Ana Catarina Almeida
Current position:
PhD at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Norway
Contact:
+47 98215483
Current research
The aim of the PhD is to develop a technique to identify emerging contaminants – biocides - through the integration of transcriptomic tools in effect-directed analysis (EDA). With this in mind, the main objective is to identify gene expression fingerprints of single biocides with different modes of action (MoA) and their mixtures in algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using microarrays. EDA procedures will be directed by the microarrays in an attempt to decipher the expression fingerprints of each contaminant, and to identify if these are responsible for the toxicity present in complex mixtures.
The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) will be determined and linked to their biological meanings using gene ontology (GO) and ortholog based functional analysis. Transcriptomics data will be integrated in network modules, to assign links between gene expression and chemicals or groups of chemicals with similar structures and MoA.
Classical bioassay endpoints such as inhibition of growth, photosystem II (PSII) efficiency, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) will be run in parallel to clearly identify the adverse effects and determine the MoA of the biocides. The exposure solutions will be extracted and chemically analysed. Multivariate statistics will be applied to link the information provided by the microarrays, bioassays and chemical analyses.
Expertise
- Ecotoxicology
- Marine Biology
- Marine environmental studies
- Biomarkers
- Biomonitoring
- Contaminants/pollutants
- Bioassays
- Transcriptomics
- Genotoxicity, DNA damage
- Oxidative stress
- Aquaculture
- Microbiology
- Statistics and data analysis
Research interests
- Area of Ecotoxicology, with particular emphasis in Ecotoxicogenomics, mechanisms of toxicity, biomarker research, environmental monitoring and risk assessment.
- Bioinformatics as a tools for molecular biology research.
- Use of Adverse Outcome Pathways as a framework to predict relationships between biological events and exposure of organisms to contaminants.
Curriculum vitae
Research experience
since June 2012
Since June 2012: PhD Student at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research. PhD on Advancement of Effect-Directed Analysis by Transcriptomics.
May 2012 - Feb 2012
Research fellow in the program project TRATAGUA: Sustainable Treatment of acid waters of mine of the Iberic Pyritous Area, CCMAR, University of Algarve. Description: Find suitable sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) inocula for the remediation of acid mine drainages. Find suitable bacteria inocula for the remediation of drainages from fish farming where a treatment with copper sulphate is used.
Aug 2010 - Apr 2012
Intern in the program of professional internships in the central administration of the State (PEPAC), Instituto Nacional de Recursos Biológicos, I.P., Instituto de Investigação das Pescas e do Mar (IPIMAR). Description: Microbiological quality of bivalves; tests with fish under controlled conditions; measurement of hematocrit, plasma separation, and histology of fish; activity of lysozyme and cortisol; presence of Amyloodinium sp. and sarcoma in meagre juveniles.
Jul 2007 - Dec 2008
Research fellow in the program Monitoring of the Golden Dunes and Garrão Valley lagoons, CIMA, University of Algarve. Description: Analysis of several environmental parameters: conductivity, pH, DO, TSS and TFS, chlorophyll, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and silicates, biochemical oxygen demand, lack of COD, total nitrogen and phosphorus and organic matter in the sediment.
May 2007 - Jul 2010
Collaborator in the project Monitoring the quality of the environmental compartments of the Ria Formosa Lagoon, CIMA, University of Algarve. Description: Assessment of biomarkers in clams (Ruditapes decussatus) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis): DNA Damage and LPO.
Education
Oct 2005 - Jan 2010
Master in Marine and Coastal Studies at the University of Algarve. Title of thesis: DNA damage and LPO in two bivalve species Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes decussatus from the South coast of Portugal.
Sep 1998 - Dec 2004
Degree in Marine Biology and Fisheries Studies at the University of Algarve. Title of thesis: Metals in the shells of Bathymodiolus azoricus from 3 hydrothermal vents in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Publications
Werner Brack, Selvan Govender, Tobias Schulze, Martin Krauss, Meng Hu, Melis Muz, Juliane Hollender, Kristin Schirmer, Jennifer Schollee, Anita Hidasi, Jaroslav Slobodnik, Zuzana Rabova, Selim Ait-Aissa, Manoj Sonavane, Mario Carere, Marja Lamoree, Pim Leonards, Sara Tufi, Xiyu Ouyang, Merijn Schriks, Kevin Thomas, Ana Catarina de Almeida, Jean Froment, Monika Hammers-Wirtz, Marijan Ahel, Sanja Koprivica, Henner Hollert, Thomas-Benjamin Seiler, Carolina Di Paolo, Andrew Tindall, Petra Spirhanzlova, 2013. EDA-EMERGE: an FP7 initial training network to equip the next generation of young scientists with the skills to address the complexity of environmental contamination with emerging pollutants. Environmental Sciences Europe 25, 18 (DOI: 10.1186/10.1186/2190-4715-25-18)
F. Bettencourt, C. Almeida, M.I. Santos, L. Pedroso, F. Soares, 2013. Microbiological monitoring of Ruditapes decussatus from Ria Formosa Lagoon (South of Portugal). Journal of Coastal Conservation 17, 653-661 (DOI: 10.1007/s11852-013-0264-1)
C. Almeida, C. Pereira, T. Gomes, C. Cardoso, M.J. Bebianno, A. Cravo, 2013. Genotoxicity in two bivalve species from a coastal lagoon in the south of Portugal. Marine Environmental Research, Volume 89, 29-38 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2013.04.008)
C. Pereira, T. Gomes, C. Cardoso, A.C. Almeida, O. Araújo, A. Cravo, M.J. Bebianno, 2013. Interspecific variability of endocrine disruption and oxidative stress in two bivalve species from the Ria Formosa Lagoon (South Coast of Portugal). Scientia Marina 77S1, 79-89 (DOI: 10,3989/scimar.03728.27G)
T. Gomes, O. Araújo, A.C. Almeida, J.P. Pinheiro, I. Cancio, A. Cravo, M.J. Bebianno, 2012. Genotoxicity of copper nanoparticles in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Marine Environmental Research, accepted for publishing (DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.11.009)
F. Soares, A. Leitão, M. Moreira, J. Teixeira de Sousa, A.C. Almeida, M. Barata, S. W. Feist, P. Pousão-Ferreira, L. Ribeiro, 2012. Sarcoma in the thymus of juvenile meagre Argyrosomus regius reared in an intensive system. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, Volume 102 (2), 119-127(DOI: 10.3354/dao02545)
C. Almeida, F. Soares, 2012. Microbiological monitoring of bivalves from the Ria Formosa Lagoon (south coast of Portugal): a 20 years of sanitary survey. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 64, 252-262 (DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.11.025)
F. Soares, A. Almeida, R. Cachola, 2012. Qualidade microbiológica dos bivalves da Ria Formosa, 20 anos de resultados. Relatórios Científicos e Técnicos Série Digital, N° 54, IPIMAR, INRB (DOI: ISSN 1645-863x)
Cravo, C. Pereira, T. Gomes, C. Cardoso, A. Serafim, C. Almeida, T. Rocha, B. Lopes, R. Company, A. Medeiros, R. Norberto, R. Pereira, O. Araújo, M.J. Bebianno, 2011. A multibiomarker approach in the clam Ruditapes decussatus to assess the impact of pollution in the Ria Formosa Lagoon, south coast of Portugal. Marine Environmental Research 75, 23-34 (DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2011.09.012)
C. Almeida, C. Pereira, T. Gomes, M.J. Bebianno, A. Cravo, 2011. DNA damage as a biomarker of genotoxic contamination in Mytilus galloprovincialis from the south coast of Portugal. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, Volume 13, 2559-2567 (DOI: 10.1039/c1em10190k)
A. Cravo, P. Foster, C. Almeida, M.J. Bebianno, R. Company, 2008. Metal concentrations in the shell of Bathymodiolus azoricus from contrasting hydrothermal vent fields on the mid-Atlantic ridge. Marine Environmental Research, Volume 65, 338-348 (DOI:10.1016/j.marenvres.2007.12.003)
A. Cravo, P. Foster, C. Almeida, R. Company, R.P. Cosson, M.J. Bebianno. Metals in the shell of Bathymodiolus azoricus from a hydrothermal vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 2007. Environment International, Volume 33, 609-615(DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2007.01.002)
