Sónia Mendes

Scientist / Late-Stage R&D and Bioproduction Unit

smendes@ibet.pt
Sónia Mendes

I am a Scientist at the Late-Stage R&D and Bioproduction Unit, with experience since 2017 in managing national and international projects.

My expertise lies in bioprocess development, including both upstream and downstream processing, and the use of bioanalytical tools.  My research primarily focuses on recombinant proteins, viral vectors, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their fragments (Fabs), ligands, and vaccine candidates. Special interests include optimization of bioprocess parameters to enhance manufacturing productivity and product quality, developing scalable and GMP-compliant processes up to 50 liters, and facilitating technology transfer to CDMOs. I have expertise in working with various expression systems, including mammalian (adherent and suspension cell lines), insect, and microbial cells (bacteria and yeast). Additionally, I am certified by Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (2024) to work in Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories.  

I hold a MSc in Biomedical Engineering from Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisboa, Portugal (2008) and a PhD in Biochemistry/Biotechnology from Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal (2015). My prior research included identification and characterization of new bacterial species and enzymatic systems and evaluation of multi-enzymatic systems for synthetic dye decolourisation and detoxification at ITQB’s Microbial and Enzyme Technology Laboratory (2008-2017).