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December 2025

Congratulations to our new MSc

This month has been incredibly intense and rewarding for the tRED group. Our three Master’s students Laura, Louise and Júlia have successfully and brilliantly defended their theses, delivering outstanding presentations and discussions. The group couldn’t be prouder.
Their work spanned a range of topics:
• the development of 3D cellular models to assess the impact of tRNA supplementation as a therapeutic strategy to improve proteostasis;
• the characterization of the Candida albicans tRNA epitranscriptome and its role in virulence and pathogenesis across clinical strains;
• and a comparative analysis of the therapeutic potential of tRNA-modifying enzyme supplementation versus direct tRNA supplementation.
Laura, Louise and Júlia have all shown remarkable talent, curiosity, and resilience. It was truly a pleasure to have them in the lab and to watch them grow as scientists. The tRED Group hopes to have sparked their interest in the importance of the tRNA and the epitranscriptome and who knows if some of them join us again in the future.

October 2025

Welcome Bárbara

Bárbara is our most recent research technician. Hired under the scope of the AD-EpiMark project she will help us understanding the impact of the tRNA epitranscriptome in Alzheimer’s disease onset and progression and characterize the tRNA epitranscriptome in patient-derived cell lines. It is great to have you in the tRED team!

Attendance of the EMBO the epitranscriptome and a poster prize

This month we attended the exceptional EMBO the Epitranscriptome Meeting at Heidelberg. It was inspiring to see how rapidly the epitranscriptomics field is evolving, and to feel the energy, openness, and collaboration within this community.
We presented exciting progress from three ongoing projects, highlighting the role of the tRNA epitranscriptome in: neurodegeneration, viral infections and fungal virulence.
Our team members Alexandre Nunes, Marisa Pereira and Ana Soares presented their posters, received valuable feedback, and connected with other researchers in the field.
A special congratulations to the brilliant Marisa Pereira who won the Poster Prize!
An outstanding achievement and a fantastic way to cap off an inspiring week.

September 2025

A warm welcome to all our new members

September marks the beginning of the new school year, and with that the beginning of the research journey for many MSc students. This year we welcome 5 new members that chose the tRED to developed their thesis. Welcome André, Beatriz, Patrícia and Tomás! André and Patrícia will be working on the role of the epitranscriptome in disease and will contribute to improve nanopore modification detection protocols. Beatriz will focus on tRNA modification rewiring through aging and evolution using yeast as a model organism in collaboration with the fungal microbiology group at iBiMED. Tomas will continue to explore the relevance of tRNA epitranscriptome reprogramming during viral infection in collaboration with the DR lab at iBiMED. Lots of success for all!

The tRED Group was present at the European Researcher’s Night with the RNA MISSION

It is always a great experience to be part of the European Researcher’s night! On the last September 26th our group was represented at this event by our RNA ladies Marisa Pereira, Louise Abreu and Júlia Lacerda. This time we invited participants to join us on an RNA mission to decode life’s alphabet and unleash the power of the epitranscriptome. It was a night of connection, discovery, and celebration of science, where we and the community came together in a relaxed environment to talk, learn, and imagine the future (made of RNA!!! and RNA modifications!!!)

August 2025

The tRED Group attended the 1st RNome Workshop

Our PI attended the 1st RNome Workshop, where she delivered a talk about the work our group is developing to identify tRNA modification signatures upon infection by a combination of mass spec and sequencing. Besides, she had the amazing opportunity to network with the world epitranscriptome aficionados and discuss the future directions of the RNome project. Our common goal is to map all RNA modifications in all RNAs in all cells and tissues, normal and diseased! To learn more check the website: https://humanrnomeproject.org and join our growing community!

July 2025

1 Research Technician grant is open under the project AD-EpiMark

A position for a research technician is open to join our group for 6 months, to work on our Alzheimer’s Association funded project. Applications open until the the 2nd of July. More info here: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/352847

Our honorary PhD student Ana Poim is now Dr Ana Poim

Ana Poim, now Dr Ana Poim, brilliantly defended her PhD this July. Her thesis, entitled “Elucidating the role of tRNA modifications in adaptive evolution” shows how yeast evolve when lacking specific tRNA modifications to cope with protein translation errors. This provides novel insights on the mechanisms of tRNA modopathies and also provides new clues on how to manipulate organisms to become more sensitive or resistant to specific stresses, having huge implications in the health, nutrition and environment areas.

June 2025

tRED BSc Rotation students were distinguished with the best in class grade

Congratulations to our Bachelor Rotation students for the outstanding work they carried out in our group during the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year of the Medical Sciences Bachelor’s program.

Third-year students Joana Abrantes, Patrícia Louro, and Inês Duarte developed an exciting project entitled “Leveraging Prime Editing to Address Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome: A Novel Therapeutic Approach”, combining theoretical research with hands-on laboratory experience. They concluded their rotation by presenting their work as a scientific poster—earning the highest grade in their class!

It was a pleasure to host such motivated students and to contribute to nurturing their growing passion for RNA biology and RNA-based therapeutics. We wish them continued success in their scientific journeys!

May 2025

The tRED showcased its research at the 2025 iBiMED Symposium

Last week, the tRED group participated in the VIII iBiMED Symposium, a growing national forum in biomedical sciences organized by PhD students at iBiMED–University of Aveiro. Our MSc students — Júlia Lacerda, Laura Fernandes, and Louise Liz Abreu — proudly presented posters highlighting their research on the role of tRNAs and the tRNA epitranscriptome in diseases ranging from neurodegeneration to fungal infections. Great work by all!

1 Research Technician grant is open under the project Modivir

A position for a research technician is open to join our group for 3 months, to work on our most recent FCT funded project MODIVIR where we are studying how RNA viruses hijack and reprogram host tRNAs and tRNA modifications. This research will lead to the identification of novel host-directed antiviral targets. Applications open until the the 22nd of May. More info here: https://www.ua.pt/pt/noticias/0/90947.