Bluephage Team

Who we are

Leveraging 35+ years of microbiology expertise to revolutionize water testing technology

BLUEPHAGE S.L. is a biotechnology company specializing in products and services for the analysis of bacteriophages as viral indicators in water, food and biosolids, launched as a spinoff company in 2016 from the University of Barcelona, Spain. Using a patent-protected accelerated coliphage indicator test, our microbiological water quality testing products detect coliphages as indicators of viruses that cause serious waterborne diseases. Our product pipeline will offer the fastest and easiest to use coliphage detection method currently available on the market for environmental testing of water.
BLUEPHAGE’s team of world-renowned experts in basic and applied microbiology and virology in water testing methods tap into 35+ years of knowledge and know-how developed at the University of Barcelona within the MARS research group (Water Microbiology Related to Health).

Our Value Proposition

Testing for coliphages will become a new parameter for routine water evaluation

Bacterial indicators fail to detect a broad range of enteric viruses in water samples and involve lengthy culture-based methods requiring extensive material prep time, skilled staff and special equipment. On top of these shortcoming, current testing for coliphages (specifically coliphages infecting coliform bacteria such as coli known as coliphages) using the EPA and ISO methods, takes nearly 48 hours to perform including material prep time. Limitations in traditional faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) testing methods has led to new state-of-the-art use of coliphages as more accurate viral indicators.
BLUEPHAGE’s rapid-steps lab kits include patent protected biological materials to monitor water quality for all types of water, food and biosolids. Easy to use, offering high sensitivity and rapid results under 24 hours (standard kits) and 5 hours (fast kits). Our kits provide the most reliable viral indicators for water safety monitoring.

Bluephage product

Our Team

Enric Queralt Creus

Co-founder and CEO

Geologist (UB) with Masters in Water Geology (UPC) and General Management (PDG-EADA) with 20 years of experience in the water sector. Technical Director of the Water Users Community of the Llobregat Delta since 2002 and advisor to the Community of Abrera, Sant Andreu de la Barca and Carme-Capellades. Chief Executive Officer of FITA10, a consulting firm specialized on water, geology and the natural environment from 2007 to 2013.

Núria Guilera

commercial director

MSc in Chemistry by the University of Barcelona. More than13 years´ experience working in laboratories and more than 8 years´ experience managing them. She arrives to Bluephage after more than three successful years as the General Manager of a 17025 accredited water testing laboratory in London analysing more than 35,000 samples per month and with a headcount above 70. During her professional experience, Núria has worked in different sectors as water, petroleum and applied research as researcher and Director.

Miriam Pascual

Chief Quality Officer, CQO

Doctor in Biotechnology (University of Barcelona). More than 8 years of experience in microbial water quality monitoring and the assessment of different tools to detect, quantify and model faecal pollution in water.

Ariadna Jorba

Biotechnologist

Biotechnologist (UVic) with few years of experience in laboratories, using different methods and techniques. She also has been in two Swedish research groups (Linköping University), on one hand analyzing sediment samples in water and on the other hand different sludge samples to study the biogas production.

Julia Martín

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Doctor in Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (UB). Extensive experience in microbiological water quality assessment and the use of bacteriophages as indicators of fecal contamination in the water cycle. Holder of a 2017 Torres Quevedo grant.  

Mireia Azuara

Advertising and Public Relations

Graduated in Advertising and Public Relations (ESERP, Barcelona), with Masters in Public Relations (ESERP, Barcelona) and Graphic Design and Visual Communication (UCA, London). Certified by the University of Cambridge with a Diploma in Sustainability in Business. With fifteen years of experience in corporate communication and specialized in long-term sustainable communication strategies.

Anicet R. Blanch

Co-founder and scientific advisor

Professor of Microbiology at the University of Barcelona. Field of research: environmental microbiology. Traceability of fecal contamination in water, the development of specific and specific methods for the detection of bacteria and the use of bacteriophages as viral indicators in water, food and sludge.

Francisco Lucena

Co-founder and scientific advisor

Professor of Microbiology at the University of Barcelona. Director of the consolidated research group MARS. Field of research: basic and applied microbiology of water. Evaluation of the use of coliphages as model microorganisms and in the development of methods for the detection of human viruses and protozoa in water and sludge.

Joan Jofre

Co-founder and scientific advisor

Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at the University of Barcelona. Field of research: basic and environmental microbiology. Development of methods for studying the extraintestinal behavior of human enteric viruses and methods for detecting, characterizing and studying the ecology of bacteriophages that infect enteric bacteria. Chair of the ISO Working Group to standardize methods for detecting bacteriophages in water. Chairman of the Health Related Water Microbiology of the International Water Microbiology from 2000 to 2004.

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