57 documents found, page 1 of 6
Selection of aptamers to target enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections
Campos, Ana Maria; Barros, Maria Margarida; Oliveira, Ricardo; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis; Araújo, Daniela Eira; Outor-Monteiro, Divanildo[Excerpt] Introduction Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the leading cause of enteric infections in swine, resulting in significant costs for the industry (1 ). Initial adhesion to the intestinal epithelium relies on fimbriae, with F4 and F18 types being most associated with enteric infections. The traditional use of antibiotics for prevention and treatment is increasingly restricted due to rising anti...
Evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of current methods to control fire blight ...
Araújo, Daniela Eira; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis; Vindeirinho, João; McGuire, Daniel; Cruz, Leonor; Almeida, Carina Manuela Fernandes[Excerpt] Erwinia amylovora, a major pathogenic bacterium affecting pome fruit plants, causes fire blight, a devastating disease of pears and apples (1 ]. lnfection typically begins in flowers and leads to the blackening of leaves, stems, and immature fruits (2). E. amy/ovora is widespread in North and Central America and Europe and spreads through insects, rain, wind, infected propagating material, and non-dis...
Swine industry: validated PCR-based method for detecting enterotoxigenic Escher...
Barros, Margarida; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis; Oliveira, Ricardo; Campos, Ana Maria; Araújo, Daniela; Silva, Sónia Carina; Almeida, Gonçalo Nieto[Excerpt] Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) infections lead to significant costs for the swine industry worldwide. Bacterial fimbriae (F4/F5/F6/F18/F41) allow the adhesion of the bacteria to epithelial cells, and when both the immunological systems and the gut mic ro biota are poorly developed, ETEC colonizes and produces one or more enterotoxins (LT/ STa/ STb) that can have local and systemic effects. Therefore, ...
Assessing host-adaptation of new sequence types of livestock-associated methici...
Oliveira, Ricardo; Araújo, Daniela; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis; Nogueira, Teresa; Almeida, Gonçalo; Azevedo, Nuno F.; Almeida, CarinaThe importance of animals as reservoirs of human pathogens is widely recognised, with livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) being consistently reported. This study presents a phenotypic and genotypic characterization of five MRSA isolates from raw bovine milk in northern Portugal, using culturomics and whole genome sequencing (WGS), to assess their potential risk for human i...
Students' summer internships in a research centre: the impact on scientific lit...
Saraiva, Elisa; Silva, Sónia Carina; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis; Araújo, Daniela; Almeida, Carina Manuela Fernandes; Azevedo, Maria ManuelScience communication is crucial for engaging society in real-life contexts. In this line of thought, research centres play a pivotal role in promoting dynamic and interactive communication that enables science to be disseminated. This study constitutes a qualitative research based on a case study involving middle school students, researchers and teachers, which took place in a research centre in Portugal that ...
Advances in whole genome sequencing for foodborne pathogens: implications for c...
Gomes, Emílio; Araújo, Daniela; Nogueira, Teresa; Oliveira, Ricardo; Silva, Sónia Carina; Oliveira, Lorena V. N.; Azevedo, Nuno F.; Almeida, CarinaFoodborne outbreaks affecting millions of people worldwide are a significant and growing global health threat, exacerbated by the emergence of new and increasingly virulent foodborne pathogens. Traditional methods of detecting these outbreaks, including culture-based techniques, serotyping and molecular methods such as real-time PCR, are still widely used. However, these approaches often lack the precision and ...
NADES-in-Oil Emulsions Enriched with Essential Oils for Cosmetic Application
Freitas, David; Rocha, Diana; Santos, Joana; Noro, Jennifer Martins; Tavares, Tânia D.; Teixeira, Marta O.; Araújo, Daniela; Castro, Joana Isabel ReisThis research aims to explore the potential benefits of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) in formulating translucent NADES-in-oil emulsions (TEs) containing essential oils (EOs) for cosmetic applications. The TEs investigated in this study are based on previous formulations, consisting of 50 wt.% egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC), 20 wt.% ethanol, 20 wt.% olive oil (OlO), thyme oil (TO), or oregano oil (OrO), ...
Amphiphilic dendrimer-assisted delivery of antisense nucleic acid mimics agains...
Gomes, Mariana; Resende, Igor; Zamoshchak, Yana; Araújo, Daniela Eira; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis; Dhumal, Dinesh; Peng, Ling; Santos, Rita S.The rise in antimicrobial resistance and the consequent ineffectiveness of conventional antibiotics emphasise the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Antisense nucleic acid mimics (NAMs) are emerging as promising precision therapeutic agents, inhibiting specific genes through hybridisation with selected nucleic acid targets. However, delivering NAMs into bacteria remains a significant challenge. This study e...
Exploring the potential of cell-free supernatants in the control of foodborne p...
Ferreira, Sara; Gomes, Emílio; Araújo, Daniela Eira; Azevedo, Nuno F.; Almeida, Carina Manuela Fernandes; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis[Excerpt] Foodborne pathogens are a constant public health concern, frequently caus ing outbreaks that can lead to severe consequences. Traditional methods for controlling these microorganisms, such as antibiotics and disinfectants, are becoming less effective due to the rise in microbial resistance. Excessive use of these substances can contribute to the development of resistant strains, making it harder to ma...
Evaluation of antibacterial properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactoba...
Araújo, Daniela; Silva, A. R.; Silva, Sónia Carina; Mira, N. P.; Almeida, Carina; Castro, Joana Isabel ReisPost-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets, caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), has been managed using antibiotics and zinc oxide. However, concerns regarding antibiotic resistance as well as the 2022 EU ban on zinc oxide, have prompted the development of sustainable alternatives. Growing evidence suggests that probiotics may play a promising role in controlling ETEC infections. In this study, we fir...