ABOUT US
Mission, Vision and Goals
The Centre for the Study of Animal Science/Centro de Estudos de Ciência Animal (CECA) is a multidisciplinary unit (FCT UID211 Unit), founded in 1993, that integrates the ICETA, University of Porto. Its ultimate objective is to protect public health, by developing activities aiming the integration of Human Medicine and Veterinary Medicine according to the One Health Initiative.
The main strategic aims are the comprehension of biological systems by accelerating biomedical research discoveries, improving new tools for diagnosis and therapeutic control of animal and human diseases, expanding the scientific knowledge base, and improving medical education to enhance public health. Our scientific activities are related to bovine neosporosis, a reproductive disease; salmonellosis, or toxoplasmosis, as zoonosis; antibiotic resistance; nerve, vascular, muscle and bone regeneration, combining innovative biomaterials with autologous/allogeneic cell-based therapies; cancer associated with helminths infection or inherited metabolic diseases beneficiate of specific domains of expertise in Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, Oncology, Genetics, Gene Cloning & Expression allocated into four Research Groups and six thematic lines. ​​
HIGHLIGHTS ACHIEVEMENTS
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How some Trematodes act as biological and chemical insults, chemical carcinogenesis promotors, in malignancy associated to those infections?
Innovative methods for the detection of environmental oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii.
Innovative tool for mobile-based analysis of Malaria-infected thin blood smears: automated species and life cycle stage determination (MalariaScope).
Establishment of cell/animal models and development of genetic based therapies for inhered metabolic diseases.
Antioxidant active packaging incorporating an extract of aromatic plant.