Joana Marques

Biotech researcher with over a decade of experience in malaria research and product development. I began my career at ISGlobal (Barcelona) as a PhD student focused on creating nanovectors for targeted drug delivery in Plasmodium spp. Later, during an internship at Imperial College London, I explored how these nanovectors could be used to disrupt parasite development in Anopheles mosquitoes.

In 2016, I joined IHMT/NOVA, where I developed an artificial blood-free diet – BLOODless – for rearing mosquitoes, an innovative diet that mimics the nutritional value of blood meals. This breakthrough has sustained more than 40 generations of mosquitoes without fitness loss.

With two patents filed, I remain committed to translating research into commercially viable products. I work closely with stakeholders in malaria-endemic regions, combining my expertise in bio-entrepreneurship to advance biotechnology solutions that promote public health.

Main scientific interests:
Plasmodium experimental infections, artificial membrane feeding, blood-free mosquito rearing, Anopheles physiology, microbiome and reproduction.

1. Marques J, Seabra SG, Almeida I, Gomes J, Alves AC, Silveira H. Long-term blood-free rearing of Anopheles mosquitoes with no effect on fitness, Plasmodium infectivity nor microbiota composition. Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 22;14(1):19473. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-70090-6
2. Mosi FA, Rutha I, Velez R, Swai JK, Mlacha YP, Marques J, Silveira H, Tarimo BB. Effects of a blood-free mosquito diet on fitness and gonotrophic cycle parameters of laboratory reared Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. Parasit Vectors. 2024 Jul 6;17(1):289. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06345-y
3. Marques J, Cardoso JCR, Félix RC, Power DM, Silveira H. A Blood-Free Diet to Rear Anopheline Mosquitoes. J Vis Exp. 2020 Jan 31;(155). doi: 10.3791/60144
4. Marques J, Cardoso JCR, Felix RC, Santana RAG, Guerra MDGB, Power D, Silveira H. Fresh-blood-free diet for rearing malaria mosquito vectors. Sci Rep. 2018 Dec 13;8(1):17807. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-35886-3
5. Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 13;6:24368. doi: 10.1038/srep24368