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Margarida Ribeiro Vilaça. She completed the BSc in Biochemistry (2021; final classification – 17/ 20) and the MSc in Biochemistry (2023; final classification – 19/ 20) by the Faculty of Sciences (FCUP) and the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) from the University of Porto (U. Porto). She has been part of the team of the Laboratory of Histology and Embryology from ICBAS – U. Porto since 2019, and the Team of Animal Morphology and Toxicology, from the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR – U. Porto) since 2021, where she has used fish models in ecotoxicology and mechanistic toxicology studies. Very soon after enrolling in the BSc’s first year, she started a voluntary internship in the Laboratory of Histology and Embryology from ICBAS – U. Porto. She learned and improved basic histological techniques, which she put into practice in the BSc’s final internship project (final classification: 20/ 20). In this project, she studied the independent and combined effects of a warmer temperature and 17a-ethynylestradiol in guppy liver. Indeed, she evaluated some biometric parameters such as the liver mass (and volume), the hepatic cellularity and the volume of the hepatocytes (and respective nucleus). This practical work had been continued until very recently, and a paper describing was published in July 2025. In her MSc dissertation (final classification: 19/ 20), replaced the previous in vivo model with an in vitro one. Specifically, she worked with a 2D culture of a cell line derived from rainbow trout liver (RTL-W1) and developed a 3D model from the same cell line. With the 2D model, studied the combined effects of temperature and pollutants prevalent in aquatic ecosystems (the endocrine disruptors and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). She published two original articles about the dissertation work. The 3D model was created using ultra-low attachment plates and is under morphological (biometric parameters and cytology) and functional characterisation. During the MSc, acquired experience in cell culture and molecular biology techniques. The works that have developed were already presented at the following international conferences (as posters): “XIII Congress of the Iberian Association of Comparative Endocrinology – AIEC (Online)”, “SETAC Europe 2022 – SETAC Europe 32nd Annual Meeting”, “XIV Congress of the Iberian Association of Comparative Endocrinology – AIEC (Bilbao)” and at “The 1st International Electronic Conference on Toxics” (as oral presentation). She acquired some teaching experience while working in study rooms and is currently an Invited Assistant, teaching practical lessons in Histology and Embryology to Medicine and Dental Medicine. She enrolled in the PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the beginning of 2025.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Margarida Ribeiro Vilaça
Date of birth
2000/02/03
Gender
Female

Citation names

  • Vilaça, Margarida
  • Vilaça, M.
  • Vilaça, M. R.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
F81B-8C90-A0E8
ORCID iD
0009-0006-0441-1343

Email addresses

  • up201804847@edu.icbas.up.pt (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Upper intermediate (B2) Advanced (C1) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2)
Education
Degree Classification
2024 - 2029
Ongoing
PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Doutoramento)
University of Porto - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Portugal
2021/10 - 2023/11/30
Concluded
MSc in Biochemistry (Mestrado)
University of Porto - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Portugal

University of Porto - Faculty of Science, Portugal
"Effects of warming and some aquatic pollutants on the cytology and expression of detoxification, estrogenic and stress-related genes in trout liver cells" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
19
2018/09/13 - 2021/09/10
Concluded
BSc in Biochemistry (Licenciatura)
University of Porto - Faculty of Science, Portugal

University of Porto - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Portugal
17
Affiliation

Positions / Appointments

Category
Host institution
Employer
2021/03 - Current Member of the Team of Animal Morphology and Toxicology University of Porto - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2022/09/30 - 2023/11/30 ATLANTIDA
NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000040
Collaborator
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Esteves, T.; Vilaça, Margarida; Seabra, Rosária; Malhão, F.; Rocha, Eduardo; Lopes, Célia. Corresponding author: Esteves, T.. "Optimisation of three-dimensional cultures of the RTL-W1 liver cell line to model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon effects on liver detoxification". Paper presented in The 2nd International Online Conference on Toxics, 2025.
  2. Vilaça, Margarida; Esteves, Telma; Seabra, Rosária; Lopes, Célia; Rocha, Eduardo. "Unravelling the effects of benzo[k]fluoranthene and temperature on the expression of detoxification genes in the rainbow trout liver RTL-W1 cell line". Paper presented in The 1st International Electronic Conference on Toxics, 2024.
  3. Vilaça, Margarida; Esteves, Telma; Seabra, Rosária; Lopes, Célia; Rocha, Eduardo. "Unveiling the combined effects of temperature and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the trout RTL-W1 cell line". Paper presented in PRIMO22, 2024.
    Accepted
  4. Vilaça, Margarida; Seabra, Rosária; Lopes, Célia; Rocha, Eduardo. "Temperature and Endocrine-Disruptors Effects in the Trout Liver RTL-W1 Cell Line.". Paper presented in XIV CONGRESS OF THE IBERIAN ASSOCIATION OF COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY – AIEC, 2023, 2023.
  5. Vilaça, Margarida; Rocha, Maria João; Tantiwisawaruji, Sukanlaya; Rocha, Eduardo. "Studying the Effects of a Xenoestrogen and Warmer Temperature on the Guppy Fish Liver Size and Cellularity.". Paper presented in 32nd SETAC Annual Meeting, 2022, 2022.
  6. Vilaça, Margarida; Rocha, Maria João; Tantiwisawaruji, Sukanlaya; Rocha, Eduardo. "Does Warming Model the Way Xenoestrogens Impact Fish Liver Mass, Cell Size and Cellularity? Let's Find Out Using the Guppy Fish!". Paper presented in XIII CONGRESS OF THE IBERIAN ASSOCIATION OF COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY – AIEC, 2021, 2021.
Journal article
  1. Vilaça, Margarida; Tantiwisawaruji, Sukanlaya; Rocha, Maria João; Rocha, Eduardo. "High Temperature and Ethinylestradiol May Reduce Body Growth, Liver and Hepatocyte Volumes and Lipid Droplets in Adult Male Guppies". Animals 15 14 (2025): 2152. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142152.
    Open access • Published • 10.3390/ani15142152
  2. Vilaça, Margarida; Esteves, Telma; Seabra, Rosária; Rocha, Eduardo; Lopes, Célia. "Unveiling the Effects of Two Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Two Temperatures on the Trout RTL-W1 Cell Line Expression of Detoxification-Related Target Genes". Journal of Xenobiotics 15 3 (2025): 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/jox15030084.
    Open access • Published • 10.3390/jox15030084
  3. Margarida Vilaça; Célia Lopes; Rosária Seabra; Eduardo Rocha. "17a-Ethynylestradiol and Levonorgestrel Exposure of Rainbow Trout RTL-W1 Cells at 18 °C and 21 °C Mainly Reveals Thermal Tolerance, Absence of Estrogenic Effects, and Progestin-Induced Upregulation of Detoxification Genes". Genes (2024): https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15091189.
    10.3390/genes15091189
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Effects of warming and some aquatic pollutants on the cytology and expression of detoxification, estrogenic and stress-related genes in trout liver cells". Master, Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, 2023.
  2. Vilaça, Margarida. "Temperatura elevada e 17a-etinilestradiol influenciam a massa hepática e a celularidade e volume de hepatócitos em peixes? Um estudo estereológico em guppy macho". Degree, Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, 2021.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/03/20 Unravelling the effects of benzo[k]fluoranthene and temperature on the expression of detoxification genes in the rainbow trout liver RTL-W1 cell line (1st author) The 1st International Electronic Conference on Toxics

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2025/09/20 - 2025/09/20 At the CIIMAR Open Day, the research groups from this institution exposed to the general public all the work they perform in their labs and allowed the public to experience for a moment what it is to be a scientist. CIIMAR Open Day
University of Porto - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Portugal
2024/09/22 - 2024/09/22 At the CIIMAR Open Day, the research groups from this institution exposed to the general public all the work they perform in their labs and allowed the public to experience for a moment what it is to be a scientist. CIIMAR Open Day
University of Porto - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Portugal
2024/07/01 - 2024/07/26 Participation as a mentor in Junior University 2024 Junior University
University of Porto - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Portugal
2017 - 2021 The Literary Festival "Escritaria de Penafiel" makes a tribute to an author (and respective oeuvre) from Portugal or the Portuguese communities in life. During the Festival, there are numerous events around the oeuvre of the honoured author, including street theatre, in which I had the pleasure to participate (I had been part of the theatre company O Andaime/ Boca do Mundo). I enrolled in 5 editions of the Festival: in 2017 (with Miguel Sousa Tavares), 2018 (Pepetela), 2019 (Manuel Alegre), 2020 (Mário Zambujal) and 2021 (Germano de Almeida).
Festival
Festival Literário Escritaria
Câmara Municipal de Penafiel, Portugal

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2007/06 - 2015 Guide Association of Portugal (association of public utility) As a member of this Association, I learned to live in the patrol, live in the outdoors, I learned the commitment to the community and experienced volunteering service, among other.

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2024/09/16 - Current Invited Assistant, teaching practical classes in the Histology and Embryology curricular unit (Mestrado integrado)