Rui Fernandes graduated in Biology in 1996 at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, and is completing his PhD at the Faculty of Medicine - FMUP / i3S.
His first contact with research was in 1995 with Professors Isabel Santos and Roberto Salema at Centro de Citologia Experimental. In 1996, he started working at Centro de Estudos de Paramiloidose, Hospital Santo António with Joana Palha and after he began a research project in the area of Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy (FAP), with Professor Maria João Saraiva at the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC).
In 2002, he started a position as the head of the Advance Tissue Analysis Facility (ATAF) at the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, currently Histology and Electron Microscopy (HEMS). The Facility gives support on Electronic Microscopy - EM (Transmission-TEM and SEM-Scanning), and Histology. HEMS provides both the equipment and technical support to researchers needing high level optical and EM to tackle studies either of biological samples or in the area of material sciences.
Besides the instruction for researchers, the Facility also offers training courses on master and PhD programs of University of Porto, as well as guided visits to high school students. Rui Fernandes has participated in numerous studies, namely: conventional Ultrastructure; immunoelectromicroscopy; elemental analysis EDX; STEM among others.
He has more than 60 publications in international peer reviewed journals.
Selected Publications
Synthetic microparticles conjugated with VEGF165 improve the survival of endothelial progenitor cells via microRNA-17 inhibition. Nature Communications8(1):, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 41] [IF: 12,4]
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00746-7 SCOPUS: 85030330994
de Sousa A., AbdElgawad H., Fidalgo F., Teixeira J., Matos M., Tamagnini P., Fernandes R., Figueiredo F., Azenha M., Teles L.O., Korany S.M., Alsherif E.A., Selim S., Beemster G.T.S., Asard H.
Subcellular compartmentalization of aluminum reduced its hazardous impact on rye photosynthesis. Environmental Pollution315:, 2022. [Journal: Article] [CI: 10] [IF: 8,9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120313 SCOPUS: 85139853913
Tavares I., Morais M., Dias F., Ferreira M., Martins G., Fernandes R., Bidarra S.J., Medeiros R., Teixeira A.L.
Extracellular vesicles derived-microRNAs predicting enzalutamide-resistance in 3D spheroid prostate Cancer model. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules284:, 2025. [Journal: Article] [CI: 1] [IF: 8.5 (*)]
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137993 SCOPUS: 85210126776
Vilaça N., Bertão A.R., Prasetyanto E.A., Granja S., Costa M., Fernandes R., Figueiredo F., Fonseca A.M., De Cola L., Baltazar F., Neves I.C.
Surface functionalization of zeolite-based drug delivery systems enhances their antitumoral activity in vivo. Materials Science and Engineering C120:, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 31] [IF: 8,5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.111721 SCOPUS: 85097160036
Morais M., Machado V., Dias F., Figueiredo P., Palmeira C., Martins G., Fernandes R., Malheiro A.R., Mikkonen K.S., Teixeira A.L., Medeiros R.
Glucose-Functionalized Silver Nanoparticles as a Potential New Therapy Agent Targeting Hormone-Resistant Prostate Cancer cells. International Journal of Nanomedicine17:4321-4337, 2022. [Journal: Article] [CI: 29] [IF: 8]
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S364862 SCOPUS: 85138245812
Komora N., Maciel C., Amaral R.A., Fernandes R., Castro S.M., Saraiva J.A., Teixeira P.
Innovative hurdle system towards Listeria monocytogenes inactivation in a fermented meat sausage model - high pressure processing assisted by bacteriophage P100 and bacteriocinogenic Pediococcus acidilactici. Food Research International148:, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 28] [IF: 7,4]
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110628 SCOPUS: 85112485252
Mota C., Araújo A.M., Enea M., Pereira E., Reis-Mendes A., Fernandes R., Pacheco S., Lúcio M., Martins Lopes C., Ferreira I.M.P.L.V.O., Carvalho M.
Are all nanoplastics equally neurotoxic? Influence of size and surface functionalization on the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in human neuronal cells. Environmental Pollution390:, 2026. [Journal: Article] [IF: 7.3 (*)]
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127445 SCOPUS: 105022889314
Palha J.A., Ballinari D., Amboldi N., Cardoso I., Fernandes R., Bellotti V., Merlini G., Saraiva M.J.
4'-iodo-4'-deoxydoxorubicin disrupts the fibrillar structure of transthyretin amyloid. American Journal of Pathology156(6):1919-1925, 2000. [Journal: Article] [CI: 58] [IF: 7]
DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)65065-1 SCOPUS: 0033872046
Santos S., Fernandes R., Saraiva M.
The heat shock response modulates transthyretin deposition in the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. Neurobiology of Aging31(2):280-289, 2010. [Journal: Article] [CI: 59] [IF: 6,6]
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.04.001 SCOPUS: 71349088766
Evangelista M.B., Hsiong S.X., Fernandes R., Sampaio P., Kong H.J., Barrias C.C., Salema R., Barbosa M.A., Mooney D.J., Granja P.L.
Upregulation of bone cell differentiation through immobilization within a synthetic extracellular matrix. Biomaterials28(25):3644-3655, 2007. [Journal: Article] [CI: 144] [IF: 6,3]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2007.04.028 SCOPUS: 34249870130
