In the last two decades, it has been observed an increasing low enrolment of students in chemistry teaching courses in secondary schools. On the one hand, because of the negative connotation of chemistry, associated with the potentially toxic and pollutant chemical industry, and on the other hand, that the teaching of this subject is exclusively carried out only in a theoretical classroom environment with almost non-existent practical/experimental component, despite chemistry is an experimental science in its essence. This state of affairs has been reflected in chemistry degrees offered by Portuguese universities throughout the country, which in the application process for each academic year, ended up by never completely fulfilling the number of offered nunerus clausus. Considering that the pedagogical mission of the Faculty of Science and Technology of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (FCT-NOVA), in particular its Department of Chemistry (DQ), aims to contribute to the human, scientific and technical development of students, a project has been settled in the last nine years in order to offer to high school students a unique opportunity to arouse in them the interest in Science in general and Chemistry in particular, to stimulate impart on them the joy of curiosity, while at the same time conferring the necessary skills for their future activity as students of higher education or in the labour market. It is also through the close contact with students that method, discipline, and intellectual honesty are transmitted and cultivated. The aim of this Project was thus to promote the study and taste interest for Chemistry, through experimental activities, fitting the Portuguese High School Education curricula, offered to students enrolled in Chemistry subjects attending the 10th, 11th and 12th grades (the latter, compulsory high school degree to apply to University Throughout 2016/17 academic year, DQ-FCT-NOVA will receive, from October to May, 1888 students visits from eleven High Schools distributed among Physical Chemistry for 10th/11th grade and of the 12th grade attending the Chemistry subject. The former are offer one single laboratory activity while the latter participate up to 10 different experimental activities. During 70 practical sessions of 2.5 hours each, with an average attendance of 27 students, the number of higher education school staff involved are 22. Each high school class is accompanied by 1 teacher, who's also proactively contributing to the design of the practical session. The session is carried out in groups of 2/3 students, and the laboratories have a capacity of 24/48 according onto classes sizes. A quality questionnaire is filled by the students in order to monitor the action. In 2015/16, 63 % of the students answered the questionnaire in which more than 90% students were very satisfied with the action. This project has already been implemented for 9 years reflecting a growing collaboration between FCT-NOVA and in High Schools in the vicinity (Setubal District). Above all, this Project allowed most of these schools to continue to motivate students to enrol in 12th grade Chemistry subject. Actually, in the first year of the initiative, many of these schools did not have enough students to open chemistry classes for the 12th grade. After the first initiative, almost all high schools have been able to maintain open 12th grade chemistry classes. On the other hand, FCT-NOVA, namely, the Applied Chemistry course, has been able to fill 100% of the numerus clausus available in the first phase of the application period, which is not the case for other higher education schools courses in Portugal for the same domain - Chemistry.

Stimuli-responsive supramolecular receptors are important building blocks for the construction of self-assembled functional materials. We report the design and synthesis of a pH and light-responsive 2-hydroxychalcone-beta-cyclodextrin conjugate (1-Ct) and its characterization by spectroscopic and computational methods. 1-Ct follows the typical reaction network of trans-chalcone-flavylium photoswitches. Upon light irradiation, 1-Ct can be photochemically converted into the cis-chalcone/hemiketal forms (1-Cc/1-B) under neutral pH conditions or to the flavylium cation (1-AH+) at acidic pH values. This stimuli-responsive beta-cyclodextrin host, 1Ct, was found to form stronger intramolecular self-inclusion complexes (Kintra = 14) than 1-AH+ (Kintra = 3) and weaker than 1-Cc/1-B (overall Kintra = 179), allowing control over their stability and binding properties by combinations of pH and light stimuli.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a 170 kDa transmembrane protein involved in the outward transport of many structurally unrelated substrates. P-gp activation/induction may function as an antidotal pathway to prevent the cytotoxicity of these substrates. In the present study we aimed at testing rifampicin (Rif) and three newly synthesized Rif derivatives (a mono-methoxylated derivative, MeORif, a peracetylated derivative, PerAcRif, and a reduced derivative, RedRif) to establish their ability to modulate P-gp expression and activity in a cellular model of the rat's blood-brain barrier, the RBE4 cell line P-gp expression was assessed by western blot using C219 anti-P-gp antibody. P-gp function was evaluated by flow cytometry measuring the accumulation of rhodamine123. Whenever P-gp activation/induction ability was detected in a tested compound, its antidotal effect was further tested using paraquat as cytotoxicity model. Interactions between Rif or its derivatives and P-gp were also investigated by computational analysis. Rif led to a significant increase in P-gp expression at 72 h and RedRif significantly increased both P-gp expression and activity. No significant differences were observed for the other derivatives. Pre-or simultaneous treatment with RedRif protected cells against paraquat-induced cytotoxicity, an effect reverted by GF120918, a P-gp inhibitor, corroborating the observed P-gp activation ability. Interaction of RedRif with P-gp drug-binding pocket was consistent with an activation mechanism of action, which was confirmed with docking studies. Therefore, RedRif protection against paraquat-induced cytotoxicity in RBE4 cells, through P-gp activation/induction, suggests that it may be useful as an antidote for cytotoxic substrates of P-gp.