RitRita Azeredoa Azeredo, PHD student in Biology at Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto (FCUP), that develops research at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), and former student (alumna) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), was awarded with the best paper at the European/Africa level in the scope of the Alltech Young Scientist Awards.

Dietary tryptophan and methionine as modulators of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) immune status and inflammatory response” is the title of Rita Azeredo´s research paper  that now was awarded with prize money of 2,000 euros and an Ipad. The global competition will be held at AllTech headquarters in Kentucky, EUA, during Alltech’s International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium, from 15 to 21 May 2015. Rita Azeredo will be present at this event to compete for a scholarship of $10,000, as well as a trophy of recognition.

The present study of Rita Azeredo aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of tryptophan and methionine on European seabass cellular and humoral status. In the abstract of the article, we can see that methionine positively affected European seabass immune status by improving the peripheral leucocyte response, complement activity and bactericidal capacity, a stronger cellular recruitment to the inflammatory focus, and higher plasma peroxidase and bactericidal activities. Read the full research paper.

Rita Azeredo has a degree in Aquatic Sciences at ICBAS (2010) and a Master in Nutrition – marine by Universitetet i Bergen (UiB, Norway). After a first experience in CIIMAR, in 2008, Rita returned in 2013 to develop the research project included in the PhD in Biology of FCUP.

More information about Alltech Young Scientist Awards here.