BSC-CNS Newsletter March 2021

BSC participates in a new European project, INCISIVE, which aims at exploring the potential of novel AI tools for enhancing current imaging solutions for cancer cases. The BSC will contribute to the optimization of AI algorithm execution platforms to accelerate the processing of medical data from different centres carrying out cancer research and treatment (hospitals, clinics, research centres, etc.).

Eduard Porta participated in this research, whose main results highlight the patient’s genetic background and identify key variations in genes controlling individual response to immunotherapy, leading to a better individualisation of the treatments.

Scientists from BSC have published a study that shows that 20% of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations in Barcelona, coming mainly from vehicles that circulate in Barcelona, ​​are due to diesel cars and vans that largely exceed the European Union legal emission limit. The research used CALIOPE-Urban, a new high-resolution tool, created at BSC, to calculate the impact of these excess emissions across the streets of Barcelona.

The European continent is experiencing an exceptional month of February after suffering several episodes of intrusion of Saharan dust, a rare phenomenon at this period of the year. The presence of dust particles in the atmosphere affects air quality and has a strong impact on health and the environment. BSC regional models provide three-day advance desert dust intrusion forecasts.