The lab facilities of the Bio(Organic) Chemistry & Biochemistry group of CQE@Ciências welcomed 21 students and 3 teachers of Biotechnology from Vives University, Belgium. This visit was part of a tour in the final semester before graduation, to get to know different companies and research facilities.
It started with a Masterclass under the theme “Liposomes as Tools to Investigate Drug-membrane Interactions” by Rodrigo Almeida. This was followed by 3 complementary experimental sessions to study the interaction of the antifungal drug ketoconazole with membranes, by Ana Coutinho, Joaquim Marquês, Filipa Santos and Eva Santos from the Molecular Biophysics Lab and Bárbara Anes (ChemBio Facilities). The visitors had the opportunity to follow the preparation of liposomes, monitor the incorporation of ketoconazole into the liposomes by fluorescence spectroscopy, and assess the influence of the drug on liposome stability by dynamic light scattering.
