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The COVID19 pandemic highlighted the importance of medical microbiology in the preparedness to deal with diseases affecting the human population, particularly infections. Knowing the biology of agents, spreading routes, mechanisms by which these microbes evade the immune system and invade the susceptible host together with novel therapies to cope with the resistance to antimicrobials, is what the Medical Microbiology Research Group at CNC consider its mission in research. One of our objectives is to understand microbial pathogenesis and currently we are focused in understand how Candida spp. can modulate purine metabolism and adenosine A2A receptor to evade the immune system, especially in the elderly, more prone to severe diseases due to infection and to dysbiosis.
In the context of pathogenesis we are also studying melanin in the fungal cell wall and in extracellular vesicles, as an immunomodulator. The spreading of microbes in aerosols, is being studied in what concerns asthma (fungi) and Covid19 (SARS-CoV-2).
We are seeking for novel antimicrobials extracted from natural resources, an effort aligned with one of the UN 2030 Agenda, in the quest for therapeutic approaches to control biofilms and infection. We are provided with strong expertise in standard clinical microbiology methods but also with molecular biology tools. To accomplish its major goals, the group is using both in vivo and in vitro infection models and human samples, to study, e.g., gut inflammation and respiratory diseases, in collaboration with clinicians fostering interdisciplinarity and translation.
Keywords
Medical Microbiology
Infection
Pathogenesis
Antimicrobial Resistance
Fungal Pathogens
Research Lines
1 - Influence of the purinergic system in microbial evasion to the immune system in the elderly
2 - Role of melanin in filamentous fungi pathogenesis and antifungal resistance
3 - Natural extracts as a source of novel antimicrobials
4 - Aerosols as a source of microbial agents
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Ongoing Research Projects
- Candida spp. ectonucleotidases contribute to Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) escape
- Adenosine A2A receptor role in microbiota in the elderly
- Filamentous fungi EVs in the modulation of the immune system: role of melanin
- Environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in an hemodialysis unit: a quest for preventing transmission in healthcare facilities
- Antifungal and antibacterial activity of plant extracts
External collaborations
Isabel Ferreira – BioChemCore, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Portugal (http://esa.ipb.pt/biochemcore/index.php/team/head)
Acácio Gonçalves Rodrigues - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Portugal (http://cintesis.eu/pt/acacio-rodrigues/)
Arturo Casadevall - John Hopkins School of Medicine, USA (https://www.jhsph.edu/faculty/directory/profile/3126/arturo-casadevall)
Ana Todo-Bom/António Carlos Miguéis – Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal
José Roberto Meyer Fernandes – Federal University of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (http://ibqm.bioqmed.ufrj.br/docentes/?u=meyer&area=pub_cientificas)
Felix Marcos Tejedor – University of Castilla La Mancha (Spain)
João Miguel Santos – Dentistry Department, FMUC, Portugal
Manuel Carlos Gameiro Silva - ADAI-LAETA, Mechanical Engineering Dept, UC, Portugal
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Selected Publications
Correia G, Rodrigues L, Gameiro da Silva M, Gonçalves T. Airborne route and bad use of ventilation systems as non-negligible factors in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Medical Hypotheses. 2020 Apr;141:109781. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109781.
Almeida MC, Antunes D, Silva BMA, Rodrigues L, Mota M, Borges O, Fernandes C, Gonçalves T (2019). Early Interaction of Alternaria infectoria Conidia with Macrophages. Mycopathologia. 2019 Jun 11. doi: 10.1007/s11046-019-00339-6.
Silva P, Fernandes C, Barros L, Ferreira ICS, Pereira L and Gonçalves T (2018). The antifungal activity of extracts of Osmundea pinnatifida, an edible seaweed, indicates its usage as a safe environmental fungicide or as food additive preventing post-harvest fungal food contamination. Food Funct. 2018 Dec 13;9(12):6187-6195. doi: 10.1039/C8FO01797B
Silva JCP, Mota M, Martins FO, Nogueira C, Gonçalves T, Carneiro T, Pinto J, Duarte D, Barros AS, Jones JG, Gil AM (2018). Intestinal Microbial and Metabolic Profiling of Mice Fed with High-Glucose and High-Fructose Diets. J Proteome Res. 17:2880-2891. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00354
Diogo P, Fernandes C, Caramelo F, Mota M, Miranda IM, Faustino MAF, Neves MGPMS, Uliana MP, de Oliveira KT, Santos JM and Gonçalves T (2017) Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy against Endodontic Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans Mono and Mixed Biofilms in the Presence of Photosensitizers: A Comparative Study with Classical Endodontic Irrigants. Front. Microbiol. 8:498. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00498
Rodrigues L, Miranda IM, Andrade GM, Mota M, Cortes L, Rodrigues AG, Cunha RA, Gonçalves T (2016). Blunted dynamics of adenosine A2A receptors is associated with increased susceptibility to Candida albicans infection in the elderly. Oncotarget, 7:62862-62872. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.11760
Rodrigues L, Russo-Abrahão T, Cunha RA, Gonçalves T and Meyer-Fernandes JR (2016) Characterisation of extracellular nucleotide metabolism in Candida albicans. FEMS Microbiol Lett 363:fnv212. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnv212
Soares R, Rocha G, Meliço-Silvestre A, and Gonçalves T (2016). HIV1-viral protein R (Vpr) mutations: associated phenotypes and relevance for clinical pathologies. Rev Med Virol, 26:314-329. doi: 10.1002/rmv.1889.
Fernandes C, Prados-Rosales R, Silva B, Nakouzi-Naranjo A, Zuzarte M, Chatterjee S, Stark RE, Casadevall A, Gonçalves T (2016). Activation of melanin synthesis in Alternaria infectoria by antifungal drugs. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 60 (3): 1646-1655. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02190-15
Silva BMA, Prados-Rosales R, Espadas-Moreno J, Wolf JM, Luque-Garcia JL, Gonçalves T, Casadevall A (2014). Characterization of Alternaria infectoria extracellular vesicles. Medical Mycology. 52: 202-210. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myt003
Nogueira C, Mota M, Gradiz R, Cipriano MA, Caramelo F, Cruz H, Alarcão A, E Sousa FC, Oliveira F, Martinho F, Pereira JM, Figueiredo P and Leitão M. (2017) Prevalence and characteristics of Epstein–Barr virus-associated gastric carcinomas in Portugal. Infect Agent Cancer. doi:10.1186/s13027-017-0151-8.
Soares R, Rocha G, Meliço-Silvestre A and Gonçalves T. (2016) HIV1-viral protein R (Vpr) mutations: associated phenotypes and relevance for clinical pathologies. Rev Med Virol. doi: 10.1002/rmv.1889.
Soares R, Rocha G, Nogueira C, Meliço-Silvestre A and Gonçalves T. (2013) Simultaneous R77Q and Q3R HIV1-Vpr mutations in an otherwise asymptomatic 5-year old child with repeated ear infections. JMM Case Rep. doi: 10.1099/jmmcr.0.002709
Coelho C, Tesfa L, Zhang J, Rivera J, Gonçalves T and Casadevall A.(2012) Analysis of Cell cycle and Replication of Mouse Macrophages after in vivo and in vitro Cryptococcus neoformans infection using Laser Scanning Cytometry. Infect Immun. doi: 10.1128/IAI.06332-11.
Anjos J, Fernandes C, Abrunheiro A, Quintas C, Silva BMA, Gow NAR and Gonçalves T. (2012) Beta-(1,3) – Glucan synthase complex from Alternaria infectoria, a rare dematiaceous human pathogen. Med Mycol. doi: 10.3109/13693786.2012.675525.
Alves M, Gonçalves T and Quintas C. (2012) Microbial quality and yeast population dynamics in cracked green table olives’ fermentations. Food Control. doi: org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2011.07.033.
Santo DE, Galego L, Gonçalves T and Quintas C.(2012) Yeast diversity in the Mediterranean strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits’ fermentations. Food Research International. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2012.01.009.
Costenla AR, Diógenes MJ, Canas PM, Rodrigues RJ, Nogueira C, Maroco J, Agostinho PM, Ribeiro JA, Cunha RA and de Mendonça A. (2011) Enhanced role of adenosine A2A receptors in the modulation of LTP in the rat hippocampus upon ageing. Eur J Neurosci. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07719.x.
Medeiros JA, Gonçalves TM, Boyanova L, Pereira MI, de Carvalho JN, Pereira AM and Cabrita AM. (2011) Evaluation of Helicobacter pylori eradication by triple therapy plus Lactobacillus acidophilus compared to triple therapy alone. Evaluation of Helicobacter pylori eradication by triple therapy plus Lactobacillus acidophilus compared to triple therapy alone. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. doi: 10.1007/s10096-010-1119-4.
Ricardo E, Silva AP, Gonçalves T, Costa de Oliveira S, Granato C, Martins J, Rodrigues AG and Pina-Vaz C. (2011). Candida krusei reservoir in a neutropaenia unit: molecular evidence of a foe? Clin Microbiol Infect. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2010.03223.x.
Paulo C, Mourão C, Veiga PM, Marques JM, Rocha G, Alves AF, Querol A, Meliço-Silvestre AA, Gonçalves I, Flores, Clemente C and Gonçalves T. (2009) Retrospective analysis of clinical yeast isolates in a hospital in the centre of Portugal: spectrum and revision of the identification procedures. Med Mycol. doi: 10.3109/13693780802709081.
Hipolito E, Faria E, Alves AF, de Hoog GS, Anjos J, Gonçalves T, Morais PV and Estevão H. (2009) Alternaria infectoria brain abscess in a child with chronic granulomatous disease. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. doi: 10.1007/s10096-008-0623-2.
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GROUP LEADER AND PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Teresa Gonçalves, PhD
Email
ORCID ID
Ciência Vitae
Obtained her Ph.D. at the Gulbenkian Institute of Science, in mycology. After a period as R&D director at a pharmaceutical company become Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon. In 2000 moved to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, as Assistant Professor. Now, she helds a position of Associated Professor with Habilitation (Agregação) in Biomedical Sciences, with a specialization in medical mycology. Since 2004 she is Principal Investigator of the Medical Microbiology Group at CNC.
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