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Aqua-Synapse 2nd Workshop at GIMM Foundation in Lisbon

On April 14, 2025, the 2nd Workshop of the Aqua-Synapse project was held in Lisbon, Portugal, at the GIMM Foundation – Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine. Aqua-Synapse is a project funded by the European Executive Research Agency of the European Commission and is coordinated by Professor Sergiy Lyubchyk from Lusófona University.
The primary aim of this second workshop was to review and discuss the progess and future perspectives of each Work Package, following the conclusion of Reporting Period 1 (RP1). The workshop featured detailed presentations on the progress and resulsts of the following Work Packages:
• WP1: Deuterium metabolic spectroscopy and deuterium metabolic imaging
• WP2: The impact of deuterium on excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance in a human neuronal network model system
• WP3: Evaluation of the effects of deuterium depletion in animal models of metabolic syndrome
• WP4: Assessment of the impact of deuterium depletion in animal models of aging
• WP5: Production of deuterium-depleted and control water samples, and monitoring deuterium content in experimental tissues
• WP6: Project management and dissemination activities

Each Work Package leader presented the progress and findings under their responsibility. The workshop concluded with a roundtable discussion that fostered knowledge exchange and strategic planning for the project's next steps, including mobility, scientific research and results, dissemination and communication efforts, and the potential inclusion of a new company into the consortium.
This workshop was organized by GIMM in collaboration with ULusófona. All consortium partners were represented either in person or online, including: Lusófona University/COFAC (PT); University Hospital Würzburg (DE); HYD LLC. for Cancer Research and Drug Development (HU); Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine (PT); University of Oxford (UK).LLC for Cancer Research and Drug Development (Hungary).

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Aqua-Synapse Mid-term Meeting

On the 27th and 28th of May, the Mid-term Meeting of the Aqua Synapse project took place in Cavtat, Croatia. Aqua Synapse is a project funded by the European Executive Research Agency of the European Commission, and coordinated by Professor Sergiy Lyubchyk from Lusófona University.
The main idea of the Aqua Synapse project is to establish the mechanistic basis of the positive health effects of deuterium depleted water. The isotope content of drinking water has been shown to possibly have implications to many diseases, such as cancer - while high concentrations of deuterium may induce mitochondrial dysfunction, and even lead to cell death, lower concentrations (deuterium depleted water), however, appear to have positive effects in human health and seem to represent a safe intervention with few, if any, side effects – but remains unclear at what concentrations the positive metabolic and behavioral effects become apparent. The project aims to verify this hypothesis and develop mechanisms to measure the health benefits of deuterium-poor water.
In the mid-term meeting, the main progresses of the project were presented by all the teams of the Consortium related to the Work Packages (WP) of their responsibility, including: deuterium metabolic spectroscopy and deuterium metabolic imaging (WP1); deuterium impacting excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance in a human neuronal network model system (WP2); evaluation of effects of deuterium depletion in animal models of metabolic syndrome (WP3); evaluation of impact deuterium depletion in animal models of aging (WP4); production of deuterium depleted and control water samples, control of deuterium content in experimental tissue (WP5). The progresses of Lusófona University’s coordination team on project management were also discussed, particularly related to the communication and dissemination plan of the project and the data management plan (WP6).
All teams from the Consortium were represented in the meeting, either in presence or online, namely: COFAC (Portugal), University of Oxford (England); University of Würzburg (Germany); Institute of Molecular Medicine João Lobo Antunes (Portugal); HYDLLC for Cancer Research and Drug Development (Hungary).

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Aqua Synapse Kick-off Meeting in Brussels

On the 28th of January, the Kick-off meeting of the Aqua Synapse project took place in Brussels – a project funded by the European Executive Research Agency of the European Commission, and coordinated by Professor Svitlana Lyubchyk from Lusófona University. The Aqua Synapse project is a project that aims to study in depth the potential positive health effects of deuterium-poor water. For example, it is known that the isotope content of drinking water shows effects on the pathogenesis of cancer, and it is hypothesized whether the reduction of heavy isotopes in drinking water (in this case deuterium) may have positive biological effects on human health , reducing susceptibility to many diseases. The Aqua Synapse project aims to verify this hypothesis and develop mechanisms to measure the health benefits of deuterium-poor water. This project has the participation of several international partners (researchers and companies) who were present at the meeting, namely: from the University of Oxford (England); University of Würzburg (Germany); Institute of Molecular Medicine João Lobo Antunes (Portugal); HYDLLC for Cancer Research and Drug Development (Hungary); Neuroplast (Netherlands). At the meeting, several conditions inherent to the partnership between the organizations were discussed, as well as future networking events necessary for the continuation of the project. This meeting was also especially important for coordinating the partners and the tasks to be carried out by each one of them to reach the important milestones in the field of research, as well as to discuss the future steps to be taken in the project.