Bio.Natural Conference Report
IV Bio.Natural 2025 – Bioactive Natural Products Research Conference
Lisbon, Portugal | July 14–15, 2025 | Hybrid Event
The Research Center for Biosciences & Health Technologies (CBIOS) at Universidade Lusófona
successfully hosted the IV Bio.Natural Conference, a global forum spotlighting the future of
bioactive natural products. Held in Lisbon and streamed worldwide, the two-day hybrid event gathered
leading scientists, clinicians, and industry innovators to explore how nature’s compounds are shaping
tomorrow’s medicine, nutrition, and technology.
Highlights
- Keynotes from global leaders:
- Thomas Efferth (Germany) on AI in natural product research.
- Michael Heinrich (UK) on climate impacts on bioactive compounds.
- Alvaro Viljoen (South Africa) on African traditional medicine.
- Salvador Cañigueral (Spain) on European Pharmacopoeia advances.
- Cutting-edge sessions showcased:
- Novel plant-derived therapies for cancer, infectious diseases, neurodegeneration.
- Sustainable crop by-products for cosmetics and medical devices.
- Functional foods and supplements for human nutrition innovation.
- Regulatory frameworks for herbal medicines and cosmetics.
- Flash & Poster Presentations: Over 90 contributions presenting breakthroughs in phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, nanocosmetics, antimicrobial resistance, and functional foods.
Impact
The conference reinforced Lisbon’s role as a hub for scientific collaboration, bridging traditional
knowledge with modern biomedical innovation. With participants from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the
Americas, IV Bio.Natural 2025 highlighted the global momentum behind natural product research and its
promise for healthcare, sustainability, and industry transformation.
Scientific Committee
- Patrícia Rijo (U. Lusófona, Portugal)
- Michael Heinrich (UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, United Kingdom)
- Thomas Efferth (Johannes Gutenberg University, Germany)
- Douglas Siqueira Chaves (Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil)
- Ilkay Erdogan Orhan (Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, Turkey)
- Fábio Boylan (Trinity College Dublin, Irlanda)
- Lillian Barros (Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal)
- Maria M. M. Santos (Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
- Paula Castilho (Universidade da Madeira, Portugal)
- Vânia Moreira (Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal)
- Funda Nuray Yalçin (Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey)
- Nazim Sekeroglu (Gaziantep, Turkey)
- Vânia André (Instituto Superior Técnico, U. Lisbon, Portugal)
- M. José Umbelino Ferreira (Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
- Célia Cabral (Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal)
- Ana Cristina Figueiredo (Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
Organizing Committee
- Patrícia Rijo (U. Lusófona, Portugal)
- Andreia Rosatella (U. Lusófona, Portugal)
- Daniel J.V.A. dos Santos (U. Lusófona, Portugal)
- Vera M. S. Isca (U. Lusófona, Portugal)
- Rebeca André (U. Lusófona, Portugal)
- Leandro Oliveira (U. Lusófona, Portugal)
- Epole Ntungwe (Universidade Ramon Llull, Spain)
- Ricardo João Freitas Ferreira (Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
- Tomás Ramalho Ginestal Monteiro (Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
- Eva María Domínguez-Martín (U. Alcalá de Henares, Spain)
- Henoc del Rosario García (U. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain)
Countries Participated
Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China,
Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Poland, Portugal,
Republic of the Congo, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand,
Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, United Kingdom, USA.
