Research Groups

The Natural Products and Applications (NPA) group is focused on unlocking the potential of natural products from Azorean Islands’ species to create sustainable solutions for pharmacology, cosmetics, and agriculture.

Natural products are chemical compounds with a remarkable structural diversity, produced by terrestrial and marine species, influenced by evolutionary pathways and environmental conditions, that constitute a privileged source of nature-based solutions to human and ecological problems.

Considering the specificities of the ecosystem of the Azores islands, the NPA group research objectives are:

To characterise the chemobiodiversity of the Azorean flora, both wild and cultivated plants, as well as from industrial waste biomass;
To propose bioactive natural compounds as alternative and sustainable solutions in the ongoing battle against diseases, ageing, and crop pests;
To raise awareness among society about the added value of natural products, promoting their sustainable use.

Based on the knowledge produced by Island Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation (TL1) and Environmental Quality and Human Health (TL3), NPA group contributes to a deeper description of Azores Islands ecosystem, as it adds the chemical level dimension to analyse the potential and weaknesses of the ecosystem. Thus, NPA group increases the biological chemistry knowledge and complements the Plant Biotechnology (TL4) work. Additionally, adopting a holistic approach, NPA, in collaboration with Agroforestry Ecology (TL4) and oriented to practical applications, strives to propose eco-friendly, nature-based solutions addressing diseases, aging, and pest challenges.

The NPA group contributes to the thematic line "Towards Sustainable and Resilient Ecosystems" (TL4) and CE3C mission, striking a balance between the exploitation/valorisation of natural resources and the sustainability and conservation of ecosystems, in addition to engaging in community outreach and education on the sustainable use of natural resources.

NPA Team