Nelson Lima

Nelson Lima is Full Professor at the University of Minho's School of Engineering, holding a PhD in Engineering Sciences (Biotechnology) from the same institution since 1993. He serves as Head of Micoteca da Universidade do Minho (MUM) since 1996 and previously held leadership roles including President of the European Culture Collections’ Organisation (ECCO) from 2013-2019 and Collection Officer from 2003-2006.

His research spans food and environmental mycology, specializing in polyphasic fungal identification methods, with significant contributions to culture collection management and microbiome biobanking. Current work focuses on fungal-bacterial interactions in drinking water systems, mycotoxin contamination in food chains (particularly Capsicum products), and antifungal applications of natural compounds. His team employs advanced techniques including MALDI-TOF MS for clinical and environmental fungal identification.

Recent publications reveal strong trends in applied mycology, with emphasis on:

• Food safety challenges (aflatoxins/ochratoxins in Merkén pepper)
• Interkingdom biofilm dynamics in water systems
• Biotechnological applications of fungal metabolites
• Neotropical fungal biodiversity documentation

Scientific recognition includes:

• Professor Honoris Causa from Pernambuco Federal University (2016)
• New fungal species Penicillium limae named in his honor
• Leadership in international initiatives like MIRRI-ERIC

As an educator, he has supervised 24 PhD and 30 Master's theses across Portugal, Brazil, Mexico and Chile, currently mentoring 7 PhD and 2 Master's students alongside 5 early-career researchers. His grant portfolio includes EU, Brazilian, and Portuguese projects focused on microbial resources infrastructure. The Micoteca da Universidade do Minho serves as his primary research hub, housing extensive fungal collections critical for biodiversity studies and biotechnological applications.