Virgin olive oil is probably the most representative and iconic component of the Mediterranean diet. No industrial processes or chemicals are added during production, thus providing an extra value reflected in its higher price compared to most edible oils. For this reason, the assessment of the quality, safety and authenticity is of importance from both economic and health perspectives. Considerable effort has been put during the last decades in this direction. Organizations such as the European Union, the International Olive Council and The Codex Alimentarius (FAO-WHO) have established guidelines and regulations to protect the quality and authenticity of virgin olive oil and to prevent fraud. However, despite these efforts towards developing new procedures for olive oil quality and authenticity assessment, appropriate solutions for some specific issues have not been found yet. Current gaps in EU analytical methods include the detection of selected blends of olive oil with other vegetable oils (seed oils), to identify fraud. Hence, it is urgent to identify and improve analytical solutions that can detect both standard and emerging frauds and to meet all the international market required information . MACOOIL (Multidimensional approaches for comprehensive olive oil authentication) aims to propose novel cutting-edge solutions based on mass spectrometry, previously unexplored in the field, to provide adequate solutions for some of the challenges -in terms of authenticity- that need to be addressed in the virgin olive oil sector. This project will develop novel tools to extend the potential to detect fraudulent practices of mixing virgin with refined (deodorized) lower-quality olive oil.

The agri-food chain from the original product to its commercialization has thorough controls. Authenticity and food safety are highly supported by protocols and are legislated by different organizations. PlasMOF aims to propose novel cutting-edge solutions based on state-of-the-art mass spectrometry (MS) and novel design materials. The use of novel ionization methods based on dielectric barrier ionization (DBDI) and green sample preparation techniques enhanced by using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) may provide unprecedented advantages in solving relevant food quality and safety. This project proposes novel approaches based on the synergic use of advanced materials and ambient mass spectrometry for some of the challenges that need to be addressed in the agri-food sector related to their quality, authenticity and safety. PlasMOF proposed the synthesis, characterization and application of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as novel sorbent materials in miniaturized solid-phase schemes (µSPE). In a second stage, the elaboration of novel devices based on MOFs and their combination with DBD-based ambient ionization methods for relevant societal applications. Different DBD-based tools configurations will be tested as ionization methods in food authenticity (including two-ring electrode DBDI, flexible microtube plasma (FµTP), active capillary sampling plasma source (ACaPI) and low-temperature plasma (LTP)). These novel technologies will be implemented for the assessment of virgin olive oil VOO authenticity and to detect frauds in VOO and in other food products such as wine.

The need and importance of newborn screening (NBS) is a reality in most of the western countries. NBS helps with the detection and prevention of important health issues during neonates first days of life, avoiding growth or mental retardation or even potential deaths. Even when each individual disorder has a low incidence into the population, their cumulative occurrence is relatively high, around 1 in 1,500 to 1 in 5,000. Most of the NBS programs in western countries are well established but there is a constant need for new methodologies that can tackle more efficient, cheaper, faster, and simpler ways to analyze different disorders. SPOTplasma will help to address innovative methodologies for NBS. Firstly, the project will tackle the idea of unaltered NBS sample analysis with no sample or minimal preparation steps considered as a kind of “Holy grail” for precious samples. And secondly, during SPOTplasma a platform based on ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) will be investigated as an alternative for newborn screening in developing countries, barely implemented due to the lack of well-equipped infrastructures in their public system along with the high costs associated with MS instrumentation. In conclusion, SPOTplasma will address dried blood spot (DBS) analysis by developing analytical tools that can speed up the screening process or cheapen the analysis. Novel methodologies based on a flexible Tube Micro Plasma (FμTP) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) and stand-alone IMS are proposed for DBS analysis not only for NBS but also in the pharmacological industry.

Soiling (i.e. the accumulation of dust on photovoltaic modules) is an issue affecting photovoltaic (PV) systems worldwide and causes significant economic losses. An appropriate cleaning schedule can raise the energy yield of the PV modules and reduce the operating costs, increasing the revenues and, at the same time, limiting the need of non-renewable energy generation. NoSoilPV aims to tackle this issue by developing a smart method capable of quantifying the soiling accumulated on the PV modules in real time without the need of expensive additional hardware. Moreover, through the analysis of historical precipitation datasets and the use of weather prediction models, the algorithm developed in this project will predict the economic impact of soiling and notify at which time artificial cleanings should be performed in order to minimize costs and maximize the energy production. NoSoilPV will be conducted by Dr. Leonardo Micheli within the Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy and Environment (CEAEMA) of the University of Jaén (Spain). CEAEMA is an ideal environment for this project, which involves PV performance analysis, weather and dust prediction modelling and machine learning techniques, because of the high quality research conducted in PV and in all the multidisciplinary aspects of the project. NoSoilPV aims to answer a number of unsolved questions in soiling and to provide the community a useful tool to increase the energy production and the economic revenues. The project will support the EU in its effort to increase the clean energy share and to maximize material efficiency, leading to an increase in PV energy yield, without the installation of new modules or systems. In addition, this fellowship will favor the EU reintegration of Dr. Micheli and will give him the opportunity to enhance his career as an independent researcher.