Maria Inês da Costa Pacheco (E41D-49F2-A2A5)

Curriculum Vitae

Maria Inês da Costa Pacheco

Maria Inês Pacheco has a MSc. in Molecular Genetics, from the University of Minho, and a BSc. in Genetics and Biotechnology, from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. Currently, she is a PhD candidate at the University of Minho’s Doctoral Program in Molecular and Environmental Biology, under the specialization of Health and Cellular Biology (FCT Grant Ref. UI/BD/150872/2021). Her research focuses on addressing the challenges posed by the emergence of resistant fungal species and the limited availability of antifungal therapies. Specifically, she explores the potential of benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives as antifungal agents against Candida, in a multidisciplinary approach that combines organic chemistry, microbiology, and cell biology. In her work, Maria Inês Pacheco evaluates the antifungal activity of these novel compounds, while also assessing their cytotoxicity and interaction with immune cells. During the past years, she has also been involved in the development of vaccine formulations targeting systemic infections caused by Candida albicans, being part of the team that explored the fungal recombinant chitinase, Cht3 from C. albicans, expressed in Pichia pastoris. The designed lipid antigen delivery system has shown promise as a potential candidate for future fungal vaccine development.

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Identification

Personal identification

Full name: Maria Inês da Costa Pacheco
Date of birth: 1995/11/07
Gender: Female

Citation names

Pacheco, Maria Inês

Author identifiers

Ciência ID: E41D-49F2-A2A5
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7416-6965

Email addresses

id9455@alunos.uminho.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Microbiology
Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences - Organic Chemistry
Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Health-Related Biotechnology
Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology

Languages

Language	Speaking	Reading	Writing	Listening	Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English	Advanced (C1)	Advanced (C1)	Advanced (C1)	Advanced (C1)

Education

	Degree	Classification
2020/12/01 - 2024/11/30 Ongoing	Molecular and Environmental Biology (Doutoramento) Major in Health and Celular Biology Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal "Development of a new antifungal strategy based on lipid-encapsulated benzo[a]phenoxazines" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2022/07 - 2022/07 Concluded	Protein Degradation and Trafficking in Health and Disease (Outros) Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal	18
2022/05 - 2022/05 Concluded	Metabolic Engineering (Outros) Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal	20
2021/10 - 2021/11 Concluded	Science Communication Course (Outros) Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal	19
2021/06 - 2021/06 Concluded	Bionanoparticles: challenges and therapeutic opportunities (Outros) Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal	17
2020/09 - 2020/10 Concluded	Antimicrobial resistance - theory and methods (online via Coursera.org) (Outros) Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Denmark
2020/08 - 2020/09 Concluded	Writing in the Sciences (online via Coursera.org) (Outros) Stanford University School of Medicine, United States
2016/09 - 2019/07 Concluded	Molecular Genetics (Mestrado) Universidade do Minho, Portugal "Is vaccine efficacy regulated by the gut microbiome? (Classification: 19/20)" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	18
2017/06 - 2017/06 Concluded	Mammalian and yeast as complementary cell models in programmed cell death and autophagy (Outros) Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal	17
2017/05 - 2017/05 Concluded	Cancer Therapy: From Basic Research to Clinic (Outros) Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal	18
2017/03 - 2017/04 Concluded	Molecular Nutrition (Outros) Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal	16
2013/09 - 2016/07 Concluded	Genetics and Biotechnology (Licenciatura) Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Escola de Ciências da Vida e do Ambiente, Portugal	16

Affiliation

Others

	Category Host institution	Employer
2022/12 - 2023/09	Lab Coordinator	Universidade do Minho Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental, Portugal

Projects

Grant

	Designation	Funders
2020/12/01 - Current	Development of a new antifungal strategy based on lipid-encapsulated benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives UI/BD/150872/2021 10.54499/UI/BD/150872/2021 PhD Student Fellow Universidade do Minho, Portugal	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Ongoing
2019/12/01 - 2020/06/30	INOVCONTROLFIL: Innovative strategies to control filamentous overgrowth in activated sludge wastewater treatment PTDC/AAG-TEC/3331/2014 Research Fellow Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Autoridade de Gestão do Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização Concluded

Outputs

Publications

Conference poster	Pacheco, Maria Inês; Guimarães, Bárbara S. G. ; Gonçalves, M. Sameiro T.; Sousa, Maria João; Sampaio, Paula. "Benzo[a]phenoxazines as Potential Antifungal Agents against Candida". Paper presented in Virtual Conference on Chemistry and its Applications (VCCA), 2024. Pacheco, Maria Inês; Guimarães, Bárbara S. G. ; Gonçalves, M. Sameiro T.; Sousa, Maria João; Sampaio, Paula. "Synergistic effects of fluconazole and benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives on resistant Candida spp". Paper presented in Encontro de Ciência 2024, 2024. Pacheco, Maria Inês; Guimarães, Bárbara S. G. ; Gonçalves, M. Sameiro T.; Sousa, Maria João; Sampaio, Paula. "Exploring benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives as antifungal agents against Candida". Paper presented in UMinho Research and Innovation Open Days, 2024. Pacheco, Maria Inês; Guimarães, Bárbara S. G. ; Gonçalves, M. Sameiro T.; Sousa, Maria João; Sampaio, Paula. "Evaluation of benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives in antifungal strategies against Candida infections". Paper presented in I CBMA Open Day & II PhD\|Bio Symposium, 2024. Pacheco, Maria Inês; Gonçalves, M. Sameiro T.; Sousa, Maria João; Sampaio, Paula. "Development of a new antifungal strategy based on lipid-encapsulated benzo[a]phenoxazines". Paper presented in I Symposium PhDBio, 2023. Costa-Barbosa, Augusto; Pacheco, Maria Inês; Ferreira, Diogo; Correia, Alexandra; Collins, Tony; Sampaio, Paula. "Candida albicans chitinase Cht3: a novel vaccine antigen against fungal systemic infections". Paper presented in III Chemical & Biological Engineering Doctoral Symposium, 2022. Pacheco, Maria Inês; Costa-Barbosa, Augusto; Barbosa, Ana Margarida; Gouveia-Dias, Marisol; Carvalho-Pereira, Joana; Real Oliveira, M. Elisabete C.D.; Pais, Célia; et al. "Evaluation of the liposome properties in the development of immune response during an immunization protocol with C. albicans proteins loaded on DODAB:MO liposomes". Paper presented in V Symposium of the Doctoral Program on Molecular and Environmental Biology, 2019.
Journal article	Pereira-Silva, Patrícia; Pacheco, Maria Inês; Borges, Joel; Vaz, Filipe; Sampaio, Paula. "Synergistic Effect of ZnO Thin Films with Gold as Antifungal Coatings". Advanced Engineering Materials 26 13 (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adem.202400342. Published • 10.1002/adem.202400342 Costa-Barbosa, Augusto; Ferreira, Diogo; Pacheco, Maria Inês; Casal, Margarida; Duarte, Henrique Oliveira; Gomes, Catarina; Barbosa, Ana Margarida; et al. "Candida albicans chitinase 3 with potential as a vaccine antigen: production, purification, and characterisation". Biotechnology Journal 19 1 (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.202300219. Published • 10.1002/biot.202300219 Costa-Barbosa, Augusto; Pacheco, Maria Inês; Carneiro, Catarina; Botelho, Cláudia; Gomes, Andreia C.; Real Oliveira, M. Elisabete C.D.; Collins, Tony; et al. "Design of a lipid nano-delivery system containing recombinant Candida albicans chitinase 3 as a potential vaccine against fungal infections". Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 166 (2023): 115362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115362. Published • 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115362
Thesis / Dissertation	Pacheco, Maria Inês. "Is vaccine efficacy regulated by the gut microbiome?". Master, Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, 2019.

Activities

Oral presentation

	Presentation title	Event name Host (Event location)
2020/09/24	Isolation and characterization of a new bacteriophage against Rhodococcus erythropolis	European Biotechnology Congress 2020 (Prague, Czech Republic)
2019/10/10	Candida albicans chitinase Cht3: production, purification, characterisation and use as a vaccine antigen	V Symposium of the Doctoral Program on Molecular and Environmental Biology (Braga, Portugal)

Event organisation

	Event name Type of event (Role)	Institution / Organization
2016/03/10 - 2016/03/12	VIII Jornadas de Genética e Biotecnologia (2016/03/10 - 2016/03/12) Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)	Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Escola de Ciências da Vida e do Ambiente, Portugal

Event participation

	Activity description Type of event	Event name Institution / Organization
2024/08/12 - 2024/08/16	Virtual Conference on Chemistry and its Applications (VCCA) Conference	Virtual Conference on Chemistry and its Applications (VCCA) University of Mauritius, Mauritius
2024/07/03 - 2024/07/05	Encontro de Ciência 2024 Meeting	Encontro de Ciência 2024 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2024/02/02 - 2024/02/02	I CBMA Open Day and II PhDBio Symposium Symposium	Universidade do Minho Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental, Portugal
2024/01/30 - 2024/01/31	UMinho Research and Innovation Open Days Exhibition	Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2023/02/08 - 2023/02/08	I Simpósio PhDBio Symposium	Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2022/09/30 - 2022/09/30	European Researchers' Night Exhibition	Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
2021/09/24 - 2021/09/24	European Researchers’ Night Exhibition	Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
2021/01/18 - 2021/01/18	Communication and Interpersonal Relationships (online) Workshop	Soft Skills Training Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2020/11/30 - 2020/11/30	How to prepare a proposal for a review article? (online) Workshop	Writing Skills Module Elsevier BV, Netherlands
2020/11/19 - 2020/11/19	IMARIS Virtual European Open Day (online) Other	IMARIS Virtual European Open Day Oxford Instruments plc, United Kingdom
2020/11/18 - 2020/11/18	Emotions Management (online) Workshop	Soft Skills Training Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2020/11/16 - 2020/11/18	Scientific Writing: General Principles for Obtaining a Scientific Publication (online) Workshop	Scientific Writing Webinar Ready to Pub, Portugal
2020/11/03 - 2020/11/03	Towards A Circular Bioeconomy: Volatile Fatty Acid Platform For Biowaste Recycling (online) Conference	Volatile Conference Tecnalia Corporación Tecnológica, Spain
2020/10/23 - 2020/10/23	Good practices in the use of laboratory equipment Workshop	Universidade do Minho Departamento de Biologia, Portugal
2020/10/22 - 2020/10/22	Laboratory Safety: general rules, protective equipment, waste and spills Workshop	Universidade do Minho Departamento de Biologia, Portugal
2019/11/28 - 2019/11/28	Volatile Workshop & Roundtable: New value for wastes towards a circular economy Workshop	Volatile Workshop & Roundtable Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2019/10/10 - 2019/10/10	V Symposium of the Doctoral Program on Molecular and Environmental Biology Symposium	V Symposium of the Doctoral Program on Molecular and Environmental Biology Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2018/10/15 - 2018/10/16	INL Summit 2018: “Nanotechnology: Enabling the New Economy” Conference	INL Summit International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal
2017/10/19 - 2017/10/20	INL Summit 2017: "Nanotechnology: The New Economy" Conference	INL Summit International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal
2015/03/26 - 2015/03/28	VII Jornadas de Genética e Biotecnologia Conference	Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Escola de Ciências da Vida e do Ambiente, Portugal
2014/03/06 - 2014/03/09	VI Jornadas de Genética e Biotecnologia & II Encontro Nacional de Biotecnologia Conference	Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Escola de Ciências da Vida e do Ambiente, Portugal

Committee member

	Activity description Role	Institution / Organization
2021/11 - 2023/10	Secretary of the PhD Students' Group of the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology Member	Universidade do Minho Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental, Portugal
2015 - 2016	Member of the Culture and Scientific Review Department of the “ADNGB –Núcleo de Estudantes de Genética e Biotecnologia" Member	Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Escola de Ciências da Vida e do Ambiente, Portugal

Mentoring / Tutoring

	Topic	Student name
2023/02 - 2023/03	Characterization of liposomes containing benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives (in the scope of "No Centro da Ação" from the Biology Department of UMinho)	Mariana Ferreira
2023/02 - 2023/03	Characterization of liposomes containing benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives (in the scope of "No Centro da Ação" from the Biology Department of UMinho)	Renata Ferreira