Evaluation & Awards

The Group Leader (A. P. Rauter) was awarded with: 

"PRÉMIO LUSO-ESPANHOL DE QUÍMICA", attributed by Sociedade Portuguesa de Química and by Real Sociedad Española de Química, 2017.

“The Collected Papers of H. S. ISBELL” by the American Chemical Society Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry, given by Prof. Derek Horton for the foundation of the Iberian Carbohydrate Meetings in 1999.

Group Evaluation

The Group was established in 2001 when the Center of Chemistry and Biochemistry (CQB) was formed. CQB international evaluation took place twice, in 2002 and in 2007.

1. Citation of the comments concerning the Group in 2002 (in http://www.fct.mctes.pt/unidades/relatorio2005/docs/03-Chemistry.pdf, page 16): ...”Of particular note are the groups in Inorganic and Computational Chemistry, Interfacial Electrochemistry, Carbohydrate Chemistry and Molecular Energetics where both the quality of the work carried out and the level of scientific production were very high. The Carbohydrate Chemistry group has results that are totally original and may lead to many applications in domains of the interface between chemistry and biology. It should be given priority finance.”

2. Citation of the evaluation of the Group in 2007 (in http://alfa.fct.mctes.pt/apoios/unidades/avaliacoes/2007/painel?uid={8CAB2E1A-BD47-4C22-B18A-DFED0E58078C}) “The Carbohydrate Chemistry Group (612-640) under the direction of Professor Amelia Pilar Grases Santos Silva Rauter is again rather small, composed of 2 Ph.D. permanent members of staff, 3 post-doctoral fellows and 13 other (non Ph.D.) researchers. They have demonstrated an outstanding productivity which has taken them to an international level. The chemistry they have developed on carbohydrates can be considered as one of the most creative in Portugal. Despite the small size of this Group, several projects are successfully underway. The most interesting results deal with the synthesis of miharamycine, a glyco-aminoacid of great interest for use as fungicide. This project is conducted in collaboration with a foreign world-leading laboratory and might soon realize the total synthesis of this product and the determination of its absolute configuration. This project has already allowed the development of new methods for the C-glycosylation of activated compounds and the introduction of an amino acid function on C-6. The synthesis of insecticidal compounds in which the sugar is linked to a butenolide is also very promising. This project, conducted in collaboration with a French laboratory, is supported by an agrochemical company. A third project, which appears to be very interesting, involves the synthesis of difluoro analogues of sugars. These more stable derivatives can lead to metabolic resistant glycoconjugates and have many applications. The chemists of this Group have decided to apply their knowledge to the preparation of new antibiotics. Independently to these main projects, some other lines have been developed such as the use of zeolites in Ferrier reactions, the synthesis of new oxetane amino acids and proline sugar derivatives and the design of new substances which can be used against Alzheimer and prion diseases. The last project deals with the study of natural compounds isolated from an endemic Portuguese plant. The chemists involved in this project have developed a new method to synthesize C-glycosyl flavonoids which are studied for their antidiabetic properties. This Group has developed an impressive network of collaborations with some of the best laboratories working in the same field of research. They also have some industrial partners who are interested in the development of their most active compounds. All of the students have the opportunity to spend training periods in foreign laboratories. They have a high level of funding. The researchers of the Group might however be encouraged to publish their articles in higher impact factor journals. In summary, this Group can be considered as one of the most active in Portugal. They are involved in a very original chemistry and have already obtained very promising results. Their leading position is well recognized as indicated by their involvement in different European organizations”

PhD. Awards

1. N. M. Xavier, Young Investigator Award in Glycosciences, 2011, Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Science, Canada

2. N. M. Xavier, IUPAC Young Scientists Award, from the organizers of the 43rd IUPAC World Chemistry Congress (IUPAC, 2011)

3. F. Marcelo, Prix Bernard Fournet – André Verbert, 2010, Groupe Français des Glucides, France

4. N. M. Xavier, Prix Scientifique du GLGS 2010, Award of the Groupe Lyonnais des Glyco-Sciences, 2010 (France)

Master Awards

1. Catarina Dias, Honorable mention for the award of Best Master Thesis in Organic Chemistry, atributed by the Portuguese Society of Chemistry - Organic Chemistry Division (September 2013).

Awards for

     Oral Comunications:

1. J.M. Barros, Best Oral Presentation - N-acetylgalactosamine mimetics: as a potencial Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors, AD. Diagnostic and Drug Discovery Initiative for Alzheimer’s Disease (D3i4AD) – Final Conference, June 2018. Bari, Italy

2. A. R. Jesus, Best Oral Presentation - Synthesis of natural C-glycosylisoflavones, 5th Iberian Carbohydrate Meeting e 9th International Meeting of the Portuguese Carbohydrate Chemistry Group (UTAD, Vila Real 2011)

3. N. M. Xavier, Young Researcher Award , scientific committee CORM V

     Poster Comunications:

1. A. M. Matos, "From a tea cup towards a new grug candidate: exploring the multitarget mechanism of action of a promising C-glucosyl isoflavone with therapeutic effects against type 2 diabetes", attributed by Organic&Biomolecular Chemistry, ICS2018, Lisbon, July  2018. 

2. A. M. Matos, “Exploiting the Potential of C-Glucosyl Flavonoid Analogues against Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease”, "CQB day 2017 best poster prize”, attributed by International Advisory Board of CQB and by scientific committee of CQB , CQB Day, Lisbon, 2017.

3. A. M. Matos, A. Martins, A.P. Rauter, "Genista tenera as a source of innovative molecular leads against diabetes and related amyloid disorders: phytochemistry, synthesis and mechanism of action"  MedChemComm Poster Prize, attributed by Royal Society of Chemistry in ESOC 2015 – the 19th European Symposium of Organic Chemistry, Lisbon, Portugal, 2015.

4. C. Dias, J.P. Pais, R. Staniforth,  "Synthesis of new sugar-based surfactants with anti-ageing potential and antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria",  “Wiley Poster prize”, attributed by scientific committee of 7th Spanish-Portuguese-Japanese Organic Chemistry Symposium, Sevilha, Spain, 2015.

5. C. Dias, F. Marcelo, A. Martins, P. Madeira, T. Jorge, M-H. Florêncio, F. J. Cañada, E. Cabrita, J. Jiménez-Barbero, A. P. Rauter, "Rosmarinic acid as a functional food ingredient for neurodegenerative diseases: NMR molecular recognition by acetylcholinesterase and HPLC-MSn analysis",attributed by the scientific committee of the 11º Encontro de Química dos Alimentos, September 2012, Bragança, Portugal.

6.  M. Xavier, A. P. Rauter, "Synthesis of sugars embodying conjugated carbonyl systems and related S- and NH-heteroanalogues", 6th Spanish-Portuguese-Japanese Organic Chemistry Symposium, Lisboa, Portugal, attributed by the Portuguese Chemical Society, July 2012, Lisboa, Portugal.

7. J. Figueiredo, M. Ismael, J. Pinheiro, A. Silva, J. Justino, F. Vinagre, M. Goulart, N. Xavier, R. Garcia, M. E. Araújo, A. Rauter, “Studies on the syntheses, antioxidant, anticholinesterase activities and toxicity of heterocycles C-C linked to sugars”,  attributed by the scientific committee of the 8th. International Meeting of the Portuguese Carbohydrate Group (GLUPOR 8), September 2009, Braga, Portugal.

8. J. Sardinha, P. Sinaÿ, A. P. Rauter, M. Sollogoub, “Synthesis of gem-difluorocarbasugars and related monofluorinated derivatives”, attributed by the scientific committee of the 8th. International Meeting of the Portuguese Carbohydrate Group (GLUPOR 8), Setembro de 2009, Braga, Portugal.

9. S. D. Lucas, A. P. Rauter, H. P. Wessel, “Synthesis of 3-fluoro oxetane δ-amino acids”, attributed by the scientific committee of the Carbohydrates as Organic Raw Materials V- Building a Sustainable Future (CORM V), Janeiro de 2009, Lisboa, Portugal.

10. F. Marcelo, A. P. Rauter, Y. Blériot, P. Sinaÿ, F. V. M. Silva, M. Goulart, J. Justino, “Purine nucleosides as cholinesterase inhibitors”, attributed by the scientific committee of the IV Iberian Carbohydrate Meeting, Setembro de 2008, Santiago de Compostela, Espanha.

11. F. Marcelo, L. Amorim, A. P. Rauter, P. Sinaÿ, Y. Blériot, “Synthesis of 2,5B conformationally locked xylopyranose analogues via ring closing metathesis”, attributed by the scientific committee of the 14th European Carbohydrate Symposium, Setembro de 2007, Lübeck, Alemanha.

12. A. Farinha, A. Tatibouët, A. P. Rauter, P. Rollin, “Vegetables in cancer chemo-prevention: the glucosinolate-myrosinase system”, attributed by the scientific committee of the 6th. International Meeting of the Portuguese Carbohydrate Group – 3rd. Iberian Carbohydrate Meeting, September 2005, Coimbra, Portugal

13. A. C. Fernandes, A. P. Rauter, S. Czernecki, J.-M. Valéry, “Carbohydrate derivatives as synthons of amipurimycin”, attributed by the scientific committee of the 1st. International Meeting of the Portuguese Carbohydrate Chemistry Group, Setembro de 1995, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Portugal.

Young Invited Lecture (YIL) awards:

1. N. M. Xavier, "Structurally innovative nucleoside and nucleotide analogs of potential therapeutical interest",  attributed by J. Pereira da Cruz, ICS2018, Lisbon, July 2018.

Travel grant awards:

Travel grant from the GDCh-JungChemikerForum Jena, Germany, to N. M. Xavier, March 2014.