About
Current smart instrumentation using multi-sensors and/or spectrometers provides a wealth of data that requires sophisticated signal and data processing approaches to extract the hidden information.
Our group develops algorithmic solutions for the automatic processing of Gas Sensor Array, Gas Chromatography – Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and Mass Spectrometry (GC/LC-MS, MSI) data for metabolomics, food, and environmental samples.
In this context, we are interested in intelligent chemical instruments for the detection of gases, volatile compounds, and smells. These systems can be based on an array of nonspecific chemical sensors with a pattern recognition engine, taking inspiration from the olfactory system. Some spectrometries, e.g. Ion Mobility Spectrometry, are capable of very fast analysis with good detection limits but poor selectivity. These technologies have been proposed for the fast determination of the volatolome (volatile fraction of the metabolome), instead of the reference technique of gas chromatography – mass spectrometry.
During 2019 our research has been focused on:
- Development of drones and terrestrial robots with bioinspired machine olfaction capabilities for gas source localization and mapping. Our results have shown that nanodrones with proper signal processing are able to locate sources in indoor scenarios particularly for chemical sources located above the drone.
- Development of signal processing approaches to improve the time dynamics of chemical sensors and extract bioinspired chemical features from turbulent plumes. Proper deconvolution methods based on inverse filters are able to improve the sensor bandwidth an order of magnitude, reaching time dynamics able to detect with subsecond events.
- Development of data processing methods to resolve molecular heterogeneity in mass spectrometry images of colorectal cancer tissues. The developed methods can discriminate resistant and sensitive areas of tissue to chemotherapy after proper training with homogeneous tissue images.
- Development of full workflows including signal processing and machine learning tools for the analysis of untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance data. We have developed and released to the public a package developed in R for the analysis of NMR data: AlpsNMR.
- Development of methods for the analysis of flatus and their relationship with food intake.
- Development of signal processing methods for the analysis of Ham and Olive Oil flavour data using GC-IMS and their potential use in fraud detection.
- Development of methods for the analysis of urine using GC-IMS
- Development of techniques to reduce the power consumption of chemical sensor based on metal oxides.
Staff
ibecbarcelona.euProjects
| NATIONAL PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| TENSOMICS · Development of tensorial signal processing and machine learning tools tailored to the analysis of urine metabolomics (2019-2022) | Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades | Santiago Marco |
| PRIVATELY FUNDED PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| Anticipation of respiratory outcomes in ICU COVID-19 patients by metabolic signatures (2021-2023) | Fundació La Marató de TV3 | Santiago Marco |
| FINISHED PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| SNIFFDRONE · Drone-based Environmental Odor Monitoring (2019-2020) | EU Commission · Attract Projects | Santiago Marco |
| Analisis de tapones de corcho por espectroscopia de movilidad de iones (2015-2016) | M3C INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION & VISION, S.L. | Santiago Marco |
| Sensor test for indoor air quality and safety applications (2015-2016) | BSH Electrodomesticos España S.A. | Santiago Marco |
| Preparació i realització d’un curs de processat de senyal per sensors químics de dos dies a BSH Zaragoza (2016-2017) | BSH Electrodomesticos España S.A. | Santiago Marco |
| SMART-IMS Procesado de Señal para Espectroscopia de Movilidad de Iones: Análisis de Fluidos Biomédicos y Detección de Sustancias Tóxicas (2012-2015) | MINECO, I+D-Investigación fundamental no orientada | Santiago Marco |
| Transducción biomimética para olfacción artificial | MINECO, EUROPA EXCELENCIA | Agustín Gutiérrez |
| BIOENCODE Estudio comparativo de la capacidad de codificación de información química de sistemas biológicos y artificiales | MINECO, I+D-Investigación fundamental no orientada | Agustín Gutiérrez |
| SENSIBLE Sensores inteligentes para edificios más seguros (2014-2016) | MINECO, Acciones de Programación Conjunta Internacional | Santiago Marco |
| SAFESENS Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Safety and Security of Buildings and its Occupants (2014-2017) | ENIAC Joint Undertaking | Santiago Marco |
| SIGVOL Mejora de la señal para instrumentación química: aplicaciones en metabolómica de volátiles y en olfacción (2015-2017) | MINECO, Retos investigación: Proyectos I+D | Santiago Marco |
| Computational Metabolomics (2017-2019) | Industrial Project with Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Switzerland | Santiago Marco |
| Development of Data Processing Algorithms for Temperature Modulated Sensors | Industrial Project with BSH Electrodomesticos, Spain | Santiago Marco |
Publications
Equipment
- Gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (Thermoscientific) with robotic head-space sampler
- Gas Chromatograph/ Thermal Conductivity Detector (Thermoscientific) with robotic head-space sampler
- 2 Infusion pumps K-systems
- Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry FlavourspecTM (Gas Dortmund)
- 6 channel vapor generator plus humidity control (Owlstone, UK)
- Ion Mobility Spectrometer: Gas Detector Array (Airsense Analytics GmbH)
- Computing and General Purpose Electronic Instrumentation
- Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometer (Owlstone, UK)
- Corona Discharge Ion Mobility Spectrometer (3QBD, Israel)
- Ultraviolet Ion Mobility Spectrometer (Gas Dortmund, Germany)
- Fast Photo Ionization Detector (Aurora Scientific, Canada)
Collaborations
- Dr. Lourdes Arce
Dept. Química Analítica, Universidad de Córdoba, Spain - Prof. J. W. Gardner
Microsensors and Bioelectronics Lab, Dept. of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Warwick, UK - Prof. Achim Lilienthal
Mobile Robotics and Olfaction Lab, University of Örebro, Sweden - Dr. Ivan Montoliu and Dra. Sofia Moço
Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Laussane, Switzerland - Dr. Jordi Palacín
Robotics Lab, Universitat de Lleida, Spain - Dra. Cristina Castro
Sensors Technology, BSH-Zaragoza, Spain - Dr. Jens Eichman
MINIMAX, Bad Oldesloe, Germany - Dr. Ulf Struckmeier
AMS sensors, Reutlingen, Germany - Dr. Fernando Azpiroz
Dept. Digestive Diseases, Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain - Dra. Anna de Juan
Dept. Química Analítica i Enginyeria Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain - Dra. Sofia Moço
Nestlé Research, Laussane, Switzerland - Dra. Silvia Mas
IRSTEA; Montpellier, France. - Dr. Dominique Martinez
LORIA-INRIA, Nancy, France - Dr. Oriol Sibila & Dr. Àlvar Agustí
Inflamación y reparación en enfermedades respiratorias, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
News
IBEC developes a software for biomarker discovering
International researchers led by Santi Marco at IBEC develop a software for biomarker discovery in samples such as urine, blood or cell extracts. AlpsNMR: An R tool for Automated spectraL Processing System for untargeted NMR-based metabolomics has been made public in the main repository for bioinformatics open software: Bioconductor
A nanodrone able to detect toxic gases in emergencies
Researchers of the Signal and information processing for sensing systems research group at IBEC, led by Santiago Marco, have designed a nanodrone that could identify toxic gases in buildings that collapsed due the effects of earthquakes or explosions. The new gadget, which weights thirty-five grams, could be useful to detect the presence of victims in closed spaces which are hard to enter. Detecting dangerous gases in collapsed buildings due earthquakes or explosions and identifying the presence of victims in places which are hard to access are some action scenarios of SNAV (Smelling Nano Aerial Vehicle), a nanodrone designed and created by the researchers Santiago Marco and Javier Burgués, from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Barcelona and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).
Santiago Marco is the new vice-president of the International Society for Olfaction and Chemical Sensing
Santiago Marco, group leader of the Signal and information processing for sensing systems research group at IBEC has recently been appointed vice-president for the next two years of the International Society for Olfaction and Chemical Sensing (ISOCS) during the general assembly held at the International Symposium on Olfaction and Electronic Nose Conference (ISOEN) in ACROS, Fukuoka, Japan. The ISOCS was launched in May 2008 by the Network of Excellence General Olfaction and Sensing Projects on a European Level (GOSPEL), the EU Network of Excellence in artificial olfaction, and Santiago Marco is one of its founding partners.
Two projects of the ATTRACT program for IBEC researchers
Santiago Marco, group leader of the Signal and Information Processing for Sensing Systems and Samuel Ojosnegros, Head of Bioengineering in Reproductive Health and have been selected for their research projects in the ATTRACT programme. The call received more than 1200 projects and only 170 proposals were selected. The ATTRACT programme is a pioneering Horizon 2020 research and innovation project funded by the European Union and backed by a consortium of 9 partners. The main objective of this programme is to create a co-innovation ecosystem between fundamental research and industrial communities to develop breakthrough detection and imaging technologies for scientific and commercial uses.
Third IBEC student wins PIONER prize for thesis
Jemish Parmar from IBEC’s Smart Nano-Bio-Devices group has been awarded a Premi Pioner from CERCA for his Doctoral Thesis “Micromotors for Environmental Applications”. Since their launch in 2014, the prizes recognize researchers who present a doctoral thesis with results that are clearly aimed at commercial exploitation. The third IBEC winner of one of these prestigious awards, Jemish was honoured alongside the three other winners – from ICFO, CTFC and IGTP – at a ceremony yesterday. The jury in this fifth edition of the Premis Pioner was made up of Eduard Balbuena (Enterprise Department at UAB), Josep Maria Pujals (IP lawyer at Oficina Ponti), Melba Navarro (Knowledge Transfer Technology Manager at CIMNE Tecnologia), Anna López Lozano (IP expert),