Ana-Maria Gurban

Dr. Ana-Maria Gurban, senior scientist at INCDCP –ICECHIM is the leader of the Biotechnology and Bioanalysis Department (since 2020) and member of the Scientific Council of ICECHIM (since 2018). Ana-Maria graduated the Faculty of Chemistry from University of Bucharest in 1998, and the master's studies in the field of Biosensors for environmental monitoring in 2000. In the period 2001-2005 she completed a PhD in co-supervision, with the University of Bucharest, Romania and the University of Perpignan, France. She began her experience in the field of electrochemical sensors as an Erasmus scholar (2000) and further as a PhD student (2001-2005) at the University of Perpignan, France, also carrying out several other research internships abroad. Ana-Maria has expertise in the design, development, characterization and optimization of miniaturized bioanalytical devices for food and environmental monitoring. She specializes in electrochemical, optical and surface acoustic wave (bio)sensors, as well as materials science, chemical functionalization of sensor with nanomaterials, bioreceptor immobilization strategies, and in detection of toxins, pollutants and metabolites from the environment and agri-food products. Through her activities and efforts within ICECHIM, dr Gurban managed to establish national partnerships with SMEs (EPI SISTEM, CHIMGRUP, STIMPEX) and international ones (Spain, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Portugal, Latvia, etc.), participating in national and international competitions for research projects.

Outstanding achievements: Development of an immunosensitive opto-electrochemical platform (SPR-ELEC) for the detection of toxins (aflatoxin M1) in dairy products; Development of a portable system for the electrochemical detection and monitoring of nitrites in soil solution; Development of a multisensory, flexible and wearable electrochemical platform for the determination of clinically important biomarkers from sweat; Development of portable opto-electrochemical platforms for the determination of biogenic amines as indicators of food degradation.

She acts as reviewer for journals in the field of analytical chemistry and sensors and biosensors (ACS, Elsevier, MDPI, etc.), as Guest Editor of MDPI Sensors -Special Issue -Recent Advances in Immunosensors and Biosensors.