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I hold both a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry, specializing in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, from FCUP, and recently, I finished my Ph.D. degree in Sustainable Chemistry. For the past years, I have worked as an Organic/Medicinal Chemist in the development and optimization of synthetic pathways, and the identification, purification, and characterization of organic compounds and peptides. This work has made me highly proficient in a wide range of laboratory equipment, analytical techniques (e.g. NMR, ESI- and LC-MS, HPLC, IR, and UV-Vis), and scientific software (e.g.ChemDraw, Mestrenova, Thermo Scalibur, GraphPad, Microsoft Office, and research databases). I consider myself an organized, creative, proactive, and dynamic person who continually seeks improvement and learning opportunities. I am used to working independently under strict deadlines and taking full responsibility for my research. My experience in both scientific and educational environments has greatly refined my analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and written or verbal communication skills. I have applied these skills in collaborating with cross-functional teams, mentoring young students, presenting at national and international conferences, and publishing in respected scientific journals.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Mélanie Fernandes Fonte
Date of birth
1995/08/01
Gender
Female

Citation names

  • Fonte M.
  • Melanie Fonte

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
F716-22E5-6487

Email addresses

  • melanie.fonte.6@gmail.com (Professional)
  • melanie.fonte@fc.up.pt (Professional)
  • melanief.fonte@gmail.com (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences - Organic Chemistry
  • Exact Sciences - Chemical Sciences

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Upper intermediate (B2) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2020/02/01 - 2024/02
Ongoing
PhD in Sustainable Chemistry (Doutoramento)
Major in Química Orgânica, Química Medicinal
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Portugal
"MISTRAL – novel 4-amino- and 4,9-diamino-acridines as MultI-STage antimalaRiALs" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2018/10/01 - 2018/10/13
Concluded
Curso Básico de Cultura de Células - Teórico-Prático (Outros)
Major in Cultura celular
Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto Francisco Gentil EPE, Portugal
2016 - 2018
Concluded
M.Sc. in Chemistry (Mestrado)
Major in Química Orgânica; Química Medicinal
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
"Síntese e estudo de compostos heteroaromáticos como potenciais antimaláricos multi-alvo" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
18 valores
2017 - 2017
Concluded
PEEC (Programa de estágios extra-curricular) (Outros)
Major in Química Orgânica, Química Medicinal, Química Terapêutica
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2013 - 2016/06
Concluded
B.Sc. in Chemistry (Licenciatura)
Major in Química Orgânica, Química Medicinal
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
"Síntese e caracterização de compostos heterocíclicos e organometálicos do fármaco primaquina " (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
15 valores
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2019/02/01 - 2020/01/30 Researcher (Research) REQUIMTE LAQV Porto, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2022 - 2024 NANOFOLD - Peptide foldamer-based nanostructures as potencial carriers of antiparasitic drugs
2021.09514.CBM
PhD Student Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2022/09/30 - 2023 AMAZING – AMAZonian snake toxins: creatING value from bioresources
PhD Student Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2019/02/01 - 2022/03/31 PEPALHEIRA - Whey proteins and derived antimicrobial PEPtide-based active edible coatings for ALHEIRA industry
PTDC/BAA-AGR/31798/2017
POCl-01-0145-FEDER-031798
Research Fellow
REQUIMTE LAQV Porto, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Melanie Fonte. Corresponding author: Melanie Fonte. "Cinnamci acid-acridine hybrids as multi-stage antiplasmodial leads". Paper presented in 15th National Organic Chemistry Meeting & 8th National Medicinal Chemistry Meeting, 2024.
  2. Melanie Fonte. Corresponding author: Melanie Fonte. "Synthesis and in vitro efficiency of 4-(N-Cinnamoylbutyl)aminoacridines against multi-stages of malaria parasites in the mammalian host". Paper presented in 10th EFMC Young Medicinal Chemists' Symposium, 2023.
  3. Melanie Fonte. Corresponding author: Melanie Fonte. "Novel 4-aminoacridine-cinnamic acid conjugates as multi-stage antiplasmodial hits". Paper presented in XXVI Encontro Galego PortUguês de Química, 2022.
  4. Melanie Fonte. Corresponding author: Melanie Fonte. "Novel 4-aminoacridine-cinnamic acid conjugates as multi-stage antiplasmodial hits". Paper presented in XXVII EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry, 2022.
  5. Fonte M.. "Novel 4-aminoacridinecinnamic acid conjugates as multi-stage antiplasmodial hits". Paper presented in XXVII EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry, 2022.
  6. Melanie Fonte; Natália Tassi; Oliveira, Hélder; Fernandes, Iva; Mateus, Nuno; Ferraz, Ricardo; Maria João Sinde Monteiro Pinto de Araújo; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Catia. Corresponding author: Teixeira, Catia. "4,9-diaminoacridines and 4-aminoacridines as potential antiproliferative hits". Paper presented in The 7th International Electronic Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, 2021.
  7. Fonte M.; Tassi, Natália; Fontinha, Diana; Bouzón-Arnáiz, Inés; Ferraz, Ricardo; Araújo, Maria João; Fernàndez-Busquets, Xavier; et al. "4,9-diaminoacridines and 4-aminoacridines as dual-stage antiplasmodial hits". Paper presented in XXVII Encontro Nacional da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, 2021.
  8. Fonte M.; Tassi, Natália; Fontinha, Diana; Bouzón-Arnáiz, Inés; Ferraz, Ricardo; Araújo, Maria João; Fernàndez-Busquets, Xavier; et al. "Novel dual-stage aminoacridine derivatives targeting the malaria parasite". Paper presented in Interfacing chemical biology and drug discovery, 2021.
  9. Fonte M.. "4,9-diaminoacridines and 4-aminoacridines as antiplasmodial dual-stage hits". Paper presented in 6th International Electronic Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, 2020.
  10. Fonte M.. "Effect on DNA structure and stability upon intercalation of a quinacrine analogue". Paper presented in IJUP 2020, 2020.
  11. Fonte M.. "Study of the interaction of a quinacrine analogue with double stranded DNA". Paper presented in IJUP 2020, 2020.
  12. Fonte, Mélanie; Tassi, Natália; Gomes, Ana; Ferraz, Ricardo; Prudêncio, Cristina; Araújo, Maria João; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "Development of a synthetic route towards N4,N9-disubstituted 4,9-diaminoacridines: On the way to multi-stage antimalarials". Paper presented in XXVI Encontro Nacional da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, 2019.
  13. Fonte, Mélanie; Tassi, Natália; João Araújo, Maria; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "New 4-aminoacridine analogues as promising dual-stage antimalarials". Paper presented in IJUP 2018 – Encontro de Investigação Jovem da Universidade do Porto, 2018.
  14. Fonte, Mélanie; Tassi, Natália; João Araújo, Maria; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "Novel 4,9-diaminoacridine derivatives as potential multi-target antimalarials.". Paper presented in IJUP 2018 – Encontro de Investigação Jovem da Universidade do Porto, 2018.
  15. Fonte, Mélanie; Tassi, Natália; João Araújo, Maria; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "Novel 4,9-diaminoacridine derivatives as potential multi-target antimalarials". Paper presented in 12ENQO/5EQT - 12º Encontro Nacional de Química Orgânica e 5º Encontro de Química Terapêutica, 2018.
Journal article
  1. Fonte, Mélanie; Rôla, Catarina; Santana, Sofia; Prudêncio, Miguel; Almeida, Joana; Ferraz, Ricardo; Prudêncio, Cristina; Teixeira, Cátia; Gomes, Paula. "Repurposing antiplasmodial leads for cancer: Exploring the antiproliferative effects of N-cinnamoyl-aminoacridines". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 111 (2024): 129894. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129894.
    10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129894
  2. Melanie Fonte. "Inhibition of Toxoplasma gondii growth by cinnamic acid-derived chloroquine analogues: a drug repurposing approach". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (2024):
    Submitted
  3. Fonte M.; Rôla, Catarina; Santana, Sofia; Avalos-Padilla, Yunuen; Fernàndez-Busquets, Xavier; Prudêncio, Miguel; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "Disclosure of cinnamic acid/4,9-diaminoacridine conjugates as multi-stage antiplasmodial hits". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 104 (2024): 117714. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117714.
    Published • 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117714
  4. Fonte M.; Teixeira, Cátia; Gomes, Paula. "Improved synthesis of antiplasmodial 4-aminoacridines and 4,9-diaminoacridines". RSC Advances 14 9 (2024): 6253-6261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4ra00091a.
    10.1039/d4ra00091a
  5. Fonte, Mélanie; Fontinha, Diana; Moita, Diana; Caño-Prades, Omar; Avalos-Padilla, Yunuen; Fernàndez-Busquets, Xavier; Prudêncio, Miguel; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "New 4-(N-cinnamoylbutyl)aminoacridines as potential multi-stage antiplasmodial leads". European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 258 (2023): 115575. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115575.
    10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115575
  6. Fonte, Mélanie; Tassi, Natália; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "Acridine-Based Antimalarials—From the Very First Synthetic Antimalarial to Recent Developments". Molecules 26 3 (2021): 600. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules26030600.
    Published • 10.3390/molecules26030600
  7. Fonte, Mélanie; Tassi, Natália; Fontinha, Diana; Bouzón-Arnáiz, Inés; Ferraz, Ricardo; Araújo, Maria J.; Fernàndez-Busquets, Xavier; et al. "4,9-Diaminoacridines and 4-Aminoacridines as Dual-Stage Antiplasmodial Hits". ChemMedChem (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.202000740.
    Published • 10.1002/cmdc.202000740
  8. Melanie Fonte; Fagundes, Natália; Gomes, Ana; Ferraz, Ricardo; Prudêncio, Cristina; Araújo, Maria João; Gomes, Paula; Teixeira, Cátia. "Development of a synthetic route towards N4,N9-disubstituted 4,9-diaminoacridines: On the way to multi-stage antimalarials". Tetrahedron Letters 60 17 (2019): 1166-1169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2019.03.052.
    Published • 10.1016/j.tetlet.2019.03.052
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Mélanie Fernandes da Fonte. "Síntese e estudo de compostos heteroaromáticos como potenciais antimaláricos multi-alvo". Master, Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10216/116705.
  2. Fonte, Mélanie. "Síntese e caracterização de compostos heterocíclicos e organometálicos do fármaco primaquina". Degree, Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, 2016.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2023/10/25 New 4-(N-cinnamoylbutyl)aminoacridines as potential multi-stage antiplasmodial leads LAQV-REQUIMTE Webinar
2023/07/25 New 4-(N-cinnamoylbutyl)aminoacridines as potential multi-stage antiplasmodial leads XXVIII Encontro Nacional da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química
(Aveiro, Portugal)
2022/10/13 Novel 4-amino- and 4,9-diamino-acridines as multi-stage antimalarials
University of Wroclaw (Poland)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2023/11/27 - 2033/11/29 Presence in the XVIII Iberian Peptide Meeting
Congress
XVIII Iberian Peptide Meeting
2024/02/08 - 2024/02/10 Demonstration of the importance of chemistry nowadays to high school students, using simple laboratory experiences. Dias Abertos FCUP
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2020/02/05 - 2020/02/07 Presence in the 17th Iberian Peptide Meeting.
Conference
17th Iberian Peptide Meeting
2017 - 2018 Supervision of high school students during the chemistry week event at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto.
Meeting
Lab week
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2022 - 2022 Repurposing antimalarials for toxoplasmosis: chemical synthesis and in vitro screening of cinnamic acid-antimalarial drug conjugates against Toxoplasma gondii (within the framework of B.Sc. project in Biochemistry at the FCUP/ICBAS) João Pedro Figueiredo
2021 - 2021 Solid-phase synthesis of bioactive peptides with therapeutic interest (Erasmus + mobility student) Martyna Marszalek
2019 - 2019 Síntese de um precursor da 4,9-diaminoacridina (within the framework of the curricular unit "Síntese de fármacos" of the 1st year of M.Sc. in Biochemistry at FCUP/ICBAS) Flávio Fernando da Costa Dionísio
2019 - 2019 Síntese de um precursor da 4,9-diaminoacridina (within the framework of the curricular unit "Síntese de fármacos" of the 1st year of M.Sc. in Biochemistry at FCUP/ICBAS) Jorge Gabriel de Sousa Oliveira
2019 - 2019 Síntese de um precursor da 4,9-diaminoacridina (within the framework of the curricular unit "Síntese de fármacos" of the 1st year of M.Sc. in Biochemistry at FCUP/ICBAS) Marta Maria Noutel Lorga Gomes
2017 - 2018 Reciclagem de fármacos antimaláricos clássicos: síntese de um derivado do núcleo da quinacrina (within the framework of B.Sc. project in Chemistry at FCUP) Ana Paula Oliveria Costa
Distinctions

Award

2017 Award Prof. Doutor Manuel Ribeiro da Silva: Best Master Student
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Other distinction

2024 Become a Master in HPLC Technique - Liquid Chromatography
Udemy Inc, United States
2024 Quality in Pharma Industry: Analytical Method Validation
Udemy Inc, United States
2024 Good Spectroscopy Practices: Why all the steps in Acquiring Spectra?
Bruker Corporation, United States
2024 Introduction to NMR Data Processing
Bruker Corporation, United States
2024 Introduction to Pharmaceutical Quality
GxpPro Ltd, United Kingdom
2024 Introduction to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
GxpPro Ltd, United Kingdom
2019 PhD Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal