Biography

Ricardo MF da Costa, PhD (Biology / Biochemistry), is an Assistant Researcher specialising in Phytochemicals and Plant Structural Biochemistry, with a focus on addressing phytopathology challenges and valorising plant materials as sustainable resources. Currently, Ricardo is part of the Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV) of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (REQUIMTE), based at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra. Here he applies an interdisciplinary approach to tackle critical scientific issues in plant biochemistry, natural products, and biomass valorisation.

 

Key Research Areas

·         Phytopathology: plant cell wall-mediated mechanisms which influence disease progression and host resistance, particularly in agroforestry species. His work aims to uncover the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions and how plant cell wall composition impacts resistance. This knowledge supports the development of disease mitigation strategies and improved, resistant plant genotypes.

 ·         Natural Products: identification, characterisation, and application of bioactive compounds derived from plant biomass for human health, nutraceuticals, and sustainable agriculture. His research focuses on optimising processes to enhance the utility of plants as reliable sources of natural products.

·         Lignocellulosic Biomass: the work in biomass valorisation centres on reducing the recalcitrance of the plant cell wall to saccharification and fermentation, with a focus on biorefinery applications. The improved understanding of lignocellulosic structures fosters the development of value-added biobased products and sustainable materials.

 

Ricardo has led, as Principal Investigator (PI), the PineWALL Project (FCT - PTDC/ASP-SIL/3142/2020; https://doi.org/10.54499/PTDC/ASP-SIL/3142/2020). This project investigates how pine cell wall composition and structure determine resistance to the pinewood nematode, the causative agent of pine wilt disease.

 

Ricardo's versatility as a researcher is demonstrated by his contributions to diverse projects, including the discovery of novel enzymes through metagenomic screening and the identification of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of human pulmonary diseases. His interdisciplinary expertise underscores his capacity to adapt and innovate across multiple domains of life sciences.

 

Other Webpages

Relevant publications

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Marques MP, Landim E, Varela C, da Costa RMF, Marques J, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Silva A, Cruz MT, André R, Rijo P, Dias MI, Carvalho A, Oliveira PJ, Cabral C. 2026. Targeting Skin Aging Hallmarks In Vitro: Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Senescence Effects of Phenolic-Rich Extracts from Cistus L. Species. Antioxidants, 15: 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15010149

Marques MP, Landim E, Varela C, da Costa RMF, Marques J, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Silva A, Cruz MT, André R, Rijo P, Dias MI, Carvalho A, Oliveira PJ, Cabral C. 2025. A Spectrochemically Driven Study: Identifying Phenolic-Rich Extracts from Helichrysum stoechas, Lavandula pedunculata, and Thymus mastichina with Potential to Revert Skin Aging Effects. Pharmaceuticals, 18: 1889. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18121889

Fonseca L, Silva H, Cardoso JMS, da Costa RMF, Campelo F, Vieira J, Abrantes I. 2025. Aphelenchoididae nematodes in a centennial Pinus pinea tree, and a review of Bursaphelenchus species from this host. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 64: 25-39. https://doi.org/10.36253/phyto-15829

Silva H, Cardoso JMS, da Costa RMF, Abrantes I, Fonseca L. 2024. Molecular and morphological characterisation of a new record of Bursaphelenchus arthuri (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from a new host, Pinus pinea, in Europe. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 63: 385-391. https://doi.org/10.36253/phyto-15625

da Costa RMF, Almeida B, Portugal A, Simister R, Gomez LD, Winters AL, Hauck BD, Bosch M, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Canhoto JPL, Carvalho MdGVS. 2023. Reduced Recalcitrance and Improved Pulp Properties in Eucalypt Woods Pretreated with White-Rot Fungi and Mild Alkali. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 62: 21033-21047. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.3c03325

Silva DJS, Santos JAV, Pinto JCN, Llorent-Martínez EJ, Castilho PC, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Marques MPM, Barroca MJ, Moreira da Silva A, da Costa RMF. 2023. Spectrochemical analysis of seasonal and sexual variation of antioxidants in Corema album (L.) D. Don leaf extracts. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 299: 122816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2023.122816

Silva H, Cardoso JMS, da Costa RMF, Abrantes I, Fonseca L. 2023. Potensaphelenchus stammeri (Körner, 1954) Gu, Liu, Abolafia & Pedram, 2021 (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Pinus pinea Linnaeus, 1753 in Portugal. Forests, 14: 962. https://doi.org/10.3390/f1405096

Rito M, Marques J, da Costa RMF, Correia S, Lopes T, Martín D, Canhoto JMPL, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Marques MPM. 2023. Antioxidant potential of tamarillo fruits - Chemical and infrared spectroscopy analysis. Antioxidants, 12: 536. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12020536

Marques MP, Landim E, Varela C, Marques J, da Costa RMF, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Carvalho A, Oliveira PJ, Cabral C. 2023. Côa Valley’s medicinal plants as potential cosmetic ingredients: cytotoxic and antioxidant assessment (P-220). Planta Medica, 89: 1276-1437. https://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-013-58620

Marques MP, Martín D, Bosch M, Martins J, Biswal A, Zuzarte MR, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Canhoto J, da Costa RMF. 2022. Unveiling the compositional remodelling of Arbutus unedo L. fruits during ripening. Scientia Horticulturae, 303: 111248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111248

Martín D, Santos IP, Monteiro P, Amaral J, da Costa RMF, Martín-Garcia J, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Marques MPM, Pinto G. 2022. Unravelling pine response to Fusarium circinatum through Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 53: 2086-2099. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6446

da Costa RMF, Bosch M, Simister R, Gomez LD, Canhoto JM, Batista de Carvalho LAE. 2022. Valorisation potential of invasive Acacia dealbata, A. longifolia and A. melanoxylon from land clearings. Molecules, 27: 7006. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27207006

da Costa RMF, Winters A, Hauck B, Martín D, Bosch M, Simister R, Gomez LD, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Canhoto JM. 2021. Biorefining potential of wild-grown Arundo donax, Cortaderia selloana and Phragmites australis and the feasibility of white-rot fungi-mediated pretreatments. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12: . https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.679966

Marques MP, Martins J, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Zuzarte MR, da Costa RMF, Canhoto J. 2021. Study of physiological and biochemical events leading to vitrification of Arbutus unedo L. cultured in vitro. Trees, 35: 241-253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-020-02036-0

López-Malvar A, Santiago R, Malvar RA, Martín D, Pereira dos Santos I, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Faas L, Gómez LD, da Costa RMF. 2021. FTIR screening to elucidate compositional differences in maize recombinant inbred lines with contrasting saccharification efficiency yields. Agronomy, 11: 1130. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061130

da Costa RMF, Love K, Beckmann M, Morley A, Bhatnagar R, Maskell N, Mur LAJ, Lewis KE. 2020. Metabolomics differentiate cancer from non-cancer pleural effusions based on steroid lipids and acyl carnitines. medRxiv: 2020.07.27.20162958. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.27.20162958

da Costa RMF, Barrett W, Carli J, Allison GG. 2020. Analysis of plant cell walls by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In: Popper ZA, ed. The Plant Cell Wall: Methods and Protocols. New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0621-6_16

da Costa RMF. 2019. Parede Celular Vegetal. Revista de Ciência Elementar, 7: 1-6. http://doi.org/10.24927/rce2019.006

da Costa RMF, Pattathil S, Avci U, Winters A, Hahn MG, Bosch M. 2019. Desirable plant cell wall traits for higher-quality miscanthus lignocellulosic biomass. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 12: 85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-019-1426-7

Paiva de Carvalho H, Sequeira SO, Pinho D, Trovão J, da Costa RMF, Egas C, Macedo MF, Portugal A. 2019. Combining an innovative non-invasive sampling method and high-throughput sequencing to characterize fungal communities on a canvas painting. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 145: 104816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2019.104816

da Costa RMF, Simister R, Roberts LA, Timms-Taravella E, Cambler AB, Corke FMK, Han J, Ward RJ, Buckeridge MS, Gomez LD, Bosch M. 2018. Nutrient and drought stress: implications for phenology and biomass quality in miscanthus. Annals of Botany, 124: 553-566. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcy155

da Costa RMF, Pattathil S, Avci U, Lee SJ, Hazen SP, Winters A, Hahn MG, Bosch M. 2017. A cell wall reference profile for Miscanthus bioenergy crops highlights compositional and structural variations associated with development and organ origin. New Phytologist, 213: 1710-1725. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14306

da Costa RMF, Allison GG, Bosch M. 2015. Cell wall biomass preparation and Fourier transform mid-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to study cell wall composition. Bio-protocol, 5: e1494. https://doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.1494

da Costa RMF, Lee SJ, Allison GG, Hazen SP, Winters A, Bosch M. 2014. Genotype, development and tissue-derived variation of cell-wall properties in the lignocellulosic energy crop Miscanthus. Annals of Botany, 114: 1265-1277. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcu054

 

 
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