Research group
Food Quality and Technology
Position
Researcher
Isabel Mafra has a degree in Food Engineering from the Portuguese Catholic University, a master's degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Minho and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Aveiro.
She is a Principal Research awarded from FCT (2021.03670.CEECIND). She has contributed with remarkable scientific advances regarding the identification of the origin of foods (plant and animal), including medicinal plants, plant food supplements and a main focus on food allergens. She has strong expertise in the development of DNA-based methods (real-time PCR, HRM analysis, sequencing, nanoplate digital PCR). She has also expertise in protein-based methods, chromatografic and spectroscopic techniques. Recently, she has being exploiting novel foods (insects) as alternative protein and bioactive peptide sources. She has published more than 130 scientific articles in indexed international journals and participates(ed) in more than 30 scientific projects.
Representative Publications
Molecularly imprinted polymer as a synthetic antibody for the biorecognition of hazelnut Cor a 14-allergen
10.1016/j.aca.2021.339310
An in silico approach to unveil peptides from Acheta domesticus with potential bioactivity against hypertension, diabetes, cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis
10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112847
Botanical authentication of globe artichoke-containing foods: Differentiation of Cynara scolymus by a novel HRM approach
10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130621
Milk Ingredients in Meat Products: Can Autoclaving and In Vitro Gastroduodenal Digestion Mitigate Their IgE-Binding Capacity?
10.3390/nu13030931
Critical features of an in vitro intestinal absorption model to study the first key aspects underlying food allergen sensitization
10.1111/1541-4337.13097
Monitoring Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a Potential Novel Allergenic Food: Effect of Food Processing and Matrix
10.3390/nu15030482
Authentication of incense (Pittosporum undulatum Vent.) honey from the Azores (Mel dos Acores) by a novel real-time PCR approach
10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.135492