugal
2025/04 - 2025/04	Ensuring visibility Workshop	Communicating your research Elsevier Research Academy, Germany
2025/03 - 2025/03	Writing skills Workshop	Writing for research Elsevier Research Academy, Germany
2025/03 - 2025/03	Technical writing skills Workshop	Writing for research Elsevier Research Academy, Germany
2025/02 - 2025/02	Going through peer review Workshop	Navigating peer review Elsevier Research Academy, Germany
2025/02 - 2025/02	Becoming a peer reviewer Workshop	Navigating peer review Elsevier Research Academy, Germany
2025/01 - 2025/01	Fundamentos: Por que a liderança é fundamental hoje em dia? Tipos de líderes Liderança situacional e equipes de trabalho Competências de um bom líder Preparando-se para liderar Workshop	Liderança Santander Open Academy, United States
2025/01 - 2025/01	Certified Peer Reviewer Course Workshop	Navigating peer review Elsevier Research Academy, Germany
2025/01 - 2025/01	Fundamentals of peer review	Navigating peer review Elsevier Research Academy, Germany
2024/06 - 2024/06	Escribir de manera clara, concisa y ordenada para que el su público entienda eficazmente lo que quiera transmitir en su mensaje y analizar a su público para escribir mensajes más eficaces. Workshop	Santander Open Academy, United States
2024/05 - 2024/05	La importancia de la comunicación y los buenos mensajes. La comunicación verbal y no verbal. Recursos para conectar. Comunicación e inteligencia emocional – Lenguaje DISC, el lenguaje del entendimiento. Habilidades sociales y comunicación: asertividad, empatía y feedback Aprender a comunicar sin estrés. Cómo hacer de la comunicación efectiva algo natural. Workshop	Comunicación Efectiva Santander Open Academy, United States
2024 - 2024	Beat day celebrates bioeconomy in the textile sector Conference	Beat day celebrates bioeconomy in the textile sector Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal, Portugal
2024 - 2024	Masterclass online “Managing Anxiety and Mental Health for Career Success”, proferida por Lisa Wittmann, especialista em gestão de stress e fundadora da plataforma Mental Break Workshop	Managing anxiety and mental health for career success International Mentoring Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education , Portugal
2024 - 2024	"The Job Interview. How to nail it," presented by Lauren Celano, a Boston-based career expert, and Founder & CEO of Propeling Careers. Workshop	The Job Interview. How to nail it International Mentoring Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education , Portugal
2024 - 2024	Esta sessão analisará em profundidade a extração de matérias-primas para polímeros, a síntese desses polímeros e a forma como são transformados em fibras, filamentos e fios. Concentrar-nos-emos nas tecnologias de wet-spinning e electrospinning, com uma breve análise da extrusão e de melt-spinning. Workshop	Circularidade: Uma nova geração de materiais fibrosos a partir de resíduos naturais e industriais Universidade do Minho Associação Fibrenamics, Portugal
2024 - 2024	European Researchers Night 2024 Meeting	European Researchers Night 2024 activity organization and exhibition: A celebration of science for global challenges Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2020/06/01 - 2020/06/05	Curso de escrita científica. O objetivo deste curso é ensinar cientistas a preparar um artigo científico desde a escolha da revista científica até ao momento em que o artigo científico é enviado para os autores para revisão de modo a ser publicado. Workshop	"Princípios Gerais para Obter uma Publicação Científica"
2019/12/12 - 2019/12/17	Este workshop teve como objetivo caracterizar a heterogeneidade química na complexação de metais usando as técnicas eletroanalíticas AGNES e SSCP. Workshop	Técnicas Eletroanalíticas Avançadas de Especiação de Metais: Estudos de Heterogeneidade Química Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2019 - 2019	Participação no Workshop intitulado "Compostaje: Valorización de resíduos de distintos orígenes en un entorno de economía circular" Workshop	Compostaje: Valorización de resíduos de distintos orígenes en un entorno de economía circular
2019 - 2019	Participação no workshop sobre Curso Avançado sobre Técnicas Eletroquímicas para a avaliação de constantes de estabilidade de complexos pelo método SSCP Workshop	Curso Avançado sobre Técnicas Eletroquímicas para a avaliação de constantes de estabilidade de complexos pelo método SSCP
2018 - 2018	Participação no workshop sobre Técnicas eletroanalíticas avançadas de especiação de metais Workshop	Técnicas eletroanalíticas avançadas de especiação de metais
2018 - 2018	Participação no workshop sobre Especiação termodinâmica de metais no meio ambiente (utilização do visual MINTEQ) Workshop	Especiação termodinâmica de metais no meio ambiente