This Springer Handbook is a comprehensive, all-in-one reference in medical biotechnology. Covering cutting-edge therapies, regulatory frameworks, and industrial applications, this authoritative volume is essential for professionals and researchers in biotechnology, pharmacology, biomedical engineering, and related fields.
Edited and authored by leading international experts, the handbook addresses the growing demand for reliable, up-to-date information on novel biotechnologies. It bridges the gap between academic research and real-world industry practices, making it a valuable resource for scientists, healthcare professionals, students, and decision-makers.
Key topics include: Industrial recombinant protein production Biopharmaceutical formulation and delivery systems Biological and biosimilar medicines Biotechnological vaccines Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) Gene and cell-based therapies, DNA and RNA therapeutics, and regenerative medicine Machine Learning and AI in precision medicine Biotechnological-based healthcare products and medical devices Blue and green biotechnologies
This handbook provides in-depth insights into the challenges of manufacturing biological medicines, the development of innovative therapies, and the application of sustainable, biotechnology-based healthcare solutions. Its multidisciplinary scope and practical relevance make it a cornerstone reference for anyone involved in the future of medical biotechnology.
Ana Catarina Silva is an Associate Professor with Habilitation in Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal. She is also a Senior Researcher at UCIBIO, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto (FFUP), and a Researcher at FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, University Fernando Pessoa. Since 2025, she has been a member of the Board of the Northern Regional Section of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society. Her current research interests include lipid-based nanosystems for advanced drug delivery, particularly nose-to-brain and cutaneous delivery strategies, quality-by-design (QbD) approaches for formulation optimization, and the development of biopharmaceuticals and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).
She holds a European PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, with a specialization in Pharmaceutical Technology, awarded by the University of Porto in 2012, and a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University Fernando Pessoa (2006). She is Principal Investigator of the UCIBIO/FFUP research group in the projects "Marie Waste Biorefinery: Bioactive Platforms for a Circular Cosmetic Industry" and "Shrimp4NanoCosmetics - New Nanotechnology-Based Cosmetic Products Obtained through Advanced Marine Biomass Extraction and Valorisation Technologies," and a researcher in additional funded R&D projects. Her scientific excellence has been recognized by inclusion in Stanford University's World's Top 2% Scientists list for 5 consecutive years (2021-2025).
She is the author of more than 70 scientific publications in the fields of Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, including original research articles, review papers, books, book chapters, and edited special issues (Scopus h-index: 31). She serves as an Editor of the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (Elsevier) since January 2026 and is a member of the editorial boards of several international journals and book series, including Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology (Springer), Chinese Chemical Letters (Elsevier), Dermatological Drug Delivery from Frontiers in Drug Delivery (Frontiers), Current Drug Metabolism (Bentham Science), and Biochemistry & Pharmacology: Open Access (Longdom). She regularly acts as a referee for international funding agencies and a wide range of peer-reviewed journals.
She has extensive experience in the supervision of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students, particularly within nationally funded research projects. Her academic and research activity has been strongly focused on Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. She has edited and authored several book chapters in the Springer series Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, including the volume Current Applications of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, and is the author of the SpringerBrief Biotechnology for Pharmaceutical Sciences: Concepts and Applications, developed from her teaching activities.
