Helena Carvalho

Helena Carvalho is a Principal Researcher at CIBIO-InBIO, University of Porto, and an affiliated professor at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), where she teaches plant molecular biology. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of nitrogen acquisition and recycling in plants, particularly through symbiotic nitrogen fixation. She holds a PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from Faculdade de Ciências, University of Porto, and has directed research groups at the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC) and CIBIO-InBIO, integrating the PLANTBIO research group. Her work explores glutamine synthetase (GS) structure, function, and regulation, with applications in crop yield improvement. She has published extensively on NO-mediated regulatory controls and GS's role in nodule function and plant defense.

• Education:
• Bachelor's Degree in Biology, University of Porto
• PhD in Plant Molecular Biology, Faculdade de Ciências, University of Porto

Her research interests include studying nitrogen metabolism in legumes, specifically using Medicago truncatula and Sinorhizobium meliloti as model systems. She investigates GS's role in symbiosis, senescence, and defense responses, as well as its structural dynamics and regulation by nitric oxide. Her recent studies have revealed novel insights into GS's post-translational modifications and their impact on enzyme activity and plant physiology.

Articles: Recent publications highlight her work on GS inhibition-induced defense responses in root nodules and S-nitrosation mechanisms in legumes. These studies underscore her expertise in enzymology, nitric oxide signaling, and symbiotic interactions.

Advising & Grants: She supervised MSc student Anette Garrido and leads projects like DblRoleNH4 (on ammonium signaling in nodulation) and AGRIGEN (addressing agricultural sustainability). Her grants support investigations into nitrogen metabolism and symbiosis.

Labs & Teams: She is part of the PLANTBIO group at CIBIO-InBIO and previously directed research at IBMC. Her work leverages facilities like the Genomics Platform and ORBEA at CIBIO.