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Vera Lúcia Dias da Costa holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry (2022) from the University of Beira Interior (UBI), where she also earned an Integrated Master’s and a graduation degree in Industrial Chemistry. Currently, is a Contracted Researcher at UBI, working within the FibEnTech research group focused on Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies. Expertise spans cellulose-based materials, sustainable composites, functional coatings, and environmental engineering solutions. Throughout the career, Vera has published 12 peer-reviewed articles in international journals. Has presented scientific work at international conferences, and actively participated in specialized training programs like Nature Masterclasses. Research contributions are closely tied to sustainability, circular economy, and advanced material development. Recently, has been involved in several funded research projects, notably InPaCTus – Innovative Products and Technologies from Eucalyptus and From Fossil to Forest – Sustainable Packaging and Products to Replace Fossil Plastics, as well as FCT-funded initiatives on fiber materials and environmental technologies. Has supervised three undergraduate projects and co-supervised one, served as a main arguer in academic juries, and contributed as a scientific journals peer reviewer. Main research interests include nanofibrillated cellulose, biodegradability, compostability, recyclability, and fiber-based materials development and technologies. Committed to advancing sustainable solutions for materials science and environmental challenges.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Vera Lúcia Dias da Costa
Date of birth
1988/04/02
Gender
Female

Citation names

  • Costa, Vera L. D.
  • Costa, Vera

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
A215-AEF0-3057
ORCID iD
0000-0003-1567-5513

Email addresses

  • vera.costa@ubi.pt (Professional)

Addresses

  • Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês D'Ávila e Bolama, 6200-001, Covilhã, Covilhã, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Engineering and Technology - Materials Engineering - Paper and Wood
  • Engineering and Technology - Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering and Technology - Materials Engineering
  • Engineering and Technology - Materials Engineering - Composites
  • Engineering and Technology - Materials Engineering - Coating and Films

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Spanish; Castilian Elementary (A2) Intermediate (B1) Beginner (A1) Intermediate (B1) Beginner (A1)
French Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Elementary (A2) Beginner (A1)
German Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2022/07/04
Concluded
 Chemistry (Doutoramento)
Major in Sem especialidade
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
"Produção de novos materiais de elevado desempenho a partir de celulose vegetal nano/microfibrilada" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2020/04/01
Concluded
 Certificado de Competências Pedagógicas (Outros)
Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional, Portugal
 Final Classification: 4 - RELEVANT
2013
Concluded
 Química Industrial (Mestrado integrado)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
"Effect of physical and physical-chemical pretreatments on the sugar release of lignocellulosic materials through an enzymatic cocktail" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17
2010
Concluded
 Química Industrial (Licenciatura)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
 12
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2023/10/02 - Current Contracted Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior FibEnTech Materiais Fibrosos e Tecnologias Ambientais, Portugal
2021/01/04 - 2021/09/16 Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2020/06/01 - 2020/11/30 Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2016/03/01 - 2020/02/29 Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2015/08/13 - 2016/02/29 Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2015/01/05 - 2015/06/30 Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2013/06/03 - 2013/11/02 Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal

Other Careers

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2021/09/17 - 2023/06/29 Técnico Superior (Técnico Superior) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2021/01/04 - Current InPaCTus – Produtos e Tecnologias Inovadores a partir do Eucalipto
POCI-01-0247-FEDER-021874
Research Fellow
Universidade da Beira Interior FibEnTech Materiais Fibrosos e Tecnologias Ambientais, Portugal
Ongoing
2016/03/01 - 2020/02/29 Protocolo CELTEJO/UBI/BI/02/2016
CELTEJO/UBI/BI/02/2016
PhD Student Fellow
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2015/08/13 - 2016/02/29 UID/Multi/00195/2013
UID/Multi/00195/2013
Research Fellow
Universidade da Beira Interior FibEnTech Materiais Fibrosos e Tecnologias Ambientais, Portugal
Concluded
2015/01/05 - 2015/06/30 GlycoCBMs – Modificação de fibras usando módulos de ligação à celulose recombinantes glicosilados
PTDC/AGR-FOR/3090/2012
Research Fellow
Universidade da Beira Interior FibEnTech Materiais Fibrosos e Tecnologias Ambientais, Portugal
2013/06/03 - 2013/11/02 PEst-OE/CTM/UI0195/2011
PEst-OE/CTM/UI0195/2011
Research Fellow
Universidade da Beira Interior FibEnTech Materiais Fibrosos e Tecnologias Ambientais, Portugal

Contract

Designation Funders
2023/10/02 - Current From Fossil to Forest - Sustainable packaging and products to replace fossil plastic
Projeto nº8 com a cadidatura C644920945-00000036
Researcher
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Ongoing
2025/01/01 - 2028/12/31 Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies
UID/00195/2025
10.54499/UID/00195/2025
Researcher
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2020/01/01 - 2024/12/31 Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies
UIDB/00195/2020
10.54499/UIDB/00195/2020
Researcher
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Curto, J. M. R.; Vieira, Joana Costa; Costa, Vera L. D.; Videira, Pedro; Nunes, Maria; Mendes, António; Fiadeiro, P. T.; Amaral, M.E.; Costa, Ana Paula. Corresponding author: Curto, J. M. R.. "Up-Scaling and advanced computational tools to optimize cellulose-based materials". Paper presented in XXVII Conferência Internacional - Forest Biobased Materials - TECNICELPA 2025, Tomar, 2025.
    Published
  2. Costa, Vera L. D.; Videira, Pedro; Nunes, Maria; Mendes, António; Fiadeiro, P. T.; Curto, J. M. R.; Amaral, M.E.; Costa, Ana Paula; Vieira, Joana Costa. Corresponding author: Costa, Vera L. D.. "Comparative Study of Ecotoxicity Between packaging Coated Paper and Its Pulp Source". Paper presented in XXVII Conferência Internacional - Forest Biobased Materials - TECNICELPA 2025, Tomar, 2025.
    Published
  3. Costa, Vera L. D.; Videira, Pedro; Mendes, António; Fiadeiro, P. T.; Curto, J. M. R.; Amaral, M.E.; Costa, Ana Paula; Vieira, Joana Costa. "Assessing Biodegradability, Compostability, and Ecotoxicity of a PLA-based Biocomposite: A Pathway to Sustainable Materials". Paper presented in Materiais 2025 – Reshaping the Future, Lisbon, 2025.
    Published
  4. Videira, Pedro; Nunes, Maria; Costa, Vera L. D.; Vieira, Joana Costa; Mendes, António; Fiadeiro, P. T.; Costa, Ana Paula; Amaral, M.E.; Curto, J. M. R.. Corresponding author: Videira, Pedro. "Case study of Characterization of Papers for Packaging". Paper presented in 15th International Conference on Key Engineering Materials, ICKEM 2025, Marinha Grande, 2025.
  5. Costa, Vera L. D.; Mendes, António; Fiadeiro, P. T.; Curto, J. M. R.; Amaral, M.E.; Costa, Ana Paula; Vieira, Joana Costa. Corresponding author: Costa, Vera L. D.. "CEPI Recyclability Evaluation of Two Barrier Cellulose-based Materials". Paper presented in Cellulose Fibers Conference 2025, Cologne, 2025.
    Published
  6. Curto, Joana; Costa, Vera L. D.; Mendes, António; Amaral, M.E.; Fiadeiro, P. T.; Costa, Ana Paula; Vieira, Joana Costa. "Respirometric Evaluation of Biodegradability of PLA/Micronized Cellulose Composite Pellets". Paper presented in Global Summit on Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Porto, 2024.
    10.51219/urforum.2024.joana-curto
Conference paper
  1. Costa, Vera L. D.; Mendes, António de O.; Pinto, Paula; Soares, Belinda; Fiadeiro, Paulo T.; Curto, Joana, M. R.; Amaral, Maria E.; Costa, Ana P.; Vieira, Joana C.. Corresponding author: Costa, Vera L. D.. "Packaging Paper Compost’ Effects on Plants Ecotoxicity". Paper presented in 6th International Conference on Environmental Science and Applications - ICESA 2025, Barcelona, 2025.
    10.11159/icesa25.112
  2. Vaz, Álvaro; Ramos, Ana; Costa, Vera; Coelho, João; Marques, Ana; Simões, Rogério; de Sousa, António Mendes. Corresponding author: Vaz, Álvaro. "E. globulus vessels and fibres: hydrodynamical separation and chemical analysis". Paper presented in Fundamental research symposium communications, Cambridge, 2022.
  3. Amaral, Maria; Simões, Rogério; Costa, Ana Paula; Costa, Vera. "Production of high performance yarns from nano/microfibrillated vegetal celulose,". Paper presented in ICEUBI2017- International Congress in Engineering ¿ A vision to the futur, Covilhã, 2017.
  4. Curto, J. M. R.; Costa, Ana Paula; Amaral, M.E.; Costa, Vera L. D.; Videira, Pedro; Morais, F; Simões, Rogério; SILVA, Manuel. Corresponding author: Curto, J. M. R.. "The importance of optimizing the 3D structure when developing cellulosic materials for medical applications: the case of drug delivery systems (DDS)". Paper presented in XXIII Tecnicepa - Conferência Internacional da Floresta, Pasta e Papel, Porto, 2016.
    Published
Journal article
  1. Vera L. D. Costa; Pedro E. M. Videira; António de O. Mendes; Tomás Duarte; Bruno F. A. Valente; Paula Pinto; Alexandre Gaspar; et al. "Evaluating Environmental Performance of PLA–Cellulose-Based Biocomposites: A Comprehensive Study on Biodegradability, Compostability, and Ecotoxicity". Polymers (2025): https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233232.
    10.3390/polym17233232
  2. António de O. Mendes; Vera L. D. Costa; Joana C. Vieira; Pedro E. M. Videira; Maria J. R. M. Nunes; Alexandre Gaspar; Paula Pinto; et al. "UV-Accelerated Aging of PLA and PP-Based Biocomposites: A Spectral and Colorimetric Study". Journal of Composites Science (2025): https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9070317.
    10.3390/jcs9070317
  3. António de O. Mendes; Joana C. Vieira; Vera L. D. Costa; Paula Pinto; Belinda Soares; Paulo Barata; Joana M. R. Curto; et al. "Macro Stickies Content Evaluation of Different Cellulose-Based Materials Through Image Analysis". Recycling (2025): https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10020069.
    10.3390/recycling10020069
  4. Coelho, João; Costa, Vera; de Sousa, António Mendes; Pinto, Paula; Ramos, Ana; Simões, Rogério; Vaz, Álvaro. "Vessel picking in Eucalyptus globulus bleached kraft pulp sheets: Effect of mechanical and enzymatic treatment". Bioresource Technology Reports 22 (2023): 101496. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2023.101496.
    10.1016/j.biteb.2023.101496
  5. Álvaro Vaz; João Coelho; Vera Costa; Thaddeus Maloney; Josphat Phiri; Paula Pinto; António Mendes de Sousa; Rogério Simões. "Effect of enzymatic treatment on Eucalyptus globulus vessels passivation". Scientific Reports (2023): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29861-w.
    10.1038/s41598-023-29861-w
  6. V. L. D. Costa; R. M. S. Simões. "Hydrophobicity improvement of cellulose nanofibrils films by stearic acid and modified precipitated calcium carbonate coating". Journal of Materials Science (2022): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-022-07249-x.
    10.1007/s10853-022-07249-x
  7. Costa, VLD. "Effect of Ethanol Addition on the Drainage Time of Aqueous/Ethanol NFC Suspensions and on Barrier and Mechanical Properties of the Produced Films". JMSA (2022): 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.17303/jmsa.2022.6.102.
    10.17303/jmsa.2022.6.102
  8. Costa, Vera. "Fractionation of broom (Cytisus striatus) biomass components via mild sulfite pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis". BioResources (2021):
  9. D. Costa, Vera; Costa, Ana; Amaral, Maria; S. Simões, Rogério. "A Comprehensive Approach of Eucalyptus globulus Acid Sulfite Pretreatment for Enzymatic Hydrolysis". Applied Sciences 10 11 (2020): 3764. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10113764.
    10.3390/app10113764
  10. Costa, Vera L.D.; Costa, Ana P.; Simões, Rogério. "Nanofibrillated cellulose rheology: effects of morphology, ethanol/acetone addition, and high NaCl concentration". (2019): http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/8801.
  11. Costa, Vera. "Effect of hot calendering on physical properties and water vapor transfer resistance of bacterial cellulose films". Journal of Materials Science (2016):
    10.1007/ s10853-016-0112-4 Costa V.L.D., Gomes T.P.,
  12. Costa, Vera L. D.; Gomes, Tânia P.; Simões, Rogério M. S.. "Effect of Acid Sulphite Pretreatment on Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Eucalypt, Broom, and Pine". Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technology 36 1 (2015): 63-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02773813.2015.1066393.
    10.1080/02773813.2015.1066393
Activities

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2024/10/01 - 2025/07/10 Papel reciclado: Do algodão ao papel
Supervisor
 Química Industrial (Degree)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2024/10/01 - 2025/07/02 Avaliação das propriedades mecânico-estruturais de folhas laboratoriais recicladas pela metodologia CEPI a partir de produtos de base celulósica
Supervisor
 Química Industrial (Degree)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2025/02/01 - 2025/06/15 Avaliação do potencial fertilizante do Chorume de Vermicultura na germinação de plantas
Supervisor
 Biotecnologia (Degree)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
2025/02/01 - 2025/06/15 Avaliação da ecotoxicidade em plantas de um composto
Co-supervisor
 Biotecnologia (Degree)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2025/12/29 - 2025/12/29 Participation in the online course "Focus on Peer Review" offered by Nature Masterclasses (Springer Nature), with a total duration of 3.5 hours
Other
 Focus on Peer Review
Springer Nature Limited, United Kingdom
2025/12/15 - 2025/12/16 Participation in the online course "Digital Services for Higher Education and Research" delivered via the NAU platform and promoted by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia). Estimated duration: 6 hours.
Other
 Digital Services for Higher Education and Research
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2025/11/19 - 2025/11/19 Update of knowledge regarding advances in cellulose-based packaging, new products and CEPI recyclability assessment.
Conference
 4evergreen Annual Conference
4evergreen Alliance, Netherlands
2025/10/22 - 2025/10/24 Participation in XXVII Conferência Internacional - Forest Biobased Materials - TECNICELPA 2025 with a poster presentation titled "Comparative Study of Ecotoxicity Between Packaging Coated Paper and Its Pulp Source". The work focused on compostability and phytotoxicity assessment of coated paper and pulp-based packaging materials, evaluating seed germination and plant growth effects to ensure environmental safety and sustainable disposal practices.
Conference
 XXVII Conferência Internacional - Forest Biobased Materials - TECNICELPA 2025
Tecnicelpa - Associação Portuguesa dos Técnicos das Indústrias de Celulose e Papel, Portugal
2025/09/11 - 2025/09/11 Participation in the webinar "The Recyclability Evaluation Protocol: A Cornerstone of Circularity in Fibre-Based Packaging" delivered by 4evergreen Alliance. Total duration: 2 hours. The Recyclability Evaluation Protocol: A Cornerstone of Circularity in Fibre-Based Packaging
4evergreen Alliance, Netherlands
2025/03/25 - 2025/03/25 Participation in the online webinar "Biodegradable and Compostable Products: Certifications and Lab Tests" organized by AIMPLAS. Total duration: 2 hours. Covered bioplastics overview, key concepts on biodegradability/compostability and the composting process, and certification/testing aspects.
Other
 Biodegradable and Compostable Products: Certifications and Lab Tests
Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico, Spain
2025/03/12 - 2025/03/13 Participation in Tecnicelpa 2025 with the poster “CEPI Recyclability Evaluation of Two Barrier Cellulose-Based Materials,” comparing commercial sugar packets (water barrier) and a grease-barrier paper using the CEPI methodology. The study quantified macro stickies and recyclability indicators, showing the grease-barrier paper achieved a high final score and was suitable for recycling, while the sugar-packet sample exhibited excessive macro stickies and was deemed unsuitable for recycling.
Conference
 Cellulose Fibres Conference 2025
nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH, Germany
2021/03/09 - 2021/03/12 Virtual attendance
Conference
 XXV TECNICELPA / XI CIADICYP Conference 2021
Tecnicelpa - Associação Portuguesa dos Técnicos das Indústrias de Celulose e Papel, Portugal

Jury of academic degree

Topic
Role 		Candidate name (Type of degree)
Institution / Organization
2025/07/02 Valorização de resíduos de fibras têxteis para produção de fibrosas com potencial isolante térmico
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Daniel Alejandro Barragan Quinapallo (Other)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal

Ad Hoc journal article review

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2025/01/01 - Current Cellulose (0969-0239) Springer Nature