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Francisco Seco (FC Seco), Research Assistant at the Bioinspired Peptide Systems Lab (Ana Pina Lab) at ITQB-NOVA. As a biochemist, my commitment to understanding the molecular complexity of life has evolved into a focused interest in developing peptide-based diagnostic platforms. Fueled by a deep interest in biology and chemistry, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at FCT NOVA in 2018, graduating with a grade of 16, placing me in the top quartile of my class. This foundational education solidified my proficiency in life sciences. During my final year, I completed my project with the NMR research group at FCT-NOVA on "Characterization of the interaction of the C-terminal domain of endolysin Twort with the peptidoglycan of S. aureus," aimed at developing a potencial tool to combat multi-resistant S. aureus infections using enzymes, thus decreasing antimicrobial resistance. This enhanced my knowledge of structural biochemistry, particularly through NMR techniques. During my project, I co-authored a poster presented at Microbiotec21, gaining valuable experience in scientific communication. Intrigued by this project, after my graduation in 2021, I pursued a summer internship in the same lab to deepen my practical skills. My commitment to biochemistry led me to a master’s degree, which I completed with a grade of 18/20 at FCT-NOVA, earning recognition as the top student for 2023/2024. In 2022, I was awarded the "VERÃO COM CIÊNCIA" 2022 scholarship funded by FCT-MCTES, which allowed me to continue my research on the project. Subsequently, I conducted my master's thesis on "S. aureus Peptidoglycan recognition by SH3b domains," still within the NMR research group, completing the research I began during my bachelor’s project and contributing to advances in the field. In addition to deepening my NMR techniques through various experiments, I expanded my knowledge in microbiology. I also presented this work at the “Annual Master’s Dissertations” event from the Chemistry Department at FCT-NOVA. Building on my expertise in NMR, in early 2024, I was selected for a fellowship within the project "Revolutionizing Electronic Skin: Biobatteries Powered by Collagen-based Biomaterials," funded by the "La Caixa" Foundation and Innovalley PoC, in collaboration between ITQB NOVA and Cenimat/I3N, to elucidate the structure of collagen-mimetic peptides. This critical work is aimed at establishing a foundation for peptide-based platforms, unlocking their potential to power biobatteries and advance the field of bioelectronics. Based on this work, I presented the poster “Collagen Mimetic Peptides Reimagined: The Role of Non-Biased Sequences in Structural Integrity” as first author and contributed as co-author to the poster “Functionalization of Supramolecular Peptide Materials for Electrochemical Applications.” Both were presented at the XIX Iberian Peptide Meeting held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Additionally, I contributed as co-first author to a review manuscript, currently available as a preprint on ChemRxiv. In October 2024, I further expanded my expertise by participating in the CERMAX Practical Course on Basic NMR, held at ITQB NOVA. This project has provided me with an insight into peptide supramolecular chemistry and encouraged me to explore innovative peptide-based tools for neurodegenerative disease diagnostics.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Francisco Seco
Date of birth
2000/08/01
Gender
Male

Citation names

  • Seco, Francisco
  • FC Seco

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
D017-325B-4F01
ORCID iD
0009-0002-2082-5758

Email addresses

  • franciscojfseco@gmail.com (Professional)
  • franciscojfseco@gmail.com (Professional)
  • fseco@itqb.unl.pt (Professional)

Addresses

  • Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Oeiras, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
  • Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences
  • 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
2021/09/15 - 2023/09/01
Concluded
Master's in Biochemistry (Mestrado)
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
"S. aureus Peptidoglycan recognition by SH3b domains" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
18
2018/09/15 - 2021/07/16
Concluded
Degree in Biochemistry (Licenciatura)
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2025/01/15 - Current Researcher (Research) Universidade Nova de Lisboa Centro de Investigação em Materiais, Portugal
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Centro de Investigação em Materiais, Portugal
(...)
2024/02/01 - 2024/12/31 Researcher (Research) Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal
2021/07/01 - 2021/08/01 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution
Employer
2017/07/05 - 2018/07/05 House Painting Assistant Jorge Pereira Pinturas, Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2024/02/01 - Current Revolutionizing Electronic Skin: Biobatteries Powered by Collagen-based biomaterials
CI23-10157
Research Fellow
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal
Fundação 'la Caixa'
Ongoing
2024/02/01 - Current COLL-BAT: Collagen-based biobatteries for electronic skin applications
IOVPoC-2022-07
Research Fellow
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal
Camara Municipal Oeiras
Ongoing
2022/09/01 - 2022/10/01 "VERÃO COM CIÊNCIA" 2022
"VERÃO COM CIÊNCIA" 2022
Researcher
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal

Unidade de Ciências Biomoleculares Aplicadas, Portugal
Unidade de Ciências Biomoleculares Aplicadas
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Seco, Francisco; Amador, Sandro Ivan Santos; Conzuelo, Felipe; Ana C. Baptista; Morgado, Leonor; Pina, Ana Sofia. Corresponding author: Pina, Ana Sofia. "Collagen Mimetic Peptides Reimagined: The Role of Non-Biased Sequences in Structural Integrity". Paper presented in XIX Iberian Peptide Meeting (EPI 2025), 2025.
  2. Amador, Sandro; Seco, Francisco; Conzuelo, Felipe; Ana C. Baptista; Morgado, Leonor; Pina, Ana Sofia. Corresponding author: Pina, Ana Sofia. "Functionalization of supramolecular peptide materials for electrochemical applications". Paper presented in XIX Iberian Peptide Meeting (EPI 2025), 2025.
  3. Rodrigo A. Francisco, Marlene P, Salvador Magrinho, Francisco C. Seco, Filipe Freire, Rita G. Sobral, Jorge S. Dias”. "The dual binding mode of Twort SH3b domain to Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan". Paper presented in CONGRESS OF MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021, 2021.
Preprint
  1. Seco, Francisco; Amador, Sandro; Conzuelo, Felipe; Baptista, Ana C.; Morgado, Leonor; Pina, Ana S.. Corresponding author: Pina, Ana S.. "Nature and mimetics: The PPII secondary structure in protein functionality and assembly of higher order structures". 2025. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-hsc7t.
    10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-hsc7t
Report
  1. Seco, Francisco. 2022. Interaction of MW2 endolysin with S. aureus peptidoglycan.
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "S. aureus Peptidoglycan recognition by SH3b domains". Master, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, 2023.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/07/19 Structural characterization of a collagen mimetic peptide (2/2) - Fourth Consortium Meeting Consortium Meeting : Revolutionizing Electronic skin, Biobatteries Powered by Collagen-based biomaterials
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA) (Oeiras , Portugal) (Oeiras, Portugal)
2024/05/03 Structural characterization of a collagen mimetic peptide (1/2) - Third Consortium Meeting Consortium Meeting : Revolutionizing Electronic skin, Biobatteries Powered by Collagen-based biomaterials
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA) (Oeiras , Portugal) (Oeiras, Portugal)
2024/04/05 Compilation of new NMR data of collagen mimetic - Second Consortium Meeting Consortium Meeting : Revolutionizing Electronic skin, Biobatteries Powered by Collagen-based biomaterials
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA) (Oeiras , Portugal)
2024/03/02 Application of NMR to determine the structure of a collagen mimetic - First Consortium Meeting Consortium Meeting : Revolutionizing Electronic skin, Biobatteries Powered by Collagen-based biomaterials
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA) (Oeiras , Portugal)
2023/02/27 S. aureus Peptidoglycan recognition by SH3b domains - JIM 2023 Jornadas Intercalares das Dissertações Anuais dos Mestrados dos Departamentos de Química e de Ciências da Vida 2023
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Costa da Caparica, Portugal)
2022/10/15 Interaction of MW2 endolysin with S.aureus peptidoglycan "VERÃO COM CIÊNCIA" 2022
Unidade de Ciências Biomoleculares Aplicadas (UCIBIO) (Costa da Caparica, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role)
Institution / Organization
2023/04/19 - 2023/04/19 EXPOFCT2023 - I engaged with high school students by performing demonstrative experiments in the field of biochemistry at FCT Chemistry Department's laboratories. This allowed me to provide students with insights into the course and its practical applications. (2023/04/19 - 2023/04/19)
Exhibition (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2025/03/15 - 2025/03/15 Presenter at "ITQB-NOVA Open Day 2025", where work being conducted in the scope of several lab projects at ITQB-NOVA is presented to the general community.
Other
ITQB-NOVA Open Day 2025
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal
2025/02/26 - 2025/02/28 Poster presenter at the "XIX Iberian Peptide Meeting" (EPI 2025), with the work "Collagen Mimetic Peptides Reimagined: The Role of Non-Biased Sequences in Structural Integrity"
Conference
XIX Iberian Peptide Meeting (EPI 2025)
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares, Spain

Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal
2024/10/07 - 2024/10/11 Participation in CERMAX practical course on Basic NMR
Workshop
CERMAX practical course on Basic NMR
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal
2024/09/27 - 2024/09/27 Participation in the European Researchers' Night Oeiras 2024. Held at the Oeiras Marina, I conducted illustrative experiments to showcase the scientific research carried out at ITQB NOVA's Chemistry Laboratories. This event offered the public a glimpse into the impact and importance of ongoing scientific studies.
Other
European Researchers' Night Oeiras 2024
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal
2024/04/23 - 2024/04/23 Presenter at "Outreach 2024 - ITQB-NOVA", where work being conducted in the scope of several lab projects at ITQB-NOVA is presented to students from secondary education.
Other
Outreach 2024 - ITQB-NOVA
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Portugal

Interview (newspaper / magazine)

Activity description Newspaper / Forum
2024/04/08 Interview about the "Revolutionizing Electronic Skin: Biobatteries Powered by Collagen-based biomaterials" project, funded by the "La Caixa" Foundation La Vanguardia
Distinctions

Award

2024 Distinction for Highest Academic Achievement in the Master's Degree in Biochemistry at FCT NOVA for the 2022/2023 academic year.
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Portugal