Estel Massip and Estel Gubianes, Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at UIC Barcelona, are at the helm of a group of young researchers working towards developing a biosensor capable of detecting ALS-related biomarkers using non-invasive samples. The aim of the project is to facilitate the early diagnosis of the illness and thus improve the quality of life of those affected.

This October, the team will present the project at iGEM, an international gathering which is set to take place in Paris and bring together over 450 teams from around the world. Their goal is to make biosensors an accessible tool and, in the future, spur the creation of a start-up that facilitates their clinical implementation.

Underpinning the initiative was the desire to represent UIC Barcelona at the international synthetic biology competition iGEM, in which the University is taking part for the first time. The students have been supported by the University since day one and advised by teaching staff from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, who have helped them develop their project. The group spent the summer working in the laboratories on the Sant Cugat Campus to make headway in the experimental validation of their device.

The project’s innovative potential and social impact were recently recognised during the Princess of Girona Foundation’s Young Talent Forum, in which the team was selected as a finalist in the Social Purpose category. “We were competing against renowned companies, and we were the youngest ones in the room,” explain Massip and Gubianes, for whom this distinction is motivation to continue their research.