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Nuno Santos Lab

Biomembranes & Nanomedicine

Nuno Santos Lab

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Group leader

Nuno Santos

Group Leader

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Biomembranes & Nanomedicine

Biochemical and biophysical processes occurring in membranes of human cells, and their viral, fungal and bacterial pathogens. Study of the infection cycle and strategies for the inactivation of enveloped viruses, namely SARS-CoV-2, influenza, dengue, West Nile and Zika viruses. Study of fibrinogen-erythrocyte and erythrocyte-erythrocyte binding as a risk determinant in different cardiovascular diseases. Participation on a European consortium working towards the development of a synthetic erythrocyte. Pre-clinical evaluation of membrane activity and mechanism of action of antimicrobial (AMP) and anticancer (ACP) peptides, by themselves, combined with metal nanoparticles. Development of antimicrobial surface coatings. Development of biosensor systems using innovative protein-ligand interactions (e.g., amyloid-based biosensors). Study of cell nucleus biomechanics in human physiological aging and protein-lipid interactions in the nuclear compartment.

Biophysics
Nanomedicine
Biosensors
Synthetic biology
Cardiovascular risk assessment
Enveloped viruses
Antimicrobial surface coatings
Antimicrobial peptides
Anticancer peptides
Nuclear membrane ageing
Atomic force microscopy

2025/2028: Nano2FILM – Targeted multiplexed lipid nanocarriers against drug-resistant bacterial biofilm. Participation: Nuno Santos. Funding Agency: European Commission (ERA4Health Joint Transnational Call for Proposals 2024 “Nano and advanced technologies for disease prevention, diagnostic and therapy” (NANOTECMEC)).

2025/2026: NucLeAR – Age-defying nucleus: targeting plasmalogens to reverse age-induced biomechanical decline. Coordinator: Maria João Sarmento. Funding Agency: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. Reference: 2023.12255.PEX.

2025/2026: SMART-DIET – Developing next-generation tools for surveillance and control of Aedes albopictus, a major vector of dengue and Zika viruses. Coordinator: Gonçalo Seixas. Funding Agency: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. Reference: 2023.15185.PEX.

2024/2026: SynEry – Bottom-up reconstruction of a Synthetic Erythrocyte: biophysical properties, biomechanical assessment and cell-cell interactions. Coordinator: Nuno Santos. Funding Agency: European Commission (HORIZON-EIC-2021-PATHFINDEROPEN-01; Project number: 101046894).

2023/2025: Res4PrioPath – An Integrated Antiviral Discovery Platform of Broad-Spectrum Small Molecule Inhibitors of Viral Targets from Priority Preparedness Pathogens. Coordinator: Nuno Santos. Funding Agency: European Commission (ISIDORe JRA Programme).

2023/2024: AMP-AgNP conjugates: the mutual reinforcement of antibacterial activity. Coordinator: Sónia Gonçalves. Funding Agency: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. Reference: 2022.01991.PTDC.

2023/2024: Biophysical studies of flavivirus capsid protein interactions with key biological targets to achieve its future inhibition. Coordinator: Ivo Martins. Funding Agency: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. Reference: 2022.02763.PTDC.

2023/2024: ImPlat: A single-cell platform to validate material scaffolds and drugs for the enhanced osteointegration of biomedical implants. Coordinator: Nuno Santos. Funding Agency: PRR (Call for Proposals: Human-Based Models as Drug Discovery Tools).

2022/2024: COMPLICE: COoperative Mechanical couPling of adherens junctions and focal adhesIons supporting breast CancEr progression. Coordinator: Nuno Santos. Funding Agency: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. Reference: PTDC/BIA-BFS/0812/2021.

2022/2024: Nano-coatings for prosthetics based on microbial phenazines conjugated with silver nanostars. Coordinator: Pedro Castro. Funding Agency: “la Caixa” Foundation. Reference: COLOR2COAT – CI23-10134.

2021/2024: Fibrinogen-erythrocyte interaction as a new approach on the early detection of thrombotic events in vascular diseases. Coordinator: Nuno Santos. Funding Agency: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. Reference: PTDC/EMD-TLM/7289/2020.

A.F. Guedes, F.A. Carvalho, I. Malho, N. Lousada, L. Sargento, N.C. Santos (2016). Atomic force microscopy as a tool to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular diseases in patients. Nature Nanotechnology 11: 687. https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2016.52.

A.F. Guedes, F.A. Carvalho, C. Moreira, J.B. Nogueira, N.C. Santos (2017). Essential arterial hypertension patients present higher cell adhesion forces, contributing to fibrinogen-dependent cardiovascular risk. Nanoscale 9(39): 14897. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7NR03891G.

A.F. Guedes, C. Moreira, J.B. Nogueira, N.C. Santos, F.A. Carvalho (2019). Fibrinogen-erythrocyte binding and hemorheology measurements in the assessment of essential arterial hypertension patients. Nanoscale 11(6): 2757. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NR04398A.

P.M. Silva, I.V. da Silva, M.J. Sarmento, Í.C. Silva, F.A. Carvalho, G. Soveral, N.C. Santos (2022). Aquaporin-3 and Aquaporin-5 facilitate migration and cell-cell adhesion in pancreatic cancer by modulating cell biomechanical properties. Cells 11(8): 1308. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11081308.

A.L. Tomás, A. Reichel, P.M. Silva, P.G. Silva, J. Pinto, I. Calado, J. Campos, I. Silva, V. Machado, R. Laranjeira, P. Abreu, P. Mendes, N.B. Sedrine, N.C. Santos (2022). UV-C irradiation-based inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in contaminated porous and non-porous surfaces. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B 234: 112531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2022.112531.

M.M. Domingues, F.A. Carvalho, N.C. Santos (2022). Nanomechanics of blood clot and thrombus formation. Annual Review of Biophysics 51: 201. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biophys-111821-072110.

M.C. Marques, D. Lousa, P.M. Silva, A.F. Faustino, C.M. Soares, N.C. Santos (2022). The importance of lipid conjugation on anti-fusion peptides against Nipah virus. Biomedicines 10: 703. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10030703.

M. Makowski, V.G. Almendro-Vedia, M.M. Domingues, O.L. Franco, I. López-Montero, M.N. Melo, N.C. Santos (2023). Activity modulation of the Escherichia coli F1FO ATP synthase by a designed antimicrobial peptide via cardiolipin sequestering. iScience 26: 107004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.107004.

C.S. Lopes, J. Curty, F.A. Carvalho, A. Hernández-Machado, K. Kinoshita, N.C. Santos, R.D.M. Travasso (2023). A mathematical model of fibrinogen-mediated erythrocyte-erythrocyte adhesion. Communications Biology 6: 192. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04560-4.

A.S. Martins, F.A. Carvalho, A.R. Nascimento, N.M. Silva, T.V. Rebelo, A.F. Faustino, F.J. Enguita, R.G. Huber, N.C. Santos, I.C. Martins (2024). Zika virus capsid protein closed structure modulates binding to host lipid systems. Protein Science 33: e5142. https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.5142.

2023: ULisboa / Caixa Geral de Depósitos Prize (Biology, Biological Engineering, Biochemistry and Biotechnology).

2017: ULisboa / Caixa Geral de Depósitos Prize (Biology, Biological Engineering, Biochemistry and Biotechnology).

2005: Dr. José Luís Champalimaud Prize on HIV Research (Applied Research and Technologies area).

2004: Dr. José Luís Champalimaud Prize on HIV Research (Basic Research area).

2001: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Prize in Biophysics.