Manuela D. Machado (MDM) graduated in Environmental Engineering by the Faculty of Biotechnology of Catholic University -Porto in 2001 and completed a Master and a PhD degree (with honour and distinction) in Environmental Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto in 2005 and 2010. Since 2018, MDM lectures at Institute of Engineering of Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ISEP-IPP). Concurrently, MDM works as Contracted Researcher, being an integrated member of the Centre of Biological Engineering at the University of Minho. Her main research issues focus on the: development of new methodologies to assess the ecotoxicity of pollutants; identification of the main targets of single pollutants (heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and pesticides) and elucidation of their adaptive pathways to combat pollutants stress, in aquatic microorganisms.Interests: environmental toxicology; microalgae and yeast, contaminants of emerging concern (antibiotics, biocides, pesticides, heavy metals); development and application of bioassays for assessing aquatic pollution; mixture toxicology; elucidation of the mechanisms of action of pollutants on microorganisms and adaptive pathways to combat oxidative stress