Come and join us online on January 11th 2024, where we are happy to have Dr Andreas Mershin (ex MIT Director of the Label Free Research Group) as our guest speaker.
He will be discussing RealNose Inc, a breakthrough AI-Bionano machine olfaction startup focused on harnessing artificial intelligence and bionanotechnology for innovative sensing solutions.
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About Dr. Andreas Mershin
Dr. Andreas Mershin is the Chief Science Officer of RealNose, a nascent startup that he co-founded, that brings the power of artificial (dog) intelligence and machine olfaction medical diagnostics to humanity.
Prior to this he spent 26 years as a Principal Investigator, 19 of which were leading research and development as the Director of the MIT Label Free Research Group, funded by many organisations including NSF, DARPA and GSK.
He has been granted several US and international patents and published numerous peer-reviewed papers in leading science journals on the topics of machine olfaction, biophysics of scent, learning and memory, photosynthesis and perceptual engineering.
His work has been covered by global media in dozens of languages. He has taught MIT undergraduate and graduate classes in physics, biophysics and mycotecture.
He is the President and co-founder of the public-benefit non-profit Osmocosm Foundation. He is a co-founder of MycoHAB. Additionally, he is also a private pilot and scuba diver.
Whilst at MIT
Dr. Andreas Mershin was the Director at MIT of the Label Free Research Group between 2004 and June of 2023. Additionally, as an MIT Principle Investigator he focused on research relating to the interface between physics, information technology, materials science and biology.
The Label Free Research Group has had many highlights in recent times, including:
- Bio-photovoltaics – a new class of solar cells mimicking principles of photosynthesis.
- Bio-sensing – new sensing technologies that are based on the use of biological models and materials.
- Bio-energy and carbon-negative mycotecture – converting biomass and waste products into valuable foods, chemicals and composite bioterials.
Real Nose
RealNose is a breakthrough AI-Bionano machine olfaction startup focused on harnessing artificial intelligence and bionanotechnology for innovative sensing solutions. Leveraging the extraordinary olfactory prowess exhibited by dogs, and DARPA-funded work led by one of the co-founders for MIT, RealNose is developing AI-trained, bioprogrammable olfactory sensors that map scent profiles and recognize patterns. Initially targeting early prostate cancer detection and Gleason scoring, RealNose aims to revolutionize diagnostic processes across the healthcare sector by providing a non-invasive, cost-effective, and highly accurate method for early disease detection.
Current prostate cancer detection methods, such as Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood tests, Digital Rectal Exam (DRE), and biopsies, are often invasive, expensive, and lack the necessary accuracy, leaving patients stressed and subjected to unnecessary, repeatedly injurious procedures.
RealNose develops a unique platform capable of identifying scent signatures, creating an AI-driven electronic device that mimics canine olfaction. Our technology leverages bionanomaterials, machine learning, and bioprogrammable receptors, allowing for high-accuracy trace odor detection. Initially, RealNose aims to offer a non-invasive and highly accurate method for prostate cancer detection and plans to expand to other types of cancer and conditions in the future. The solution’s potential applications span from identifying contraband, explosives, and toxins, to monitoring biopharmaceutical fermenters and quality control of composite materials -amongst many other scent-profiling applications that RealNose platform can be trained to recognize.