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Leonor S. Castro graduated in Biochemistry in 2014 by University of Beira Interior (UBI), and finished her MSc in Molecular Biotechnology in 2016 by University of Aveiro. During her MSc, she developed her thesis on the purification of antibodies using aqueous micellar two-phase systems at CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials (University of Aveiro). From february 2019 to february 2020, she carried out research at Health Sciences Research Centre (CICS-UBI, Covilhã, Portugal) on the production and purification of recombinant therapeutic proteins. Currently, she is a PhD student at CICECO-UA and using ionic liquids as phase-forming components of aqueous biphasic systems, envisaging the downstream processing of protein-based biopharmaceuticals.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Leonor Sofia Oliveira Castro

Citation names

  • Castro, Leonor S.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
AE1C-E72D-28A5
ORCID iD
0000-0002-2183-3402

Email addresses

  • l.castro@ua.pt (Professional)

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Intermediate (B1) Intermediate (B1) Intermediate (B1) Intermediate (B1)
Japanese Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2020/11 - 2024/11
Ongoing
 Engenharia Química (Doutoramento)
Major in Engenharia Biotecnologica
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
2014/09/15 - 2016/07/15
Attended
 Biotecnologia (Mestrado)
Major in Biotecnologia Molecular
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
"Antibodies Purification using Aqueous Micellar Two-Phase Systems" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17
2010/09/15 - 2014/07/15
Attended
 Bioquímica (Licenciatura)
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
"Projecto: The role of major histocompatibility class I (MHC) molecules in inflammatory diseases" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 12
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2020/04/17 - 2020/09/17 Researcher (Research) Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
2019/02/20 - 2020/02/20 Researcher (Research) Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2023/01/01 - Current Development of cost-effective platforms based on ionic liquids for the purification of p53-minicircle DNA biopharmaceuticals with application in oncology
2022.03394.PTDC
PhD Student Fellow
Ongoing
2022/01/01 - Current mVACCIL- Improving the manufacturing of mRNA vaccines applying ionic liquids and integrated production-clarification processes
EXPL/BII-BTI/0731/2021, FCT
PhD Student Fellow
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2020/04/17 - 2020/09/17 IL2BioPro - PTDC/BII-BBF/030840/2017
PTDC/BII-BBF/030840/2017
Research Fellow
Universidade de Aveiro CICECO, Portugal
Ongoing
2019/02/20 - 2020/02/20 IL2BioPro
PTDC/BII-BBF/030840/2017
Researcher
Universidade da Beira Interior Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Portugal
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. João L. Fernandes; Castro, Leonor S.; Ana F. Pereira ; Ana M. Ferreira; Mara G. Freire; Pedro J. Carvalho; Augusto Q. Pedro. "Protein recovery from biomass using integrated processes based on ionic liquids". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2023, 2023.
  2. Ana F. Pereira ; Augusto Q. Pedro; Castro, Leonor S.; Maria J. Quental; Ana P. M. Tavares; Luís C. Branco; João A. P. Coutinho; Mara G. Freire. "Integrated purification platforms for RNA resorting to amino acids based ionic liquids as constituents of aqueous biphasic systems". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2023, 2023.
  3. Castro, Leonor S.; Augusto Q. Pedro; Mara G. Freire. "Polymer aqueous biphasic systems as a tool for the recovery of protein-based biopharmaceuticals". Paper presented in International Chemical and Biological Engineering Conference (CHEMPOR), 2023.
  4. Castro, Leonor S.; Ana C. S. Andrade; Ana P. M. Tavares; Augusto Q. Pedro; Mara G. Freire. "In situ extraction of recombinant extracellular interferon alpha 2b using aqueous micellar two-phase systems". Paper presented in II Iberian congress on Medicinal Biotechnology; V Encontro Nacional Biotecnologia Medicinal, 2022.
  5. Ana F. Pereira ; Augusto Q. Pedro; Castro, Leonor S.; Maria J. Quental; Ana P. M. Tavares; Luís C. Branco; Coutinho, João A. P.; Fani Sousa; Mara G. Freire. "Stabilization and purification of RNA using biocompatible ionic liquids". Paper presented in II Iberian congress on Medicinal Biotechnology; V Encontro Nacional Biotecnologia Medicinal, 2022, 2022.
  6. Castro, Leonor S.; Ana C. S. Andrade; Ana P. M. Tavares; Augusto Q. Pedro; Mara G. Freire. "Recovery and purification of recombinant interferon alpha-2b using aqueous biphasic systems". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2022, 2022.
  7. Castro, Leonor S.; Ana C. S. Andrade; Ana P. M. Tavares; Mara G. Freire; Augusto Q. Pedro. "Advances in the application of aqueous biphasic systems and aqueous micellar two-phase systems for the extraction of recombinant interferon alpha 2b". Paper presented in BIOPARTITIONING & PURIFICATION CONFERENCE, 2022.
  8. Ana F. Pereira ; Augusto Q. Pedro; Castro, Leonor S.; Maria J. Quental; Ana P. M. Tavares; Luís P. N. Rebelo; Luís C. Branco; et al. "Purification of RNA using aqueous biphasic systems composed by biocompatible amino acid-based ionic liquids". Paper presented in BIOPARTITIONING & PURIFICATION CONFERENCE, 2022.
  9. Ana M. Ferreira; Ana Isabel Valente; Castro, Leonor S.; Augusto Q. Pedro; Coutinho, João A. P.; Mara G. Freire; Ana P. M. Tavares. "Aqueous biphasic systems as sustainable liquids support for biocatalytic reactions: Dye enzymatic degradation as a study case". Paper presented in BIOPARTITIONING & PURIFICATION CONFERENCE, 2022.
  10. João L. Fernandes; Castro, Leonor S.; Pedro J. Carvalho; Mara G. Freire; Augusto Q. Pedro. "Bioprocess integration of a membrane protein using aqueous biphasic systems". Paper presented in BIOPARTITIONING & PURIFICATION CONFERENCE, 2022.
  11. Castro, Leonor S.; Guilherme S. Lobo; Patrícia Pereira; Márcia C. Neves; Mara G. Freire; Augusto Q. Pedro. "Improving protein-based biopharmaceuticals downstream process using ionic liquids-based strategies". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2021, 2021.
  12. Castro, Leonor S.; Guilherme S. Lobo; Patrícia Pereira; Márcia C. Neves; Mara G. Freire; Augusto Q. Pedro. "Sustainable ionic-liquid-based strategies for the downstream processing of interferon a-2b from Echerichia coli". Paper presented in II Chemical & Biological Engineering Symposium, 2021.
  13. Castro, Leonor S.; Guilherme S. Lobo; Patrícia Pereira; Márcia C. Neves; Mara G. Freire; Augusto Q. Pedro. "Purification of Interferon a-2b using ionic liquid-based technologies". Paper presented in 4th Doctoral Congress in Engineering, 2021.
  14. Castro, Leonor S.; Patrícia Pereira; Luís Passarinha; Mara G. Freire; Augusto Q. Pedro. "A novel approach for the purification of biopharmaceuticals using polymer-based aqueous biphasic systems with ionic liquids as adjuvants". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2020, 2020.
  15. Guilherme Lobo-Sousa; Castro, Leonor S.; Márcia C. Neves; Augusto Q. Pedro; Mara G. Freire. "Chromatographic-based separation of interferon a-2b using supported ionic liquids". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO 2020, 2020.
  16. Castro, Leonor S. (AE1C-E72D-28A5); Patrícia Pereira; João A. P. Coutinho; Ana P. M. Tavares; Augusto Q. Pedro; Mara G. Freire. "Improvement of recombinant proteins purification by the use of ionic liquids as adjuvants in aqueous two-phase systems". Paper presented in Microbiotec19, 2019.
  17. Castro, Leonor S. (AE1C-E72D-28A5); Mafalda R. Almeida; Patrícia Pereira; Luís Passarinha; Fani Sousa; João A. P. Coutinho; Ana P. M. Tavares; Augusto Q. Pedro; Mara G. Freire. "Aqueous two-phase systems comprising ionic liquids for the extraction of recombinant proteins". Paper presented in XIV Annual CICS-UBI Symposium 2019, 2019.
  18. Castro, Leonor S. (AE1C-E72D-28A5); Mafalda R. Almeida; Patrícia Pereira; Luís Passarinha; Fani Sousa; João A. P. Coutinho; Ana P. M. Tavares; Augusto Q. Pedro; Mara G. Freire. "Improving the purification of recombinant proteins by the use of ionic liquids as adjuvants in aqueous two-phase systems". Paper presented in Jornadas CiCECO, 2019.
  19. Castro, Leonor S. (AE1C-E72D-28A5); Inês S. Cardoso; Filipa A. Vicente; Luciana P. Malpiedi; Francisca A. e Silva; Adalberto Pessoa Jr; João A.P. Coutinho; Sónia P.M. Ventura. "Thermosensitive micellar systems as selective platforms of purification". Paper presented in Jornadas CICECO, 2016.
Journal article
  1. Filipa A. Vicente; Castro, Leonor S.; Mondal, Dibyendu; Coutinho, João A. P.; Ana P. M. Tavares; Sónia P.M. Ventura; Mara G. Freire. Corresponding author: Mara G. Freire. "Purification of Immunoglobulin Y from egg yolk using thermoresponsive aqueous micellar two-phase systems comprising ionic liquids". Separation and Purification Technology (2022): 120589. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120589.
    Published • 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120589
  2. Castro, Leonor S.; Lobo, Guilherme S.; Pereira, Patrícia; Freire, Mara G.; Neves, Márcia C.; Pedro, Augusto Q.. "Interferon-Based Biopharmaceuticals: Overview on the Production, Purification, and Formulation". Vaccines 9 4 (2021): 328. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040328.
    10.3390/vaccines9040328
  3. Ferreira, Ana M.; Valente, Ana I.; Castro, Leonor S.; Coutinho, João A. P.; Freire, Mara G.; Tavares, Ana P. M.. "Sustainable liquid supports for laccase immobilization and reuse: Degradation of dyes in aqueous biphasic systems". Biotechnology and Bioengineering (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bit.27764.
    Open access • Published
  4. Castro, Leonor S.; Pereira, Patrícia; Passarinha, Luís A.; Freire, Mara G.; Pedro, Augusto Q.. "Enhanced performance of polymer-polymer aqueous two-phase systems using ionic liquids as adjuvants towards the purification of recombinant proteins". Separation and Purification Technology 248 (2020): 117051. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2020.117051.
    Published
Magazine article
  1. Castro, Leonor S.; Patrícia Pereira; Augusto Q. Pedro. "Progress in the development of aqueous-two phase systems comprising ionic liquids for the downstream processing of protein-based biopharmaceuticals", American Pharmaceutical Review, 2019, https://www.americanpharmaceuticalreview.com/Featured-Articles/518305-Progress-in-the-Development-of-Aqueous-Two-Phase-Systems-Comprising-Ionic-Liquids-for-the-Downstream-Processing-of-Protein-Based-Biopharmaceuticals/.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2023/09/22 Polymer-based aqueous biphasic systems as an efficient tool for the recovery of protein-based biopharmaceuticals Path/ILSurvive workshop
2023/09/19 Application of supported ionic liquids in column liquid chromatography toward the purification of recombinant proteins 14th European Congress of Chemical Engineering and 7th European Congress of Applied Biotechnology
DECHEMA e.V. in cooperation with the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) and the European Society of Biochemical Engineering Sciences (ESBES). (Berlin, Germany)
2023 Silica-based supported ionic liquids as multimodal chromatographic supports for the isolation of recombinant proteins XXVIII Encontro Nacional da SPQ
University Of Aveiro (Aveiro, Portugal)
2022/12/13 Bioprocess integration using aqueous micellar systems for the expression and recovery of recombinant therapeutic proteins International Congress on Separation and Purification Technology
Elsevier (Beijing, China)
2022/06/02 Application of ionic liquids as adjuvants in polymer-based aqueous biphasic systems to improve their purification performance Path_IL2BioPro_mVACCIL
Path-University of Aveiro (Portugal)
2022/06/02 Bioprocess integration of Interferon alpha 2b using Pluronics® Path_IL2BioPro_mVACCIL_Workshop
Path-University of Aveiro (Portugal)
2022/05/03 Dye enzymatic degradation using aqueous biphasic systems as liquid supports for biocatalysts ISGC 2022
(La Rochelle, France)
2022/05/03 Integrated recovery-purification strategies of recombinant membrane proteins using alternative solvents ISGC 2022
(La Rochelle, France)
2022/03 Alternative protein purification technologies using immobilized ionic liquids as chromatographic ligands ISGC 2022
National Center for Scientific Research (France)
2021/11/07 Sustainable liquids support as a media for biocatalytic reactions using aqueous biphasic systems 40th International Symposium on the Separation of Proteins, Peptides & Polynucleotides
(Porto, Portugal)
2021/11/07 Purification of interferon alpha 2b-based biopharmaceuticals using ionic liquid-based technologies 40th International Symposium on the Separation of Proteins, Peptides & Polynucleotides
2021/05/24 Aqueous biphasic systems composed of ionic liquids as sustainable media for biocatalytic reactions IMIL 2020 6th Iberoamerican Meeting on Ionic Liquids
2019/12 Improvement of recombinant proteins purification by the use of ionic liquids as adjuvants in aqueous two-phase systems Microbiotec19
Universidade de Coimbra (Coimbra, Portugal)
2019/09 Downstream processing of recombinant proteins using alternative purification platforms based on ionic liquids International Conference on Ionic Liquids in Separation and Purification Technology
(Sitges, Spain)
2019/06 Bioprocessing of recombinant proteins using alternative purification platforms National Congress of Biotechnology
(Vigo, Spain)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2021/10/01 - 2022/09/30 AIM Fruther 2022 - Comissão de alunos de doutoramento do CICECO (2022/05/25 - 2022/05/25)
Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2021/10/25 - 2022/06/30 Purificação de biofármacos utilizando polímeros biocompatíveis e termoresponsivos Ana Andrade
2021/10/25 - 2022/05/04 Estudo da interação de biofármacos com fibrilas proteicas Bárbara Neves
Distinctions

Award

2021 Honorable mention for poster presentation - II Chemical & Biological Engineering Doctoral Symposium