Prof. Fransissco Miguel Gama

Miguel Gama is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at Minho University, where he develops his Academic career since 1992. Current research interests relate to bacterial nanocellulose production, characterization, applications in food technology and in the biomedical field. Development of self-assembled nanogels made of polysaccharides. The production and characterization of the biomaterials, the development of drug delivery systems for antimicrobial peptides and low molecular weight hydrophobic drugs, a comprehensive characterization of biocompatibility, including cytotoxicity, intracellular trafficking, biodistribution, are among the ongoing projects in this field.

Miguel Gama is currently Vice-Director of the Centre of Biological Engineering (2016-ongoing), has been Director of the Biomedical Engineering Integrated Master of Minho University (MIEBIOM) (2006-2008; 2012-2014) and Coordinator of the Clinical Engineering branch of the MIEBIOM (2006-2012)

Regarding International activities he is Associate Editor of BioImpacts, has been invited scientist, Programa CAPES Ciência sem Fronteiras, UFRN, Brasil, 2013-2015, national delegate on the COST actions: Cost E20 Wood Fibre Cell Wall Structure; Cost E23Biotechnology in the Pulp and Paper Industry; COST FP0602, Biotechnology for lignocellulose biorefineries, BIOBIO; TD 1003, Bio-inspired nanotechnologies: from concepts to applications

Miguel Gama has been the main organizer of the 1st Symposium on Bacterial Nanocellulose, American Chemical Society Meeting, New Orleans, April, 2013 (with Paul Gatenholm) and of the 2nd Symposium on Bacterial Nanocellulose, Gdansk, September, 2015 (with Stan Bielecki)

Has been coordinator of 12 projects corresponding to around 2M€, including EuroNanoMed, FP6 and FPT projects. His experience as advisor includes the supervision 15 completed PhDs (5 ongoing; 3 more as co-supervisor). Miguel Gama was the founder of two companies: SATISFIBRE and BCTechnologies (Minho University spinoff), operating from August 2013, dedicated to the development of bacterial cellulose based technologies.

On September 13, 2017 Prof. Gama was presented with the TUMS Distinguished Visiting Professor Title for the duration of 2017-2020 by Dean of School of Pharmacy.

• Bionanotechnology

• Biomedicine

• Biomass

• Drug Delivery Systems

• Biorefineries

• Bacterial NanoCelulose

• Biomaterials

• Gama, Miguel; Dourado, Fernando; Bielecki, Stanislaw Bacterial Nanocellulose: From Biotechnology to Bio-Economy Elsevier, 2016. ISBN: 9780444634580

• Dourado, Fernando; Leal, Marta; Martins, Daniela; Fontão, Ana; Rodrigues, Ana Cristina; Gama, F. Miguel Chapter 7 - Celluloses as Food Ingredients/Additives: Is There a Room for BNC? In Miguel Gama, Fernando Dourado, Stanislaw Bielecki. Bacterial Nanocellulose: From Biotechnology to Bio-Economy, Elsevier, 2016. ISBN: 978-0-444-63458-0, 123-133

• Gonçalves, Catarina; Silva, J.P.; Antunes, I.F.; Ferreira, M.F.M.; Martins, J.A.; Geraldes, C.F.G.C.; Lalatonne, Y.; Motte, L.; Vries, E. De; Gama, F.M. Dextrin-Based Nanomagnetogel: In Vivo Biodistribution and Stability Bioconjugate Chemistry, 26(4), 699-706, 2015

• Leitão, Alexandre; Faria, Miguel A.; Faustino, Augusto M. R.; Moreira, Ricardo; Mela, Petra; Loureiro, Luís; Silva, Ivone; Gama, Miguel A novel small-caliber bacterial cellulose vascular prosthesis: production, characterization, and preliminary in vivo testing Macromolecular Bioscience, 16(16), 139-150, 2016

• Pedrosa, Sílvia S.; Pereira, Paula; Correia, Alexandre; Moreira, Susana; Rocha, Hugo; Gama, Miguel Biocompatibility of a self-assembled crosslinkable hyaluronic acid nanogel Macromolecular Bioscience, 16(11), 1610-1620, 2016

• Silva, João Pedro; Gonçalves, Carine; Costa, César; Sousa, Jeremy; Silva-Gomes, Rita; Castro, António G.; Pedrosa, Jorge; Appelberg, Rui; Gama, F. Miguel Delivery of LLKKK18 loaded into self-assembling hyaluronic acid nanogel for tuberculosis treatment Journal of Controlled Release, 235, 112-124, 2016

• Silva, J.P.; Dhall, S.; Garcia, M; Costa, César; Chan, A.; Gama, Miguel; Martins-Green, M. Improved burn wound healing by the antimicrobial peptide LLKKK18 released from conjugates with dextrin embedded in a Carbopol gel Acta Biomaterialia, 26, 249-262, 2015

• Gomes, D.G.; Rodrigues, Ana Cristina; Domingues, L.; Gama, F.M. Cellulase recycling in biorefineries—is it possible? Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 99(10), 4131-4143, 2015

During his presence at TUMS (from August 17 to September 17, 2017), Prof. Gama visited School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials, he also had several meetings with school's academic staff members and students. 

Moreover, On September 13, 2017 he had a meeting with dean of Schools of Pharmacy.

Prof. Gama lectured course on Biocompatibility and Drug Delivery. This course (10 hours), focused on recent progresses on Bionanotechnology, highlighting concepts of biocompatibility and drug delivery.

He also had several classes on the below topics:

• The concept of biocompatibility; protein adsorption, 27/8/2017

• Modification of biomaterials and biocompatibility; nanomaterials, 3/9/2917

• Assessment of biocompatibility (ISO10993), 5/9/2017

• Biological barriers; nanoparticulate systems targeted delivery; intracellular targets, 11/9/2017

Now prof. Gama is in the process of preparation A Memorandum of Understanding between Minho University and TUMS, and organizing several joint projects.

I visited TUMS for one month, in August-September 2017, and very much enjoyed discussing science with academic staff and students. I have found Tehran and Iran very pleasant; specially, I am gratefull to all colleagues that I have met for hosting me so friendly.

I expect establishing a regular scientific collaboration with TUMS, hopefully leading to the development of joint publications and technologies and supervision of post-grad students.

• The Lecture of Prof. Francisco Miguel Gama

• The Second Lecture of Prof Francisco Miguel Gama

• Introducing Prof. Miguel Gama as TUMS distinguished visiting professor