The aim of my research is to develop fluorescent chemical probes as optical imaging  tools to interrogate in situ and in real time key events associated to cancer and inflammation. These probes will be eventually applied in man as new diagnostics tools with high specificity and molecular resolution. Our probes target relevant biomarkers in cancer and inflammation, and are generated through a multidisciplinary approach that involves organic chemistry, cell biology, imaging and medicine. Activatable fluorescent probes are advantageous in that their fluorescent signal is triggered by a target molecule (e.g. protein, enzyme, metabolite) or a specific environment (e.g. subcellular organelle); hence they emit fluorescence only after they interaction with the specific target. This strategy leads to optimum signal-to-noise ratios with increased sensitivity over other optical imaging approaches and enables their use in small concentrations reducing any potential adverse effects and facilitating the translation to clinical applications.

Marc studied at the University of Barcelona, where he received his B.Sc. in Chemistry in 2001 and his Master Degree in Organic Chemistry in 2002. In 2007 he obtained his Ph.D. for his thesis in the combinatorial synthesis of peptide-heterocycle hybrids as multivalent GPCR ligands. After working at the  Combinatorial Chemistry Unit in the Barcelona Science Park as a Research Associate, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (2007-2012) in the application of fluorescent molecules for non-invasive optical imaging, under the supervision of Prof. Young-Tae Chang. ln 2012, Marc started his independent career as an MRC Academic Fellow in the MRC CIR (University of Edinburgh) to develop new optical imaging probes with clinical application.

http://www.dynafluors.co.uk