08-02-2018
The project BIOTESTE - rapid diagnostic tests based on biopolymer produced by bacteria from food waste received an Honorable Mention in the 10th edition of the Green Project Awards, whose award ceremony took place on January 12 at the Centro de Congressos da Alfândega do Porto.
The project is being developed by Maria Ascensão Reis, Full Professor in the Chemistry Department and PI at UCIBIO and Filomena Freitas, FCT investigator at UCIBIO, in collaboration with Elvira Fortunato and Rodrigo Martins, both Full Professors in the Material Science Department and PIs at CENIMAT.
This project consists in the development of a rapid and innovative diagnostic test for diabetes, composed of paper and a biodegradable biopolymer, produced by bacteria from food waste. This test has a fast and reliable response, allowing the timely detection of diabetes, preventing its worsening and reducing the deaths caused by this disease. It is a inexpensive diagnostic test, that can be adopted by poor populations.
The "Green Project Award", a multisectoral platform that promotes good practices and public discussion for sustainability, distinguished the national entities that stood out for their contribution to the Sustainable Development of Portugal. Over the last ten years, the "Green Project Awards" have awarded more than 120 projects in Portugal, out of a total of more than 1,400 applications. In 2018, it continues to promote the sharing of best practices that contribute to fostering entrepreneurship, innovation and the green economy.
