Orfeu Flores
1. Personal Data
Full Name: Alcino Orfeu de Leão e Flores
Date of birth: 8 Th - March - 1969
Nationality: Portuguese
Identity card: 7779555, Issued on the 18th March 1997 by the archive of Lisbon
Address: Quinta de Santa Theresa, Botequim
2815-148 Charneca da Caparica, Portugal
Tel/fax: + 351 1 2978488, + 351 932693817
e-mail address: aflores@pen.gulbenkian.pt, oflores@itqb.unl.pt, orfeu@grupostab.com
Graduated in Applied Chemistry-Biotechnology by the New University of Lisbon (18/20), 1992;
MsC IMPACT degree, “Master in Science and Technology Commercialisation”, promoted by IST (UTL, Portugal) and IC2 (U. Texas, USA), 1998-1999
Ph.D. Thesis in Molecular Genetics at Gulbenkian Science Institute, Oeiras, Portugal 1993-2000 (submitted to the jury for discussion);
Founder and CEO of STAB – Water Treatment and Biotechnology, ltd, Lisbon, since 1995;
Founder and CEO of GRUPO STAB (group of 7 companies covering environment, biotechnology, biomedicine and information technologies), Portugal, 2000
Expert for European Commission RTD FP5, member of several panels for project evaluation, since 1999;
Vice-President of Portuguese Association of Bio industries (APBio), a member of EuropaBio, since 1998
2. Academic Background
1987-1992
Graduation degree in applied Chemistry/ Biotechnology
by New University of Lisbon,
focusing on oncobiology and environmental biotechnology.
1992-1993
“Algae enzymes
for alginate degradation”, CEVA
– Centre d’Études et Valorization des Algues, Bretagne, France,
one year placement, grant
from COMETT EU Program
1993-till now
Ph.D. project “Cloning,
sequencing and site-direct mutagenesis of the gene coding for the aldehyde
oxido-reductase containing molybdenum from Desulfovibrio gigas.”, Gulbenkian
Science Institute, Oeiras, Portugal
1998-1999
Master degree on Science and Technology
Commercialisation, IST/Technical
University of Lisbon and IC2/University
of Texas.
1999
Bio entrepreneurship course, 60 hour
promoted by APBIO and Irish Bioventures
1999
“Management of DNA sequencing projects” Bioinformatics Advanced
Course, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 9-14 December, Oeiras, Portugal
2000
“Innovation in Environmental Biotechnology and Quality in Environmental
Engineering”, PEDIP course, 1579 h, Lisbon, Portugal
2000
“Escola de Empreendedores 2000” (Entrepreneurial School 2000), ANJE
– National Association of Young Businessmen, Porto, Portugal
3. Publications, Reports and Patents
1987
“ENDA – a new atomic model”, registered on the Portuguese Authors Society.
1991-1992
“Molecular biology of Wilms
tumour, molecular modifications of the region 11p13 of chromosome 11”
(WT1, Haber et al, 1990).
Placement report on New University
of Lisbon.
1992
“Development of an aerated fixed film bioreactor for
wastewater treatment from the tomato industry” – Placement report on New
University of Lisbon.
1994
Eur.
J. Biochem., 220,
901-910, “Molecular cloning and
sequence analysis of the gene of the molybdenum-containing aldehyde
oxido-reductase of Desulfovibrio gigas: The deduced amino acid sequence
shows similarity to xanthine dehydrogenase”, Ulrich Thoenes, Orfeu
Flores, Ana Neves, Bart
Devreese, Jozef J. Beeumen, Robert Huber, Maria J. Romão, Jean LeGall,
José J. G. Moura and Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada.
1997
Gulbenkian Program
for Research Stimulus
– “Mathematical model and analysis of the functional, regulatory and
codifying regions of an organism’s genome”, submitted for an
exploratory award.
1999
PCT patent request for differential culture media for identification of
spoilage yeast Yarrovia lipolytica
1999
PCT patent request for differential culture media for identification of
spoilage yeast Dekkera
2000
PCT patent request for differential culture media for identification of
spoilage yeast Zygosacharomyces
bailii
2000
PN 2000, STAB Group´s Business Plan, Master Thesis, IST/IC2
– U. Texas, USA
4. Meetings, Communications and Expert Panel member
1987
“ENDA
– a new atomic model”,
communication to the 29th
London International Youth Science Fortnight, London, England.
1992
“Aerated
Submerged Fixed Film for treatment of wastewater from tomato industry”,
Orfeu Flores, J.F. Santos Oliveira, Environmental
Lisbon Meeting, book of abstracts, Rotary Foundation, Lisbon,
Portugal.
1994
Visited the Natural
Energy Laboratory of Hawaii and The
Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park, teaming with Prof. Goeffrey
C. Ashton from Hawaii University as a GSE observer from Rotary
International.
1995
50th
Meeting of Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, poster “The
polycistronic unit coding for the MOPP protein and related proteins”,
Orfeu Flores, Ana Neves and Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada, NY, USA.
1995
XXX
Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de Genética, communication “The
polycistronic unit coding for the MOPP protein and related proteins”,
Orfeu Flores, Berta Martins, José Moura and Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada,
Lisboa, Portugal.
1995
Environmental
Biotechnology EUREKA Brokerage Event, Brussells. Responsible for the project “Removal of hydrocarbons and heavy metal from groundwater along the
highway net”. R&D consortium with groups from Portugal, Hungary,
Holland, Russia and France.
1996
EC COST ACTION 818
– hydrogenases and environmental biotechnology, Berlim, Germany.
1997
NATO/ESF
Workshop “Biological
Electron Transfer Chains”, Tomar, Portugal.
1997
Advanced
Gulbenkian Meeting
“Brain, Language and Communication”,
September, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
1998
“Yeast in the production and spoilage of food and
beverages – 19th ISSY”,
Braga, Portugal
1998
25th
Silver Jubilee FEBS Meeting
“Sequence analysis of diverse policistronic units from the genome of the
sulphate reducer Desulfovibrio gigas
“, communication, The Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.
1998
Bio98, World Biotechnology Exhibition, New York Hilton
Towers, NY, USA
1998
EuropaBio
98, The
European Biotechnology Congress, Brussels Congress Centre, with Flanders
as regional host & major sponsor
1998
AL-INVEST
meeting,
“The environmental market in Europe and South America”,
Deutsche-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, Sheraton Hotel, Lisbon, Portugal.
From 1993 to 1998
Attended all meeting of the Portuguese Society of Biochemistry, in Algarve (1994), Braga (1996)
and Tomar (1998). In all of them presented posters related to the genome
of Desulfovibrio gigas.
1999
Jornadas
de Inovação,
sponsored by the Innovation Agency, AIP Congress Centre, Lisbon, Portugal.
1999
MICRO’
99 –
Congresso Nacional de Microbiologia,
communication “Sequence Analysis of diverse policistronic units
from the genome of the sulphate reducer Desulfovibrio
gigas” Orfeu Flores, S.
Oliveira, G. Silva, M. Agostinho, A. Xavier, e C. Rodrigues-Pousada, 1-4
December, Luso, -Portugal
1999
BIOTECHNICA
’99 –
International Trade Fair for Biotechnology, 5-7 October, Hannover, Germany
1999
Marie
Curie Industry Host Fellowships, member of experts evaluators panel, Brussels
2000
Quality
of Life Programme, FP5, key action 3: The Cell Factory, SME Specific Measures, member of experts
evaluators panel, Brussels
2000
Portuguese
Biotechnology Mission to Australia and Japan, as start-ups representative, Tokyo, Sydney and
Melbourne
2000
Solvay
Iberian Journey for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, “How to spin-off a biotech green-shot raising funds
in the environmental market”, Barcelona
2000
Marie
Curie Industry Host Fellowships, member of experts evaluators panel, Brussels
2001
Quality of Life and Management of living Resources, FP5
(European Commission), KA3, stage II, member of the experts evaluators panel, 14-18 May, Brussels
2001
9ªs Jornadas Yeast Biology Prof. Nicolau Van Uden, invited speaker, “Bioentrepreneurship and market
analysis for spoilage yeast differential culture media”, 24 – 26 May,
Alcochete, Portugal
2001
BIO2001, International Biotechnology Convention & Exhibition, June 24-27, S. Diego, CA, USA
2001
27th Meeting of the Federation of European Biochemical
Societies, exhibitor and sponsor, June 30th to July 6th,
Lisbon, Portugal.
5. Project Management and Execution Experience
As leader
1997
“Biotreatment of Quercus suber
disease”, exploratory award, FA-ST
8455, involving Portuguese and Swedish partners, under a CRAFT program
from EU.
1998
RIME Program (Incentives to SME), “Business planning and implementation of a mobile
laboratory for a water and wastewater analysis”. Application was
approved to the SME STAB, and execution of the investment will start in
Summer 99.
1999
PEDIP II Program,
measure 4, Human
Resources Training, “Professional training of STAB´s team for
industrialising and commercialising the environmental biotechnology; Rules
for environmental quality practice in industries”, under the
co-ordination of GdA – fp
(Gabinete de Dinamização e Acompanhamento da Formação Profissional).
The aim is to train a 16-member team on science and technology
commercialisation. The application resulted in a fully subsidised
investment.
1999
Application to the program VISÃO
2001 from PEDIP II, for the integrated implementation of ISO 9000
Quality Procedures and Certification of the SME STAB.
1999
Intellectual Property and Patent
Registration of Selective Culture Medium for the food contaminating
yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, with
inventor Prof. Virgílio Loureiro from ISA/Technical University of Lisbon.
1999
ICPME L0084 “LEVEDURA$”, funded by AdI – National Agency for
Innovation, under the State
program FEDER, for research on spoilage yeast identification and
technology transfer to the global market of the outcome technology, in
consortium with ISA-UTL. Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, Portugal
As collaborator or consortium partner
1999
“Starting the characterisation of Desulfovibrio
gigas genome, National Program PRAXIS
XXI, PCNA/BIO/32/96, Claudina Pousada, Isabel Oliveira, Orfeu Flores,
Gabriela Silva, Manuela Broco, Marta Agostinho.
2000
FP5, Key Action 3,
QLRT-2000-00640/HYPERSOLUTES, in consortium with national and foreign Universities and companies, for
developing new solutes for enzyme stabilization at high temperatures.
6. Professional Experience
1986-1989
Farm work, agriculture, Óbidos, Portugal.
1987 and 1988
Professional training on leadership, tourism and fashion modelling,
Caldas da Rainha, Portugal;
1991
Assistant monitor in University, course of Chemistry, UNL, Lisbon.
1992 - 1993
Director of the Office for Graduated Students
Employment, UNL,
Lisbon;
Since 1994
CEO
of STAB, Ltd.
STAB - Tratamento de Águas e Biotecnologia lda. is an
environmental-biotech oriented start-up
founded in 1994. At the beginning, the company assembled a team of
engineers from diverse fields - sanitary, chemistry, civil, mechanical and
electromechanical, that launched services in water treatment and
wastewater treatment: project, engineering, construction and management of
effluents treatment facilities. In 1997, STAB started its own
environmental biotechnology laboratory, for research and development
(R&D), quality control analysis, new technology development for
denitrification, dephosforilation and process innovation through applied
research. The good ties with Portuguese universities, and recent advances
in the R&D lab in consortium with these university laboratories, led
to specialisation in the technology: Fast
screening and diagnosis of food -contaminating and pathogenic yeasts.
As entrepreneur, covering all areas of the company, like management and administration, environmental engineering and the biotechnology unit.
As CEO, being responsible for the team assembling and training, as well as the investment programs in technical means, office and laboratory facilities
As Chief Engineer, leaded several projects, most relevant of which are: rehabilitation project for a wastewater treatment plant from the cheese industry Prodelactum (1998); Specific plan for environmental adaptation and execution plan for the wood transformation industry VALCO (1999); Technological audit of Ceramics & Environment, for the ceramics industry of Caldas da Rainha industrial area (1998); Several studies for rehabilitation of water treatment plants from PETROGAL, an oil company, whose waters contained abnormally high contents of nitrates and hydrocarbons (1995-1998); Exploitation and maintenance of several wastewater and water treatment plants, with sanitary surveillance, mechanical intervention and routine quality analysis of the effluents (since 1995).
As Chief Scientist: specialized in Zymotools or Fast screening and diagnosis of food -contaminating and pathogenic yeasts, for development and implementation, at the industry level of rapid diagnostic methods specific for the most dangerous spoilage yeasts of foods and beverages;
2000
CEO and founder of GRUPO STAB, administrator. Grupo STAB is a group of
seven start-up companies, covering Environmental Engineering,
Biotechnology, Biomedicine and Information Technologies.
7. Prizes and awards
1989
European Young Scientist Award, 2nd prize,
national phase.
1990
“Casal Melich” award, Rotary Foundation, Coimbra,
Portugal.
1993
“Santos Pardal” award, Espirito Santo Foundation,
Lisbon
2000
“Premio Jovem Empresário 2000” (Young Entrepreneur Award), winner of
a short list of 5 projects, from an initial list of more then 300 projects
8. Personal skills and interests
Likes to travel, to surf and easily relates to other people.
Strong sense of duty.
Driven by knowledge and entrepreneurship.
9. Grants
1983-1992
Grant from Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for high
school and college attendance.
1987-1992
Grant from Portuguese Rotary Foundation for graduation
degree.
1992
COMETT grant from EU for post-graduation placement in
France.
1993-1997
Ph.D. grant from JNICT, Portugal.
1994
Grant from Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for “GSE Group study exchange – Ambassadors of Good will.
1998
Grant from the National Ministry of Economy to attend
the IMPACT Program, with IC2 (Texas, USA)
10. Organization Membership
- A.N.J.E. (National Association of Young Entrepreneurs)
- S.P.B. (Portuguese Society of Biochemistry)
- Portuguese Society of Biotechnology
- APBio (Portuguese Society of Bio industries)