HYLIGHT takes part in the European Researchers’ Night
11/10/2024
As every year, the European Researchers’ Night takes place in the last week of September and this time the HYLIGHT project was present. Anna Ferrer
HYLIGHT project
Hyperspectral imaging for embryo selection
Infertility is a condition affecting one out of seven couples in Europe.
To overcome these difficulties, those who desire to become parents usually turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques, a path often hard and unsuccessful. Despite the technical advances developed in the last decades, the mean successful rate of an IVF treatment, that is, the number of initial transferred embryos leading to a live birth is relatively low (30%), and repeated unsuccessful IVF cycles imply a significant emotional, physical, and financial burden for women and couples.
The HYLIGHT project will build on the technology established in the ATTRACT phase 1 by further developing a non-invasive diagnostic device for human embryos from the Proof-of-Concept stage to a prototype already integrated in the routine of a reproductive clinic
“HYLIGHT project will develop a robust and easy to use technology to select, non-invasively, the embryos that are competent for implantation and development, increasing the success rate and reducing the so called “time to pregnancy””.
Samuel ojosnegros, ibec 
HYLIGHT AT A GLANCE
Samuel Ojosnegros, HYLIGHT coordinator at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), talks about the project in this ATTRACT stories video.
Improving embryo selection, i.e., identifying the single embryo with the highest reproductive potential will reduce the time to pregnancy and will therefore ease the psychological distress in patients after multiple unsuccessful IVF treatments.
The HYLIGHT TECHNOLOGY
This diagnostic device combines hyperspectral analysis with artificial intelligence, that allows embryo classification based on their metabolic profiles, taking advantage of the natural auto-fluorescence of key cellular compounds, such as NADH or FADH. The advantage of this new approach is that embryos are classified in a safe non-invasive way, minimizing damage.
CONSORTIUM
Carrer Baldiri Reixac, 10-12, 08028 Barcelona
Bioengineering for Reproductive Health Group
Samuel Ojosnegros, PhD Principal Investigator
Anna Seriola, PhD Senior Scientist
Miquel Ares, PhD Optical Engineer
Anna Ferrer, PhD Project Manager
Albert Parra PhD Student
Gran Via Carles III 71-75, 08028 Barcelona
Montse Boada, PhD Consultant
Beatriz Carrasco, PhD IVF Lab Head
Mònica Parriego, PhD ART Lab Director
Miquel Solé, PhD Cryobiology Lab Head
M Squared Life Limited, 14 East Bay Lane, The Press Centre, Here East, Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford, London, E15 2GW
Neveen Hosny, PhD Head of Operations and Product Development
Nils Hempler, PhD General Manager
James Bain, PhD Director of Innovation
NEWS & EVENTS
A new paper in PNAS describes METAPHOR: the embryos evaluation method developed in HYLIGHT project
16/07/2024
HYLIGHT researchers publish a paper describing METAPHOR: Metabolic Evaluation through Phasor-based Hyperspectral Imaging and Organelle Recognition. The new technique makes it possible to classify the
Grenoble hosts the ATTRACT prefinal meeting
20/06/2024
Last 12 and 13 of June, more than 100 researchers met together in Grenoble, France, for the ATTRACT prefinal meeting. HYLIGHT researchers were there and
HYLIGHT Project takes part at the 17th Science Party in Barcelona
13/06/2024
The 17th Science Party (“Festa de la Ciència” in Catalan) was held from June 7th to 9th in Barcelona. Researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering
Students from BASE programme visit IBEC to see the HYLIGHT project at first hand
04/06/2024
Six students from BASE, one of the Student Programs funded under ATTRACT phase 2, spent one entire day at IBEC, visiting the premisses of the Bioengineering
Anna Ferrer from IBEC introduces HYLIGHT project to secondary education students
15/03/2024
Students at the Secondary School Angeleta Ferrer in Barcelona had the occasion to know the HYLIGHT project and learn about in vitro fertilization, embryo selection
HYLIGHT Project opens the XII ASEBIR Congress
24/11/2023
Samuel Ojosnegros had the honour to present the first scientific talk at the XII Congress of the Association for the Study of Biology of Reproduction
HYLIGHT was present at the ASRM 2023 in New Orleans
20/10/2023
Samuel Ojosnegros and other top experts in reproductive medicine met together in New Orleans to discuss the latest advances in reproductive care during the 79th
July 25th: World Embryologist Day
25/07/2023
On the World Embryologist Day Samuel Ojosnegros stands out in a video the valuable contribution of HYLIGHT project to the IVF field. Louise Joy Brown
Samuel Ojosnegros presents HYLIGHT project at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting
07/07/2023
Copenhagen hosted last week the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 39th Annual Meeting, and HYLIGHT was presented amongst the projects aimed to
HYLIGHT researchers receive students from ATTRACT Academy
08/06/2023
Last 17th of May, 6 students from ATTRACT Phase 2 Student Program visited the Bioengineering for Reproductive Health group at the Institute for Bioengineering of
Great participation of HYLIGHT Project at the “Fira de Recerca en Directe”
04/05/2023
During four days, HYLIGHT researchers transmitted the science behind the project to high school students and the general public, in the frame of the XIX
HYLIGHT Project at the “AI Fertility World Conference 2022”
03/04/2023
The HYLIGHT project was present at the AI Fertility World Conference 2022, which took place last September. Samuel Ojosnegros, coordinator of the project, explained in
HYLIGHT’s proof of concept device arrives at IBEC
03/03/2023
Last week, M Squared engineers and researchers visited Barcelona to set up the proof of concept (PoC) device at IBEC’s premises. M Squared members installed
IBEC researchers lead a European ATTRACT Project to develop a diagnostic device to improve embryo selection for in vitro fertilization procedures
01/09/2022
HYLIGHT Project, coordinated by Samuel Ojosnegros from IBEC, was selected by the ATTRACT Phase 2, an initiative of the European Union to boost the transfer