IRTA, Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture

Jorge Diogène is Senior Research Scientist at IRTA and Director of the Marine Monitoring subprogram, with a PhD. in Applied and Fundamental Toxicology (Université Paris 7), a master's degree in Marine Biology (University of South Alabama) and graduate studies in Biology (Universitat de Barcelona). The Marine Monitoring Programme at IRTA conducts research on harmful algae, marine toxins, food safety and development of monitoring programs, focusing on microalgae taxonomy, population dynamics, method development for marine toxin quantification and risk assessment. We are in charge of the Monitoring for the Quality of Waters in Shellfish harvesting areas of Catalonia. Jorge Diogène’s research interests are oriented towards the evaluation of toxin production of microalgae, toxin determination in shellfish and fish and the development of cell-based assays used to identify and quantify the toxicological potential of toxins, including regulated toxins. Jorge Diogène has developed his career in different laboratories and institutions in the United States, France, Canada and Spain.

• Margarita Fernández, Biologist, studies on Marine Sciences. She is specialized on Marine Microbiology and Marine Phytoplankton Ecology and Taxonomy. She is heading the laboratory of marine toxic phytoplankton and is responsible for the population dynamics studies as well as ecological models.
• Dr. Mònica Campàs, Chemist, PhD in Chemical Engineering. She is heading a research line on biochemical assays and biosensors for the detection of aquatic toxins, mycotoxins and toxic microalgae, using new biomolecules and immobilisation, signal transduction/amplification strategies.
• Dr. Maria Rambla-Alegre, Chemist, PhD in Analytical Chemistry. She is a researcher in charge of the analytical chemistry laboratory, aimed at the determination of marine biotoxins with different analytical techniques, mainly chromatographic, including mass spectrometry detection.
• Dr. Karl Andree, Biologist, PhD in Biology. He is a researcher in charge of the molecular biology laboratory at IRTA, and participates, among others, to the molecular genetics identification of pathogens and harmful microalgae.