CBQF research wins Health Category at the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final

The BioChip PathFinder project, led by a team of researchers from the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) at the Faculty of Biotechnology (ESB) of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, emerged as the winner in the Health category of the prestigious EIT Jumpstarter – one of Europe’s leading acceleration programs, promoted by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

The CBQF team, composed of Cláudia Maciel, Sérgio Sousa, and Paula Teixeira, stood out among hundreds of projects of scientific excellence, showcasing the CBQF's leading role in applied research and its capacity to develop innovative and disruptive solutions for global health challenges.

BioChip PathFinder introduces an innovative plasmonic lab-on-a-chip system, capable of detecting antibiotic resistance phenotypes in multidrug-resistant bacteria quickly, accurately, and non-invasively. At a critical time when antimicrobial resistance poses a serious threat to medical advances, this pioneering technology stands as a fundamental contribution to preventing global epidemics and safeguarding public health.

The award was granted by an internationally renowned panel of experts, including Moredreck Chibi (World Health Organization), Zsolt Bibity (IQVIA), and Balazs Furjes (EIT Health), who recognized the project’s impact, innovation, and scalability.

Over the seven-month EIT Jumpstarter programme, CBQF researchers participated in specialized training focused on identifying and validating effective business models for emerging technologies. From an initial pool of 600 applications, only 186 projects were selected for the training phase, with the best 49 teams from 21 countries advancing to the Grand Final in Budapest.

The first prize awarded to BioChip PathFinder highlights CBQF’s commitment to scientific excellence and technological innovation, underscoring Portuguese talent and the global impact of the center's developments. In recognition of their achievement, the team was awarded a prize of €10,000 to support the consolidation and implementation of this pioneering solution.

This award not only reflects the quality and relevance of CBQF’s research but also reinforces its role as a leading institution in generating applied knowledge with a direct impact on society and in addressing global challenges.