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I finished my degree in Microbiology in 2009 and my Master in Applied Microbiology in 2011. Since then, I became interested to explore pathogen lifestyle and host response mechanisms. I finished my PhD in Biomedical Sciences in April 2018. I contributed to understand the host/pathogen interplay, unveiling and characterizing novel bacterial and host cell factors involved in infection. During my first experience as a Post-Doctoral Researcher, I explored the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cell intoxication by different bacterial toxins. I was recently granted with the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus and I am interested to characterize the spatiotemporal virulence gene expression patterns in individual bacteria that succeed to establish infection and further explore new candidates for innovative therapeutic interventions against Gram-positive pathogens.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Rita Pombinho

Citation names

  • Pombinho R.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
9811-3FA6-7F4F
ORCID iD
0000-0001-7654-2568
Scopus Author Id
56108305900

Email addresses

  • rita_pombinho@ibmc.up.pt (Professional)
  • rita_pombinho@hotmail.com (Personal)

Telephones

Telephone
  • 220408800 (Professional)

Addresses

  • IBMC - I3S. Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 , Porto, Porto, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Microbiology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Portuguese Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Spanish; Castilian Elementary (A2) Upper intermediate (B2) Beginner (A1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2013 - 2018
Concluded
 Biomedical Sciences (Doutoramento)
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
"Unravelling new innate immune response to Listeria monocytogenes infection" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2009 - 2011
Concluded
 Applied Microbiology (Mestrado)
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
"Identification and characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence factors" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17
2006 - 2009
Concluded
 Microbiology (Licenciatura)
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
"The effect of wine consumption on Lactobacillus acidophilus" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 15
Affiliation

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2022/05/01 - Current Junior Research (CEEC 4th edition) - Single-cell spatiotemporal analysis of Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene expression during infection Associação para a Inovação e Desenvolvimento da FCT, Portugal
2021/11/01 - 2022/04/30 Junior Research - Assessing SARS-CoV-2 co-infections, seasonality and infectiveness along the COVID-19 pandemic while implementing faster diagnosis PORTUGAL2020, Portugal
2019/02/01 - 2021/10/31 Junior Research - New targets for anti-virulence strategies Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2018/06/01 - 2018/11/30 Post Doctoral fellowship - Host cell factors and molecular mechanisms implicated in intoxication by AIP56, a bacterial toxin targeting NF-kB Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2017/04/01 - 2017/12/31 Master fellowship - Unravelling new innate immune response to Listeria monocytogenes infection Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2013/03/01 - 2017/03/01 PhD fellowship - Unravelling new innate immune response to Listeria monocytogenes infection Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2012/01/01 - 2013/02/28 Master fellowship - Identification and characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence factors Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal
2009/09/15 - 2011/11/30 Research fellowship - Identification and characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence factors Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal
2009/02/01 - 2009/07/31 Degree thesis - The effect of wine consumption on Lactobacillus acidophilus Universidade Católica Portuguesa Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2022 - Current Single-cell spatiotemporal analysis of Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene expression during infection
2021.02924.CEECIND
Researcher
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2021 - Current GlyTarget
CI21-00035
 Caixabank SA
Ongoing
2024 - 2025 Single-cell spatiotemporal analysis of Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene expression during infection
ESCMID
Principal investigator
2021/11 - 2022/04 Assessing SARS-CoV-2 co-infections, seasonality and infectiveness along the COVID-19 pandemic while implementing faster diagnosis
NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-072535
Researcher
European Commission
Ongoing
2019/02 - 2021/10 Cell Wall glycosylation: an original target for innovative antimicrobial strategies against Gram-positive pathogens
PTDC/SAU-INF/30020/2017-030020
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2016/01 - 2018/12 Host cell factors and molecular mechanisms implicated in intoxication by AIP56, a bacterial toxin targeting NF-kB
Provided by PTCRIS: 140633
PTDC/BIA-MIC/2007/2014
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2014/09 - 2017/08 Subversive pro- and anti-inflammation trade-offs promote infection by Listeria monocytogenes
Provided by PTCRIS: 137216
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2013/03 - 2017/03 Unraveling the role of Scavenger Receptors in Listeria infection
SFRH/BD/89542/2012
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2011/08 - 2015/02 Characterization of two new Listeria monocytogenes virulence genes up-regulated during in vivo infection: role of cadmium efflux system and teichoic acid decoration in Listeria pathogenicity
Provided by PTCRIS: 111581
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2011/04 - 2014/09 Unraveling the interplay between Listeria monocytogenes infection and the host cell cycle
Provided by PTCRIS: 111215
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
2011/03 - 2014/08 LISTRESS. Analysis of the cellular mechanisms underlying the early response of the host to stress induced by Listeria infection: Teichoic acid modifications, surface protein anchoring and virulence.
Provided by PTCRIS: 116472
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Contract

Designation Funders
2022/01/01 - 2024/12/31 Características genotípicas e fenotípicas que contribuem para a persistência de Listeria monocytogenes em ambiente de processamento alimentar
PTDC/BAA-AGR/4194/2021
Universidade Católica Portuguesa Portuguesa Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Portugal

Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Portugal

Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal

Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2014/09/01 - 2017/08/31 A subversão do equilíbrio da resposta pro- e anti-inflamatória promove a infecção por Listeria monocytogenes
Infect-ERA/0001/2013
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2011/04/01 - 2014/09/30 Estudo da influência da infecção por Listeria monocytogenes no ciclo celular da célula hospedeira
PTDC/BIA-BCM/111215/2009
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2011/01/01 - 2012/12/31 Projecto Estratégico - LA 2 - 2011-2012
PEst-C/SAU/LA0002/2011
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal

Instituto Nacional de Engenharia Biomédica, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Meireles, Diana; Pombinho R.; Lisboa, Johnny; Monteiro, Ricardo; Sousa, Sandra; Morais-Cabral, João; Cabanes, Didier. "Unravelling signals underlying Listeria monocytogenes cadC regulation". Paper presented in European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2024.
  2. Meireles, Diana; Pombinho R.; Lisboa, Johnny; Monteiro, Ricardo; Sousa, Sandra; Morais-Cabral, João; Cabanes, Didier. "Uncovering the signals behind the expression of the Listeria monocytogenes regulator CadC". Paper presented in 10th Molecular and Cell Biology Symposium, 2024.
  3. Alves, Ângela; Pombinho R.; Sousa, Sandra; Cabanes, Didier. "PurA, an adenylosuccinate synthetase required for Listeria monocytogenes intracellular lifecycle". Paper presented in EMBO | EMBL Symposium: New approaches and concepts in microbiology, 2023.
  4. Pombinho, R.; Meireles, D.; Pombinho, A.; Maia, A.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D.. "Automated high-throughput microscopy screen for Listeria monocytogenes factors required for intracellular infection". Paper presented in 32nd ECCMID, 2022.
  5. Pombinho, R.; Meireles, D.; Maia, A.; Pombinho, A.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D.. "New targets for anti-virulence strategies.". Paper presented in I3S Scientific Retreat, 2019.
  6. Pombinho, R.; Pinheiro J.; Jalkanen S.; Sousa S.; Cabanes D. "Unraveling the role of Scavenger Receptors in Listeria infection". Paper presented in 100 years of Phagocytes, Giardini Naxos, Sicily, Italy, 2016.
  7. Pombinho, R.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "Unraveling the role of Scavenger Receptors in Listeria infection". Paper presented in I3S Scientific Retreat, 2014.
  8. Pombinho, R.; Camejo, A.; Vieira, A.; Reis, O.; Carvalho, F.; Archambaud, C.; Cossart, P.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "Listeria monocytogenes CadC regulates cadmium efflux and virulence genes". Paper presented in Host-Microbes Interactions, Spetses, Greece, 2013.
  9. Pombinho, R.; Henriques, A.; Carvalho, F.; Reis, O.; Vieira, A.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "Lmo0463, a new Listeria monocytogenes virulence factor identified by Targeted Signature Mutagenesis and PCR Screening". Paper presented in I3S Scientific Retreat, 2012.
  10. Pombinho, R.; Camejo, A.; Reis, O.; Sousa, S; Cabanes, D. "Identification and characterization of novel virulence factors implicated in Listeria monocytogenes virulence". Paper presented in I3S Scientific Retreat, 2011.
  11. Pombinho, R.; Ferreira, P.; Camejo, A.; Carvalho, F.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "Characterization of the role of the multifunctional glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in Listeria monocytogenes virulence". Paper presented in Microbiotec, 2011.
Journal article
  1. Pedro M. Rodrigues; Laura G. Sousa; Chiara Perrod; Ana R. Maceiras; Pedro Ferreirinha; Rita Pombinho; Gema Romera-Cárdenas; et al. "LAMP2 regulates autophagy in the thymic epithelium and thymic stroma-dependent CD4 T cell development". Autophagy 19 2 (2023): 426-439. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2022.2074105.
    10.1080/15548627.2022.2074105
  2. Pombinho, Rita; Pinheiro, Jorge; Resende, Mariana; Meireles, Diana; Jalkanen, Sirpa; Sousa, Sandra; Cabanes, Didier. "Stabilin-1 plays a protective role against Listeria monocytogenes infection through the regulation of cytokine and chemokine production and immune cell recruitment". Virulence 12 1 (2021): 2088-2103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2021.1958606.
    10.1080/21505594.2021.1958606
  3. Meireles, Diana; Pombinho, Rita; Carvalho, Filipe; Sousa, Sandra; Cabanes, Didier. "Listeria monocytogenes Wall Teichoic Acid Glycosylation Promotes Surface Anchoring of Virulence Factors, Resistance to Antimicrobial Peptides, and Decreased Susceptibility to Antibiotics". Pathogens 9 4 (2020): 290. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9040290.
    10.3390/pathogens9040290
  4. Pombinho, Rita; Vieira, Ana; Camejo, Ana; Archambaud, Cristel; Cossart, Pascale; Sousa, Sandra; Cabanes, Didier. "Virulence gene repression promotes Listeria monocytogenes systemic infection". Gut Microbes (2020): 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2020.1712983.
    10.1080/19490976.2020.1712983
  5. Pombinho, R.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "Scavenger Receptors: Promiscuous Players during Microbial Pathogenesis". Critical Reviews in Microbiology 44 6 (2018): 685-700. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1040841x.2018.1493716.
    10.1080/1040841x.2018.1493716
  6. Pinheiro, J.; Lisboa, J.; Pombinho, R.; Carvalho, F.; Carreaux, A.; Brito, C.; Pöntinen, A.; et al. "MouR controls the expression of the Listeria monocytogenes Agr system and mediates virulence". Nucleic acids research 46 18 (2018): 9338-9352. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85054896319&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1093/nar/gky624
  7. Pombinho, R.; Camejo, A.; Vieira, A.; Reis, O.; Carvalho, F.; Almeida, M.T.; Pinheiro, J.C.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "Listeria monocytogenes CadC regulates cadmium efflux and fine-tunes lipoprotein localization to escape the host immune response and promote infection". Journal of Infectious Diseases 215 9 (2017): 1468-1479. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85021919420&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1093/infdis/jix118
  8. Carvalho, F.; Atilano, M.; Pombinho, R.; Covas, G.; Gallo, R.; Filipe, S.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "L-Rhamnosylation of Listeria monocytogenes Wall Teichoic Acids Promotes Resistance to Antimicrobial Peptides by Delaying Interaction with the Membrane". PLOS Pathogens 11 5 (2015): e1004919. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1004919.
    10.1371/journal.ppat.1004919
  9. Leitão, Elsa; Catarina Costa, A.; Brito, C.; Costa, L.; Pombinho, R.; Cabanes, D.; Sousa, S. "Listeria monocytogenes induces host DNA damage and delays the host cell cycle to promote infection". Cell Cycle 13 6 (2014): 928-940. http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/cc.27780.
    10.4161/cc.27780
  10. Henriques, A.; Carvalho, F.; Pombinho, R.; Reis, O.; Sousa, S.; Cabanes, D. "PCR-based screening of targeted mutants for the fast and simultaneous identification of bacterial virulence factors". BioTechniques (2012): http://dx.doi.org/10.2144/000113906.
    10.2144/000113906
Preprint
  1. Ricardo Monteiro; Tatiana B. Cereija; Rita Pombinho; Sandra Sousa; João H. Morais-Cabral; Didier Cabanes. "Molecular properties of RmlT, a wall teichoic acid rhamnosyltransferase that modulatesListeria monocytogenesvirulence and antibiotic resistance". 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.23.574818.
    10.1101/2024.01.23.574818
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2021/11 Virulence gene repression promotes Listeria monocytogenes systemic infection Microbiotec 2021
(Portugal)
2019/05 Bacterial regulators repurposed during infection to evade host immune system i3s ImmunoHub
(Portugal)
2018/02 Unravelling new innate immune responses to Listeria monocytogenes infection i3s ImmunoHub
(Portugal)
2016/11 Stabilin-1 is a new scavenger receptor involved in Listeria infection I3S Scientific Retreat
(Portugal)

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2022/01 - Current Signals controlling Listeria monocytogenes virulence
Co-supervisor of Diana Meireles
2021/01 - Current Single-cell spatiotemporal analysis of Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene expression during infection
Co-supervisor of Ângela Alves
2021/10 - 2022/06 Genome wide identification and characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence factors
Co-supervisor of Érica Pisco
2020/10 - 2021/07 New targets for anti-virulence strategies
Co-supervisor of Chiara Suriano
 Master
2020/09 - 2021/06 Characterization and spatiotemporal analysis of Listeria monocytogenes gene expression during infection
Co-supervisor of Mariana Sousa
2019/01 - 2020/02 Characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence genes up-regulated during in vivo infection: role of teichoic acid decoration in Listeria pathogenicity
Co-supervisor of Diana Meireles
 Master
2019/01 - 2019/12 Characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence genes up-regulated during in vivo infection
Co-supervisor of Ana Gonçalves

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2024/02/02 - 2024/02/02 MSc Open Day i3S
Exhibition
2022/02 - 2022/02 MSc Open Day i3S
Exhibition
2019 - 2020 UPrise Talent Academy networking events: professionals of different areas guide student´s professional careers
Round table
 Usucceed; UPrise Talent Academy

Consulting

Activity description Institution / Organization
2021/01 - Current Peer revision of manuscripts (Foods; Pathogens; Pharmaceutics)
2014 - 2017 Participation in peer revision of manuscripts (Frontiers in Microbiology / Research in Microbiology)

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2019/05/27 - 2019/05/31 Course on High Throughput Screening and Image Analysis for Biosciences Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2019/02 - 2019/03 Zebra Fish and Sea Bass | Introductory Lab Animal Course Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2013/08/30 - 2013/09/07 EMBO-FEBS Lecture Course: Host-Microbes Interactions Federation of European Biochemical Societies, United Kingdom
2011/10/19 - 2011/10/21 FRAME Reduction Steering Committee Training School in the Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis of Biomedical Experiments Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal
2010/09/01 - 2010/09/14 Course in Laboratory Animal Science – Category C, accredited by FELASA Universidade do Porto Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Portugal

Evaluation committee

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization Funding entity
2022/03 - 2022/03 Poster evaluation committee of the Molecular and Cell Biology Symposium
Evaluator

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2014 - 2015 Identification and characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence factors Inês Moranguinho (Master student)
2011 - 2013 Characterization of new Listeria monocytogenes virulence genes up-regulated during in vivo infection: role of cadmium efflux system in Listeria pathogenicity Ana Vieira (Master student)

Other jury / evaluation

Activity description Institution / Organization
2023/12/14 - Current Juri member of the Master Thesis of Maria Carolina Almeida da Silva Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2023/10/26 - Current Evaluation of the thesis project presentations of the MCbiology students 2022/2023
Distinctions

Award

2013 Youth Travel Fund (YTF) by Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) - course of Host-Microbes Interactions, Spetses, Greece