Prof. Paula Alves

Position & Role in STACCATO

CEO of iBET in Oeiras, Portugal. Main supervisor of ESR7 & ESR8. Leader of the WP2

Background

Paula Alves is the CEO of iBET, the Head of the Animal Cell Technology Unit and Professor at the NOVA University (ITQB and FCT).  She received her Ph.D. at Biochemical Engineering from the NOVA University of Lisbon in 2001 and her B.S in Biochemistry from the Sciences Faculty of the University of Lisbon in 1991. Professor Alves research group integrates cell metabolism understanding with biochemical engineering for the improvement of bioprocesses efficiency. The Unit she coordinates uses Animal Cell Technology for research and development in particular for (i) production of complex biopharmaceuticals such as viral vectors, vaccines and recombinant proteins (ii) development of 3D culture systems for toxicity testing using primary cells and stem cells in bioreactors (iii) expand systems biology approaches to organize the complexity of the processes involved in the research described in (i) and (ii). Paula Alves has published over 230 papers and 32 book chapters. She supervised 29 PhD students, 10 post-doc and several master theses.

Key Publications

Monteiro F, Bernal V, Alves PM. 2017. Combining stable insect cell lines with baculovirus-mediated expression for multi-HA influenza VLP production. Biotecnol & Bioeng. 114, 674-684. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26089].

Sequeira DP, Correia R, Carrondo MJT, Roldao A, Teixeira AP, Alves PM.  2017.  Combining stable insect cell lines with baculovirus-mediated expression for multi-HA influenza VLP production.  Vaccine. pii: S0264-410X(17)30246-3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.02.043].

Patrone M, Coroadinha AS, Teixeira AP, Alves PM. 2016. Palmitoylation strengthens cholesterol-dependent multimerization and fusion activity of human cytomegalovirus gB. Journal of Biochemical Chemistry. [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M115.682252].

Fernandes F, Teixeira AP, Carinhas N, Carrondo MJT, Alves PM. 2013. Insect cells as production platform of complex VLPs. Expert Rev Vaccines. Feb;12(2):225-36. [DOI: 10.1586/erv.12.153].

Bernal V, Carinhas N, Yokomizo A, Carrondo MJ, Alves PM, 2009. Cell density effect in the Baculovirus-Insect cells system: a quantitative analysis of energetic metabolism. Biotechnol Bioeng, 104(1):162-80. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.22364].

Mellado MC, Mena JA, Lopes A, Ramirez OT, Carrondo MJ, Palomares LA, Alves PM, 2009. Impact of physicochemical parameters on in vitro assembly and disassembly kinetics of recombinant triple-layered rotavirus-like particles. Biotechnol Bioeng, 104(4):674-86. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.22430].

Vieira HL, Estevão C, Roldão A, Peixoto CC, Sousa MF, Cruz PE, Carrondo MJ, Alves PM, 2005. Triple layered rotavirus VLP assembly: kinetics of vector replication, mRNA stability and recombinant protein production. J Biotechnol, 120(1):72-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2005.03.026].