5th Edition of the ‘C2TN Annual Workshop’ brings together experts dedicated to cutting-edge Research and Innovation

On 11th December, the auditorium of the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear (CTN) of the Instituto Superior Técnico in Loures hosted the 5th Edition of the C2TN Annual Workshop, aimed at the national and international scientific community. The event brought together researchers, lecturers, fellows and students from the Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN) and other research units, with the aim of promoting scientific debate, sharing and exchanging experiences and establishing strategic partnerships. The initiative also sought to provide a space for reflection on the impact of science on society and to discuss solutions to critical challenges, with the aim of contributing to a sustainable future.

Throughout the event, the activities of excellence in Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) developed in C2TN´s scientific and technological areas of impact were highlighted. The event was structured along three thematic lines, aligned with the unit’s main research focuses and addressing critical societal challenges: the first was dedicated to Health, the second to the Environment and Cultural Heritage and the third to Advanced Materials.

The opening session was chaired by the president of the C2TN, António Pereira Gonçalves, who welcomed those present. This was followed by the first panel of the day, dedicated to the Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Health Physics Thematic Line with the participation of distinguished speakers who shared their latest work in the field of diagnostics and innovative therapies using ionising radiation. Filipa Mendes, coordinator of this thematic line, updated the participants on the advances made in the last two years by C2TN researchers in the application of ionising radiation to human health, with a special focus on theranostics and medical physics in radiological protection. During her presentation, entitled ‘TL RSHP – an update and prospects’, Filipa Mendes presented the latest developments in this thematic line, highlighting, in particular, the results of synergistic collaborations within the C2TN and with other national and international research units. ‘In the near future, there are excellent prospects for progress in this area and new opportunities for research and advanced training in personalised medicine and medical physics,’ emphasised Filipa Mendes.

This panel featured guest speaker Pedro Borralho, from Novartis Portugal, who presented the evolution of radioligand therapies, highlighting the transformation that these new therapies have brought to the field of medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. Rúben Silva, a PhD student at C2TN, presented the development and biological evaluation of new radiotracers containing amino acids, with potential for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and Diogo Madaleno, also a PhD student at C2TN, discussed the determination of diagnostic reference levels for computed tomography, with the aim of improving the quality and safety of these imaging exams. Finally, Beatriz Monteiro, a C2TN research fellow, presented a study on the effects of tryptophan metabolites and their metal complexes on the microbiota exposed to ionising radiation, an investigation that has contributed to understanding the impacts of radiation on the human body.

After a coffee break, the event continued with a series of presentations of various innovative studies centred on environmental issues linked to health and applied sciences, highlighting, for example, problems related to ‘indoor’ and ‘outdoor’ air quality, climate, the importance of circular economy, water and soil protection. Paula Carreira, coordinator of the Earth Systems, Radioactivity and Cultural Heritage Thematic Line at the C2TN, reflected on the innovative contributions made in this area of intervention, with the aim of environmental sustainability, mitigating the effects of climate change, identifying pollutant sources and characterising, dating and identifying mechanisms for the degradation of materials applied to cultural heritage. Paula Carreira also underlined that ‘the link between the different sub-areas is the contribution to achieving the Objectives of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which sets out global priorities and targets.

This panel featured guest speaker Joana Lourenço from the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and the Department of Biology at the University of Aveiro, who addressed the importance of studying the multiple environmental stress factors on living beings (human and non-human biota), within the scope of radiobiology and environmental radioecology, considering sources of environmental contamination by radionuclides, metals and organic pollutants. Carolina Correia, a PhD student at C2TN, presented a study on the effects of workers’ daily exposure to particulate matter generated by traffic, a growing problem in urban areas. Henrique Zilhão, a PhD student at Técnico’s Centre for Structural Chemistry (CQE), discussed the variation in heavy metal content in the soils of an Antarctic archipelago, a valuable variable in the study of anthropogenic activity in the region and in monitoring environmental changes. Vasiliki Thanasi, a PhD student at the LEAF Research Centre (Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food) at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, presented an innovative approach using gamma spectrometry to determine 137Cs content, with the aim of dating old Portuguese wines, establishing a bridge between science and Portugal’s wine heritage.

During the afternoon, experts shared their latest advances in the fields of materials science and technology. António Pereira Gonçalves, coordinator of the Advanced Materials Thematic Line at the C2TN, gave a contextualisation of the advances of this line of research, in terms of understanding the relationship between the structure, composition, processing and physical properties of sustainable and innovative materials. ‘Our aim is to drive the development of materials with improved properties for applications in sensors, electronics, energy conversion and biomaterials,’ said António Gonçalves.

Next, guest speaker Narcis Avarvari, from the University of Angers in France, discussed the properties associated with chirality in molecular conductors, with new technological applications. João Pedro Rodrigues, from C2TN and Técnico’s Center of Physics and Engineering of Advanced Materials (CeFEMA), presented research into tetrathiafulvalene derivatives, organic electroactive molecules with promising uses in batteries of the future. Edgar Mendes, from C2TN, the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB) and CQE, from Técnico, shared new studies on gold-coated nanodiamonds as radiosensitisers for proton therapy, an innovative form of radiotherapy. Finally, Cristiana Rodrigues, from C2TN and the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics (LIP) of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, demonstrated a new crystal growth methodology for luminescent dosimeters based on Al2O3, with great potential for measuring radiation for various applications in the areas of medicine and security.

The event ended with a session dedicated to discussing future trends and C2TN´s new strategic plan, led by António Gonçalves, Filipa Mendes and Marta Almeida, vice-president of the CTN. The need to boost new applications and promote new projects in the coming years was emphasised, and various instruments were presented for this purpose. The session concluded with an optimistic outlook on the commitment and future of this research unit.

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