Innovation Capabilities & Products
- Prototype | Morbidostat: Unraveling Antimicrobial Resistance
Morbidostat is a computer-controlled continuous culture device that automatically adjusts drug concentration to maintain constant growth inhibition in microbial cultures. As bacteria acquire mutations that give them resistance against drugs, they are able to tolerate higher drug concentrations and grow faster, thus removing selective pressure, the driving force of evolution. To compensate for this, morbidostat increases drug concentration sufficiently to keep bacteria at their original growth rate, therefore maintaining selective pressure over time. This system allows for data acquisition to model microbial evolution under antimicrobial stress, optimize biocide dosage strategies and develop highly antimicrobial-resistant strains used to test the performance of new biocides, among other applications.
- Software | MEIGO: a multiplatform toolbox for Global Optimization using Metaheuristics
MEIGO is a global optimization toolbox that includes a number of metaheuristic methods, as well as a Bayesian inference method for parameter estimation.
More information here.
- Capabilities | Development of intelligent and active food labels
Development of smart food labels based on models for oxidation, microbial growth, etc. that let consumers know when food is no longer fit to eat, helping to prevent food waste, and give information on freshness, package temperature, etc.
- Software | SSm GO toolbox: Scatter Search for Global Optimization in Matlab
SSm GO is a Matlab toolbox with several global optimization algorithms for nonlinear optimization problems (NLPs and MINLPs) based on Scatter Search.
More information here.
- Capabilities | Development of intelligent sensors for the optimization of food processing and conservation
Development of non-invasive methods and technologies (i.e. hyperspectral imaging technology) for quality inspection of food products.
- Software | Model-based design of smart active packaging systems with antimicrobial activity
Matlab code to perform simulations and optimize packaging design using natural antimicrobials (carvacrol) for hake (Merluccius merluccius). In addition, different polymers are considered as possible active packaging materials.
More information here.
- Software | DOTcvpSB: Matlab toolbox for Dynamic Optimization in Systems Biology
DOTcvpSB is a toolbox written in MATLAB that uses the control vector parameterization (CVP) method to handle continuous and mixed integer dynamic optimization problems. DOTcvpSB has been successfully applied to several problems in systems biology and bioprocess engineering.
More information here.
- Capabilities | Development of integrated plant-wide control and optimization for food industry
Multi-scale modeling for flexible decision-making and optimization of complex processes (i.e., sterilization) based on safety and quality control of food products using non-invasive techniques (software sensors, etc).
- Software | Fish-T-TaB Simulator: Temperature simulator for fish stored in tubs and boxes
This model was developed and applied by members of the EFSA Working Group on the transport/storage of fresh fishery products during the preparatory work on the BIOHAZ Scientific Opinion on the use of "tubs" for transporting and storing fresh fishery products (EFSA-Q-2019-00053). Heat transfer modeling was applied to estimate surface temperature of fish during the temperature-related processes of cooling and subsequently maintaining the chill temperature of the fish (‘cooling’ process) and/or maintaining the chill temperature (‘keeping’ process) for fish kept in ice (in boxes) versus in water and ice (in tubs) under similar transport/storage conditions.
More information here.
- Software | CRNreals: distinguishability analysis of biochemical reaction networks
A software toolbox that supports the distinguishability analysis of chemical reaction network (CRN) models.
More information here.