The session began with the ultimate question – can Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) solve world hunger? ‘No,’ both guests categorically answered, emphasising that this issue is more about proper management and distribution. This lecture was part of Bioengineering Week, an event organised by the Biological Engineering (NEBIST) and Biomedical Engineering (NEBM) students’ organisations at Instituto Superior Técnico. The activities took place between 17 and 21 February, during the Técnico Career Weeks.
According to Pedro Fevereiro, a professor at the Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology António Xavier (ITQB), “the amount of food produced today would be enough to end world hunger”. “World hunger is also a political issue”, emphasised Carla Pinheiro, a professor at NOVA School of Science and Technology.
So, what is the purpose of GMOs? The lecture enlightened the audience – these organisms are created through genetic engineering to enhance their resistance to pests and climate change, as well as to improve their nutritional content, among other benefits. Many of these GMOs may not be immediately recognisable to the average consumer. Carla Pinheiro pointed out that a significant part of the GMOs currently in use consists of genetically modified bacteria that produce essential drugs for human health. ‘People rarely think of bacteria when discussing examples of GMOs; they usually focus on plants’, she emphasised.
The Técnico Congress Centre hosted several activities during Bioengineering Week, including a talk on mechanisms to fight cancer. Miguel Castanho, a PhD graduate from Técnico and a researcher at the Lisbon School of Medicine of Universidade de Lisboa, presented his research work – analysing drugs capable of crossing the barrier between the bloodstream and the brain to treat metastases in that organ.
‘I really enjoyed attending talks about the research happening in my field,’ said Maria Gaspar, a second-year student in the Master’s programme in Bioengineering: Regenerative and Precision Medicine. Having obtained her undergraduate degree from a different institution, she describes her master’s experience as ‘quite different’. She highlighted Técnico’s main differentiating factors, ‘the networking culture, the greater contact with companies and the world of work’. She also praised the activities organised by the Students’ Organisations, viewing them as valuable opportunities to develop soft skills.
Diogo Dias came to Bioengineering Week to see fellow PhD students present their projects and ended up attending every day of the event. According to the Bioengineering PhD student, the event is useful for ‘expanding knowledge’ and for ‘undergraduate and master’s students who are interested in research’ and in finding out about the possible career options.
