Lorena González Gómez, researcher in the consolidated group in Analytical Chemistry Applied to the Environment, Food and Drugs at the Rey Juan Carlos University (GQAA-MAF), has recently received the Social Council Award for Young Researchers and Innovators URJC, in the Science category. Her thesis titled “Advanced analytical strategies to monitor food safety. Application of new materials and micro-extraction techniques for the analysis of natural and processed toxins in food” has been directed by Doctor Isabel Sierra, from the Department of Chemical and Environmental Technology, financed by the EVALKALIM and AVANSECAL II projects. The objective of this thesis was to develop analytical strategies based on the application of new materials based on mesostructured silica functionalized with different ligands, to be applied in the sample preparation stage, as well as strategies based on micro-extractive techniques, such as μ-QuEChERS and the μSPEed technique^®, combined with liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. These methodologies were developed to control chemical contaminants, specifically contaminants from processing and natural toxins of the tropane alkaloid family in different types of foods.

Antonio del Bosque García has developed his doctoral thesis in the high-performance research group in Materials Science and Engineering at the Rey Juan Carlos University. (CIM) for which he has received the Social Council Award for Young Researchers and Innovators URJC, in the category of Engineering and Architecture. The thesis titled “Development of flexible piezoresistive sensors based on polymers doped with carbon nanostructures for biomedical applications” has been directed by Doctors Alejandro Ureña and María Sánchez, from the Department of Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering and Electronic Technology, and financed by the MULTIFUNC-EVs project of the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The objective of this thesis has been to develop high-performance piezoresistive sensors based on highly flexible polymer matrices, specifically, poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Ecoflex, reinforced with carbon nanotubes ( CNT) or graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). In the doctoral thesis, the performance parameters of the different sensors have been evaluated, analyzing the impact of temperature and hydrothermal conditions on these parameters, in addition to deepening the study of their electrical and electromechanical behavior in direct and alternating current. Optimized ultrasensitive sensors have demonstrated their applicability in the biomedical industry with various proofs of concept. Joint movements, footfall distribution, small facial movements, heart rate in the neck or wrist, as well as human breathing have been recorded. In addition, it has been possible to monitor human breathing with a conventional mask remotely (via Bluetooth and via Wi-Fi connecting it to a platform Internet of Things). The latter opens the possibility of monitoring vital parameters on a central server so that people can be monitored and controlled in real time in hospitals, residences or private homes.