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I have a strong foundation in biochemistry, earned through a PhD (2010) from Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, where I focused on the structural and functional characterization of CotA-laccase from Bacillus subtilis. After my PhD, I pursued a postdoctoral position (04/2010 – 11/2014) at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich, Germany, where I shifted my research focus to protein engineering through directed evolution. My work focused on RuBisCO, a key enzyme in photosynthesis, and involved co-expressing chaperones to explore their role in enzyme evolution. In December 2014, I transitioned to a second postdoctoral position at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, where I expanded my expertise into microbiology and evolutionary concepts. My research unravelled key evolutionary mechanisms underlying bacterial antibiotic resistance and strengthened my ability to integrate multidisciplinary approaches. This transition reflects my versatility and allows me to expand my network of collaborators across different disciplines. In 2022, I became an Auxiliary Researcher at ITQB NOVA, placing me in a unique position to fully integrate my expertise in different fields and evolutionary biology concepts to provide novelty to my research. My recent work demonstrates my multidisciplinary approach, where I developed an environmentally friendly chemo-enzymatic process for the bioremediation of rifampicin into non-antimicrobial compounds (Durão et al., 2024; 10.1002/cbic.202300627) by integrating biochemistry with evolutionary concepts. I have authored 23 peer-reviewed publications in relevant international journals (including 3 as corresponding author) and currently have 2 additional manuscripts under review. My research has accumulated 1,665 citations (Google Scholar, h-index of 17), reflecting its impact within the scientific community. I have also delivered 3 invited lectures and presented 11 posters as first author at national and international conferences.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Paulo Jorge Rêgo Durão

Citation names

  • Durão, Paulo

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
6210-352A-F3A6
ORCID iD
0000-0002-4411-2958

Websites

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
German Elementary (A2) Intermediate (B1) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2)
Portuguese Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
French Beginner (A1) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2)
Education
Degree Classification
2010/04/12
Concluded
 Bioquímica (Doutoramento)
Major in Especialidade: Biotecnologia
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal
"Cota-laccase from Bacillus Subtilis: Structure-function Studies of Catalytic Copper Centers" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2002/12/13
Concluded
 Engenharia Biotecnológica (Licenciatura)
Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Portugal
"n/a" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 14
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2022/06/06 - Current Auxiliary Researcher (Research) Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2014/12/01 - 2021/12/08 Postdoc position studying the fitness costs and epistasis between mutations conferring resistance to antibiotics (rifampicin and streptomycin) across different environments and using E. coli as a mode Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
2010/04/11 - 2014/11/15 Postdoc performing directed evolution on RuBisCO co-expressing either a folding (GroEL/ES) or an assembly (RbcX) chaperone. Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Germany
2006/01/01 - 2010/04/10 PhD student, in the field of structure-function studies with recombinant CotA-laccase from Bacillus subtilis, under the supervision of Prof. Lígia O. Martins. Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal
2005/01/01 - 2005/12/31 Research student under the supervision of Prof. Lígia O. Martins. Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal
2004/01/01 - 2004/12/31 ICEP/Fulbright Research student. Included two internships: 2 months at STAB VIDA, followed by a 9 months internship at Pfizer, under the supervision of Daniel Yazbeck and Junhua Tao. AICEP Portugal, Portugal
2003/04/01 - 2003/12/31 Volunteer collaborator. Hospital de Santa Maria, Portugal
2002/03/01 - 2002/12/31 Undergraduate student studying the "Determinants of resistance to the herbicides 2,4-dichlorofenoxiacetic (2,4-D) and 2-metil-4-chlorofenoxiacetic (MCPA) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae" Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2017/03 - 2018/10 Maintenance of Antibiotic Resistance in the Mice Gut
Provided by PTCRIS: SFRH/BPD/118474/2016
SFRH/BPD/118474/2016
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2014/12/01 - 2015/11/30 ECOADAPT - "Microbial adaptation within ecosystems"
260421
Post-doc Fellow
Concluded
2008/01 - 2010/04 BIOENGINEERING OF COTA-LACCASE TOWARDS BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
Provided by PTCRIS: SFRH/BD/40696/2007
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2005/06 - 2008/05 Nano-Engenharia de Lacases Bacterianas
Provided by PTCRIS: POCI/BIO/57083/2004
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Contract

Designation Funders
2022/06/06 - 2028/06/05 Enzymatic tools to decrease and reverse antibiotic resistance
2021.00778.CEECIND/CP1657/CT0009
10.54499/2021.00778.CEECIND/CP1657/CT0009
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2024 - 2028 McGEA: Metalloenzymes and Cells for Green Environmental Alternatives Staff Exchange
GE 101183014
Researcher
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal
Ongoing
2022 - 2026 COZYME: Establishing a Pan-European Network on Computational Redesign of Enzymes. (COST-Action)
CA21162
Researcher
Ongoing
2021/01/01 - 2025/12/31 Ciências da Vida para um Futuro Saudável e Sustentável
LA/P/0087/2020
10.54499/LA/P/0087/2020
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

Universidade Nova de Lisboa Microbiologia Molecular Estrutural e Celular, Portugal

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biologicas, Portugal

Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Portugal

Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal

Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil EPE, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa Centro de Estudos Comparatistas, Portugal

BioResources 4 Sustainability, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing

Other

Designation Funders
2019/06/01 - 2020/05/31 InVivoLTEE "In vivo long term evolution of a commensal in the gut microbiota"
d42473-019-00246-w
Post-doc
Ongoing
2017/01/01 - 2019/12/31 PREPARE - "Predicting the persistence of resistance across environments"
JPIAMR/0001/2016-ERA NET
Post-doc
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Brissos, Vânia; Durão, Paulo; Carolina Ferro Rodrigues; Pinho e Melo, Eduardo; Martins, Lígia O.. "Optimized protocols to measure the stability of ligninolytic enzymes". In Lignin-Degrading Enzymes, edited by Tim Bugg; Juan Carro Aramburu. 2025.
    In press
Conference poster
  1. Rodrigues, Carolina; Silva, Diogo; Lorena, Constança; Durão, Paulo; Borges, Patricia T.; Martins, Lígia O.. "Unravelling residue networsks and molecular interactions in hyperthermostable PpDyP variants". Paper presented in Novel Enzymes 2023, March 28-31, Greifswald, Germany, 2023.
Journal article
  1. Vera Durão; Vera Clérigo; Paulo Durão; Ana Alfaiate; David Noivo; Fernando Durão; Maria Peres. "Respiratory viral infections before the COVID-19 in Portugal: A single center study". Heliyon (2024): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30894.
    10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30894
  2. Paulo Durão; Peter Kis; Ivo M. Chelo; M. Rita Ventura; Lígia O. Martins. "Environmentally Friendly Degradation and Detoxification of Rifampicin by a Bacterial Laccase and Hydrogen Peroxide". ChemBioChem (2023): https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202300627.
    10.1002/cbic.202300627
  3. Paulo Durão; Massimo Amicone; Lília Perfeito; Isabel Gordo. "Competition dynamics in long-term propagations of Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain communities". Ecology and Evolution (2021): https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8191.
    10.1002/ece3.8191
  4. Durão, Paulo. "Dysbiosis individualizes the fitness effect of antibiotic resistance in the mammalian gut". Nature Ecology & Evolution (2020): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1235-1.
    10.1038/s41559-020-1235-1
  5. Paulo Durão; Ricardo S. Ramiro; Cátia Pereira; Jernej Juric; Delfina Pereira; Isabel Gordo. "Radial Expansion Facilitates the Maintenance of Double Antibiotic Resistances". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (2020): https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.00668-20.
    10.1128/AAC.00668-20
  6. Ramiro, Ricardo S.; Durão, Paulo; Bank, Claudia; Gordo, Isabel. "Low mutational load and high mutation rate variation in gut commensal bacteria". PLOS Biology 18 3 (2020): e3000617. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000617.
    10.1371/journal.pbio.3000617
  7. Durão, Paulo; Roberto Balbontín; Isabel Gordo. "Evolutionary mechanisms shaping the maintenance of antibiotic resistance". Trends in microbiology (2018):
    10.1016/j.tim.2018.01.005
  8. Durão, Vera; Silva, Anabela; Macedo, Rita; Durão, Paulo; Santos-Silva, André; Duarte, Raquel. "Portuguese in vitro antibiotic susceptibilities favor current nontuberculous mycobacteria treatment guidelines". (2018): http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/6271.
    10.1016/j.pulmoe.2018.09.001
  9. Durão, Paulo; Moura de Sousa, Jorge; Balbontín, Roberto; Durão, Paulo; Gordo, Isabel. "Multidrug-resistant bacteria compensate for the epistasis between resistances.". PLoS Biology (2017): http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/28419091.
    10.1371/journal.pbio.2001741
  10. "Principles for Predicting RNA Secondary Structure Design Difficulty". Journal of Molecular Biology 428 5 (2016): 748-757. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2015.11.013.
    10.1016/j.jmb.2015.11.013
  11. Durão, P.; Güleresi, D.; Proença, J.; Gordo, I.. "Enhanced survival of rifampin- and streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli inside macrophages". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 60 7 (2016): 4324-4332. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84976877620&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1128/AAC.00624-16
  12. Martins, L.O.; Durão, P.; Brissos, V.; Lindley, P.F.. "Laccases of prokaryotic origin: Enzymes at the interface of protein science and protein technology". Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 72 5 (2015): 911-922. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84926635382&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1007/s00018-014-1822-x
  13. Duraõ, P.; Aigner, H.; Nagy, P.; Mueller-Cajar, O.; Hartl, F.U.; Hayer-Hartl, M.. "Opposing effects of folding and assembly chaperones on evolvability of Rubisco". Nature Chemical Biology 11 2 (2015): 148-155. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84928069254&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1038/nchembio.1715
  14. Durão, P.; Trindade, S.; Sousa, A.; Gordo, I.. "Multiple resistance at no cost: Rifampicin and streptomycin a dangerous liaison in the spread of antibiotic resistance". Molecular Biology and Evolution 32 10 (2015): 2675-2680. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84943412847&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1093/molbev/msv143
  15. Silva, C.S.; Durão, P.; Fillat, A.; Lindley, P.F.; Martins, L.O.; Bento, I.. "Crystal structure of the multicopper oxidase from the pathogenic bacterium Campylobacter jejuni CGUG11284: Characterization of a metallo-oxidase". Metallomics 4 1 (2012): 37-47. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84855464644&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1039/c1mt00156f
  16. Chen, Z.; Durão, P.; Silva, C.S.; Pereira, M.M.; Todorovic, S.; Hildebrandt, P.; Bento, I.; Lindley, P.F.; Martins, L.O.. "The role of Glu498 in the dioxygen reactivity of CotA-laccase from Bacillus subtilis". Dalton Transactions 39 11 (2010): 2875-2882. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77749279617&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1039/b922734b
  17. Durão, P.; Chen, Z.; Fernandes, A.T.; Pereira, M.; Melo, E.P.; Martins, L.O.. "Erratum to "Production and characterization of a recombinant Cu-full loaded bacterial laccase" [J. Biotechnol. 131 (2007) S113] (DOI:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2007.07.168)". Journal of Biotechnology 144 4 (2009): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-70449712564&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.jbiotec.2009.09.018
  18. Durão, P.; Chen, Z.; Silva, C.S.; Soares, C.M.; Pereira, M.M.; Todorovic, S.; Hildebrandt, P.; et al. "Proximal mutations at the type 1 copper site of CotA laccase: Spectroscopic, redox, kinetic and structural characterization of I494A and L386A mutants". Biochemical Journal 412 2 (2008): 339-346. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-44449110619&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1042/BJ20080166
  19. Durão, P.; Chen, Z.; Fernandes, A.T.; Hildebrandt, P.; Murgida, D.H.; Todorovic, S.; Pereira, M.M.; Melo, E.P.; Martins, L.O.. "Copper incorporation into recombinant CotA laccase from Bacillus subtilis: Characterization of fully copper loaded enzymes". Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry 13 2 (2008): 183-193. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-38649103815&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1007/s00775-007-0312-0
  20. Melo, E.P.; Fernandes, A.T.; Durão, P.; Martins, L.O.. "Insight into stability of CotA laccase from the spore coat of Bacillus subtilis". Biochemical Society Transactions 35 6 (2007): 1579-1582. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-37749011277&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1042/BST0351579
  21. Yazbeck, D.R.; Durao, P.J.; Xie, Z.; Tao, J.. "A metal ion-based method for the screening of nitrilases". Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic 39 1-4 (2006): 156-159. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33646003545&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.molcatb.2006.01.036
  22. Durão, P.; Bento, I.; Fernandes, A.T.; Melo, E.P.; Lindley, P.F.; Martins, L.O.. "Perturbations of the T1 copper site in the CotA laccase from Bacillus subtilis: Structural, biochemical, enzymatic and stability studies". Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry 11 4 (2006): 514-526. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33745747078&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1007/s00775-006-0102-0
  23. Fernandes, A.R.; Durão, P.J.; Santos, P.M.; Sá-Correia, I.. "Activation and significance of vacuolar H+-ATPase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae adaptation and resistance to the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 312 4 (2003): 1317-1324. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0344495239&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.11.072
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2022/02/16 An evolutionary perspective on bacterial antibiotic resistance SCAN Seminar
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (Lisbon, Portugal)
2016/06/15 Opposing effects of Folding and Assembly Chaperones on Evolvability of RuBisCO SCAN seminar
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB-UNL) (Oeiras, Portugal)
2015/03/06 Opposing effects of Folding and Assembly Chaperones on Evolvability of RuBisCO
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) (Oeiras, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2006/09/07 - 2006/09/09 Member of the organizing committee of "3rd European Meeting of OXIZYMES", Oeiras, Portugal. (2006/09/07 - 2006/09/09)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2024/10/14 - 2024/10/18 Chairman of a session on the “14th ITQB NOVA PhD Students' Meeting” 14th ITQB NOVA PhD Students' Meeting
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal
2022/04/20 - 2022/04/22 Co-chairman of the “Biochem Crosstalks" session 12th ITQB NOVA PhD Students' Meeting
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal
2020/01/23 - 2020/01/24 Co-chairman of the GENETICS & EVOLUTION session.
Congress
 INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF THE PORTUGUESE SOCIETY OF GENETICS
Universidade do Algarve - Campus de Gambelas, Portugal
2018/05/02 - 2018/05/04 ONEIDA Genomics Workshop - From Reads to Results
Workshop
 ONEIDA Genomics Workshop - From Reads to Results
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
2015/10/09 - 2015/10/09 SPCAL 20h Theoretical Course on Laboratory Animal Sciences
Workshop
2015/09/29 - 2015/10/02 IGC´s Pratical Course on Animal Handling and Experimentation in Mice and Zebrafish
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal

Jury of academic degree

Topic
Role 		Candidate name (Type of degree)
Institution / Organization
2020/07/27 Bacterial growth in the presence of several resources
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Ana Rita Gonçalves (Master)
Instituto Superior Técnico Departamento de Física, Portugal

Committee member

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization
2024/03/01 - Current Membro da comissão executiva do Postdoctoral Association (PdA) Executive Committee do ITQB NOVA. Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Portugal

Interview (newspaper / magazine)

Activity description Newspaper / Forum
2017 IGC Press Release "New mechanism to fight multi-resistant bacteria revealed", disclosed in phys.org, innovations-report.com, sciencenewsline.com, etc.
2016 IGC Press Release "Resistance to antibiotics and to immune system are interconnected in bacteria", disclosed in Diário de Notícias, Sapo.pt, Tvi24h, SicNotícias, etc.

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2021/03/01 - 2021/06/30 Effect of probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii in the cost of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli Rita Joaquim
2018/11 - 2019/04 Radial expansion buffers the fitness cost of resistance Jernej Juric
2018/07 - 2018/08 Influence of biotic interactions on the fitness costs of antibiotic resistance Sara Mota
2017/07 - 2017/08 Radial expansion buffers the fitness cost of resistance Delfina Pereira
2016/07 - 2016/09 Radial expansion buffers the fitness cost of resistance Cátia Pereira
2011/07 - 2011/09 Exploring functional expression of the photosynthetic CO2 fixing enzyme Rubisco in Escherichia coli by Site-Directed Mutagenesis Francesca Briganti
2009/01/01 - 2009/03/31 Influence of aromatic substitution patterns on azo dye transformation by CotA-laccase Diogo Pereira
2009 - 2009 Enzymatic transformation of lignin-based compounds using laccase-mediator-systems. Tânia Rosado
Distinctions

Other distinction

2021 10.54499/2021.00778.CEECIND/CP1657/CT0009
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2010 Bolsa Pós-doutoramento Max-Planck Institute
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Germany
2007 Bolsa doutoramento FCT - SFRH/BD/40696/2007
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2004 Bolsa ICEP (programa InovContacto)
Instituto de Conhecimento e Pesquisa, Brazil