27-07-2023
Ana Rita Duarte, professor and researcher at NOVA FCT, has just been awarded her third ERC grant (European Research Council), the most prestigious institution for funding scientific and technological research in Europe, for the project IMproVITA, with a value of 150 thousand euros. The core objective of the project is to improve the shelf life of perishable products by stabilizing vitamins, using an innovative technology aimed at increasing antioxidant activity and preventing fruit oxidation for up to 48 hours when exposed to air.
"We know that the food processing industries face high pressure to increase the shelf life of products and reduce the tons of waste generated every year, while consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about their choices. Vitamins, also known as antioxidants, are the most common group of chemical compounds used to preserve the freshness of food. This project aims to prevent the premature degradation of antioxidants by using deep eutectic systems (DES) to extend the shelf life of these compounds," explains researcher Ana Rita Duarte.
Deep eutectic systems (DES) are mixtures of two solid species that, in a certain molar ratio, form a new compound with different properties. In the ImproVITA project, the team of researchers has already demonstrated that the use of this technology increases antioxidant activity for up to five days and prevents fruit oxidation for up to 48 hours, unlike conventional methods that only prevent food oxidation for a few hours when exposed to air.
"In this proof of concept, the team aims to validate the product concerning its technical characteristics but also assess the market and evaluate the commercial potential of our solution," adds Ana Rita Duarte.
The proof of concept grant, announced today, is awarded to a researcher already distinguished by two ERC grants. In 2017, Ana Rita Duarte had already won a Consolidator Grant from the ERC for her work "Des.solve - When solids become liquids: natural deep eutectic solvents for chemical process engineering." Later, in 2022, she received a grant of 150 thousand euros for the development of the project "CryoDES – Nature-inspired Cryopreservation Systems using Natural Deep Eutectic Systems."
Additionally, the proof of concept grant from the European Research Council also implies that the funding should be used to move from theory to practice: understanding the feasibility of the scientific concepts under development as well as exploring business opportunities or preparing patent applications. In this specific case, the team intends to evaluate the commercial potential of this new solution in the market.
Besides being a professor, Ana Rita Duarte is also a researcher at the Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV/Requimte).
The School sees once again the excellence of its research recognised and reinforces its leadership position in the number of ERC's awarded to its researchers, accumulating 15 grants.
