Two students from Lisbon, Adriana Batista and Filipa Hilário, won the Raquel Seruca Prize at the National Science Fair, securing an internship at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) at the University of Porto. The project that earned them the prize was the development of a biosensor for the detection of α-synuclein, a biomarker associated with Parkinson's disease. Filipa was interested in the health field while Adriana focused on technology and computer science, and both worked for weeks in a laboratory in Coimbra before presenting their findings.
During the internship at i3S, the young women learned about the effects of aging on the brain and the importance of biosensors for early diagnoses. The institute's researchers highlighted the students' dedication, curiosity, and involvement in the daily laboratory activities. Adriana commented that she learned that unexpected results are not a failure, but rather part of the scientific process.
The experience allowed Adriana and Filipa to understand that health research is multidisciplinary, involving professionals from diverse backgrounds such as biomedical engineers and computer scientists. Teresa Summavielle, vice-director of i3S, emphasized that the goal of the internship is to bring science closer to society and encourage scientific curiosity from a young age. For the students, this experience transformed their view of science and revealed new possibilities for their academic and professional paths.
