MIT Program faculty and researchers offered numerous presentations at Ciência 2009, an annual event that highlights achievements in science and technology in Portugal. Ciência 2009, which was held July 29–30 at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, and which was organized by the Council of Associate Laboratories with the support of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), gathered researchers from across the Portuguese scientific community, including many who work at Associate Laboratories. Several of the scientific panels were organized in collaboration with MIT Portugal – those on Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine; Electric Vehicles and New Forms of Mobility; New Materials for New Products; and Sustainable Energy and Transportation Systems. Sustainable Energy and Transportation Systems The panel on Sustainable Energy and Transportation Systems was co-chaired by Prof. Paulo Ferrão of IST, MIT Portugal’s National Director, and included presentations from MIT Portugal faculty Carlos Silva, Vítor Leal, Manuel Gameiro and Vladimiro Miranda. Prof. Silva (IST) provided an overview of the objectives of and preliminary results from the Green Islands project, which is focused on developing a new energy strategy for the Azorean islands of São Miguel and Flores. Research involves stakeholders at both the regional and national levels in academia, government and industry. Prof. Leal (FEUP) discussed the new paradigms of energy use in buildings. Buildings in Portugal, as well as in the OCDE, are responsible for nearly 40 percent of primary energy consumption, he said, and unlike in transportation and industry, usage has been growing in recent years. On the other hand, he noted, it has been shown that this is one of the sectors where a significant reduction in carbon emissions can be achieved with low costs from a life-cycle perspective. As a result, researchers in this area must address a short- to mid-term societal challenge. Portugal’s first priority, according to Prof. Leal, is to create strategies that best fit the country, and avoid importing strategies and technologies that work well in countries with different climates. A second priority is to develop techniques to efficiently design and construct passive and net-zero energy buildings, preferably involving local resources (human and material). Developing methods for energy-qualified urban renovation and for the assessment of the energy-environmental performance during the operation phase are also musts, he said. Finally, he added, there is room to continue developing technologies such as smart windows, daylighting systems and small power heat pumps.  Image Prof. José Viegas discussing a new paradigm for electric vehicles. Prof. Manuel Gameiro (U. Coimbra) presented three case studies related to energy efficiency in transportation using information technology: a) global efficiency of energy conversion in cars; b) aerodynamic optimization of a bus’ coach using 3D models, computational fluids mechanic programs and tests with a model in an aerodynamic tunnel; and c) energy performance of office buildings – environmental quality of inside spaces and energy consumption were monitored in relation to the external meteorological conditions by a network of wireless sensors. Electric Vehicles and Other New Mobility Options Prof. António Cunha (UMinho) chaired the panel on Electric Vehicles and New Forms of Mobility. Four MIT Portugal faculty and researchers participated: José Viegas (IST), Jorge Martins (UMinho), Carla Silva (IST) and Luís Sousa (IST).  Image Prof. Manuel Gameiro Prof. Viegas, who discussed a new paradigm for electric vehicles, predicted that it will take a decade or two for electric cars to achieve dominance in the marketplace, but added that strategies can be implemented to accelerate the substitution of current combustion-engine cars with electric ones. Technical limitations need to be overcome for the public to accept these vehicles (e.g., the autonomy, weight, recharging and replacement of batteries), and financial incentives could accelerate their use. Prof. Viegas also noted that more widespread use of electric vehicles could lead to traffic management issues in cities, because lower costs expected from driving electric cars could lead to an increased number of vehicles on the road. These issues can only be addressed with intelligent transport management systems, he said. Prof. Martins told the audience that electric vehicles are on their way – for good. He argued that performance is not an issue, and that there are many opportunities for developing new vehicle designs. In fact, he said, since there are no design constraints for these vehicles, many market niches will be created. Prof. Martins said that the main technical challenges are energy storage and charging. Better batteries and supercapacitors need to be produced, and charging time must be minimized, he noted. Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Prof. Joaquim Cabral (IST) co-chaired the panel on stem cells, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It included two presentations from MPP researchers: Lino Ferreira (CNC) and Margarida Diogo (IST). Dr. Ferreira spoke about his work designing biomaterials that provide different types of information to stem cells, with the purpose of controlling their differentiation and enhancing their grafting after in vivo transplantation. One objective is to develop new approaches for the transplantation of stem cells into the heart and enhance their regenerative potential. Recently, Dr. Ferreira’s team isolated vascular progenitor cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) that might be an important source of vascular cells for the vascularization of ischemic tissues. They are now evaluating these cells in animal models of myocardial infarction – an approach that is being complemented with the use of human umbilical cord stem cells, as Dr. Ferreira is interested in comparing the regenerative potential of both types of stem cells. In both projects the aim is to develop new tools to image non-invasively the transplanted stem cells. In both projects the aim is to develop new tools to image non-invasively the transplanted stem cells. Dr. Ferreira’s group is developing new nanotechnologies that can be internalized by stem cells and monitored by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Presenting at Ciência 2009 on New Materials for New Products were MIT Portugal faculty Júlio Viana (UMinho) and Ana Isabel Ricardo (UNL). | 
