Studies on the development of pharmaceuticals, biomedical optics and biosensors for the control and treatment of high-impact diseases in public health, as for instance cardiovascular disease, cancer and neglected diseases, are important measures for social and economic development in emerging countries. In Brazil this is a worrying situation given the significant prevalence and low investment for research on drugs, medicines and related products.

The objective of this research project is to develop bioactive molecules, biomedical optics and biosensors for the treatment of these diseases, thereby contributing to national health policies as well as to the country’s social and economic development. This interdisciplinary project has the participation of researchers from various areas of knowledge (Physics, Chemistry, Pharmacy and Biology), contributing to the development of thematic projects as summarized below:

1. Research on bioactive molecules and bioactivity studies: Investigation of the activity of biologically relevant molecules, based on Brazilian biodiversity, in molecular modeling programs, and in synthetic derivatives. This work will be linked to bioactivity studies of natural and synthetic compounds.
2. Use of light to diagnose disease and develop photosensitizes: Light is an interesting tool that can be applied in disease diagnostic techniques to characterize body fluids and in therapy when associated with a photosensitizer.
3. Electrochemical and optical sensors applied to the study of bioactive molecules:Electrochemical and optical techniques can be used to elucidate the mechanisms of action of bioactive molecules as they enable understanding the fundamental physical and chemical parameters that determine the interactions between the molecule and its receptor. Such techniques can be coupled to developing biosensors and models for biointerfaces.