Begoña Ben

Personal técnico I+D+i

(ORCID: 0000-0001-8164-5801)

Bio

With Master Degrees in Pharmacy & Food Science and Technology, Begoña Ben Gigirey joined the Association of Fish and Seafood Cannery Companies, National Technical Centre for the Preservation of Fishery Products (ANFACO-CECOPESCA, Vigo) in 1995 for her Ph. D studies entitled “Chemical, microbiological and organoleptic modifications during the frozen storage of Thunnus alalunga. Evaluation of biogenic amines formation: identification, characterisation and molecular detection of producing microorganisms”. There she started her link with marine sciences by the analysis of seafood contaminants.
She commenced her studies in the marine biotoxins field in 2003 when she joined the Spanish and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Monitoring of Marine Biotoxins (EURLMB). She specialised in the development, implementation and validation of instrumental methods for the analysis of Amnesic, Lipophilic and Paralytic marine biotoxins. Over 15 years she coordinated Working Groups of the EU National Reference Laboratories for Marine Biotoxins, participated in / coordinated Spanish and EU Expert Meetings relevant to the marine biotoxins field, provided training to staff from worldwide countries, developed / coordinated Interlaboratory Studies, among others. At the EURLMB she also conducted research activities in marine biotoxins produced by Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs), with participation in International Congresses and several scientific publications. From 2022 to July 2024 she was the Technical Manager at the EURLMB, directing and supervising the analytical laboratory units.
In 2020-2021 she worked as research technician at the VGO-HAB Group of the Spanish Oceanographic Institute-CSIC (Vigo). In August 2024 she re-joined the Group and is now involved in research activities focussed on emerging toxins and the impact of marine biotoxins in non-traditional vectors.

PUBLICATIONS IN THE MARINE BIOTOXINS FIELD

Rodríguez F., Escalera L., Reguera B., Nogueira E., Bode A., Ruiz-Villarreal M., Rossignoli A. E., Ben-Gigirey B., Rey V. and Fraga S. Red tides in the Galician rías: historical overview, ecological impact, and future monitoring strategies. Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 26, 16, 2024.

Rossignoli, A.E., Ben-Gigirey, B., Cid, M., Mariño, C., Martín, H., Garrido, S., Rodríguez, F., Blanco, J. Lipophilic Shellfish Poisoning Toxins in Marine Invertebrates from the Galician Coast. Toxins, 15, 631, 2023.

Arteaga-Sogamoso, E., Rodríguez, F., Amato, A., Ben-Gigirey, B., Fraga, S., Mafra, L.L., Fernandes, L.F., de Azevedo Tibiriçá, C.E.J., Chomérat, N., Nishimura, T., Homma, C., Adachi, M., Mancera-Pineda, J.E. Morphology and phylogeny of Prorocentrum porosum sp. nov. (Dinophyceae): A new benthic toxic dinoflagellate from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Harmful Algae, 121 102356, 2023.

R uíz-Villareal M., Sorisseau M., Anderson, P., Cusak C., Neira P., Silke J., Rodríguez F., Ben-Gigirey B., Whyte C., Girandeau-Potel, S., Quemener, L., Arthur G., Davidson K. Novel methodologies for providing in situ data to HAB early warning systems in the European Atlantic Area: the PRIMROSE experience. Frontiers in Marine Sci. 9:791329, 2022.

Nogueira, E., Bravo, I., Montero, P., Díaz-Tapia, P., Calvo, S., Ben-Gigirey B., Figueroa R. I., Garrido J.L., Ramilo I., Lluch N., Rossignoli A.E., Riobó P., Rodríguez F. HABs in coastal upwelling systems: Insights from an exceptional red tide of the toxigenic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum Ecological Indicators, 137, 108790, 2022.

Ben-Gigirey B., Soliño, L., Bravo, I., Rodriguez, F., Casero, M.V.M. Paralytic and Amnesic Shellfish Toxins Impacts on Seabirds, Analyses and Management. Toxins 13, 454, 2021.

Ben-Gigirey B., Rossignoli A.E., Riobó P., Rodriguez F. First Report of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in Marine Invertebrates and Fish in Spain. Toxins 12, 723; 2020.

Ben-Gigirey B., Turner A., Gago-Martínez A. Chapter 3, pp: 43-69: Instrumental methods for Paralytic Shellfish Toxins: Marine & Freshwater Toxins, (P., Haddad Jr., V., Tubaro, A., Kim, E., Kem, W.R. (Eds.), Springer. 2016.

Martínez, A., Garrido, A., Ben-Gigirey B., Chapela M.J., González, V., Vieites J.M, & Cabado A.G Chapter 37, pp 869-904: Marine Biotoxins in Handbook of Marine Biotechnology, (Prof. Se-Kwon Kim Ed). Springer. 2015.

Ben-Gigirey, B.; Rodríguez-Velasco M.L.; Otero, A., Vieites, J.M. & Cabado A.G. A comparative study for PSP toxins quantification by using MBA and HPLC Official Methods in shellfish. Toxicon, 60: 864-873. 2012.

Ben-Gigirey, B.; Rodríguez-Velasco M.L.; & Gago-Martínez A. Interlaboratory study for the extension of the validation of 2005.06 AOAC Official Method for dc-GTX2,3. J. AOAC International, 95 (1) 111-121. 2012.

Villar-González, A.; Rodríguez-Velasco M.L.; Ben-Gigirey, B.; Yasumoto, T. & Botana L.M. Assessment of the hydrolysis process for the determination of okadaic acid-group toxin ester: Presence of okadaic acid 7-O-acyl-ester derivates in Spanish shellfish. Toxicon: 51: 765-773. 2008.

Ben, B. & Villar A. Chapter 10, pp.:177-196: Chemical analysis (Part IV. Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)) in Seafood and Freshwater Toxins. Pharmacology Physiology and Detection. Taylor & Francis. (Botana L.M. Ed) <Second edition. 2008.

Fonfría, S.; Vilariño, N.; Campbell, K.; Elliott, C.; Haughey, S.A.; Ben-Gigirey, B.; Vieites, J.M.; Kawatsu,K. & Botana L.M. Paralytic shellfish poisoning detection by surface plasmon resonance-based biosensors in shellfish matrixes. Analytical chemistry: 79: 6303-6311. 2007.

Villar-González, A.; Rodríguez-Velasco M.L.; Ben-Gigirey, B.; & Botana L.M. Lipophilic toxin profile in Galicia (Spain): 2005 toxic episode. Toxicon: 49: 1129-1134. 2007.

Ben-Gigirey, B.; Rodríguez-Velasco M.L.; Villar-González, A. & Botana L.M. Influence of the sample toxic profile on the suitability of an HPLC method for Official paralytic shellfish toxins control. J. Chromatography A 1140: 78-87. 2007.

Villar González, A.; Rodríguez-Velasco M.L.; Ben-Gigirey, B.; & Botana L.M. First evidence of spirolides in Spanish shellfish. Toxicon: 48: 1068-1074. 2006.