Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Carlos Larriba-Andaluz

Purdue University in Indianapolis launched on July 1, 2024, ending a long-standing collaboration between Purdue University and Indiana University at what was called Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Purdue in Indianapolis is an expansion of Purdue West Lafayette, with multiple locations throughout the city of Indianapolis. It bookends America’s Hard Tech Corridor, which extends from West Lafayette to downtown Indianapolis, and it positions our students, faculty and staff in close proximity to top businesses and leading industries, providing new and unique executive education and internship opportunities.

Among the Purdue faculty in Indianapolis is Carlos Larriba-Andaluz, who is now an associate professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering. Professor Larriba-Andaluz’s research interests include ion mobility mass spectrometry, molecular dynamic coupling at the molecular scale, multiscale multi-chemistry plasma modeling, renewable energy, catalysts, energy transfer and aerosol pollution, among others. We sat down with him for a chat.

Wind Tunnels for Molecules

What is your work focused on?

Our goal is to develop real-time diagnostic tools for health and security applications. In our lab, we use Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) to separate and characterize gas phase ions in the nanometer range using electric fields. The lab designs and builds IMS systems, developing the associated theory and integrating them with mass spectrometers (MS) to enable complete ion separation, including isomers, isotopomers and isotopologues (differing variants in the composition and structure of molecules). Our current efforts focus on advancing IMS-MS technology to achieve quasi-infinite resolution (patent pending), toward the goal of developing these real-time diagnostic tools for health and security applications worldwide.

Imagine if a surgeon would be able to detect if the tissue was malignant as they were cutting it during surgery using a portable instrument; that is basically our goal. IMS-MS can be applied in various fields, including proteomics, environmental monitoring, drug analysis, forensic science, toxicology, air and water quality monitoring, national defense and counterterrorism, pharmaceutical research, clinical diagnostics and space exploration.

What does it mean to be in Indianapolis? How does affiliation with Purdue affect your work?

Indianapolis is a major central city located within a few hours of most major metropolises in the Midwest, with flat land that is fairly priced and strategically located to become a major technological and transportation hub if the cards are played right. Purdue University coming to Indy might improve its chances to grow. The technological corridor -- West Lafayette-Indy, what Purdue has dubbed the Hard Tech corridor -- is an enthusiastic goal that I hope I will see come to fruition. Of course, for my own career, being a part of a leading university like Purdue is a tremendous step in the right direction that will hopefully open many doors in the near future. 

What is your philosophy of teaching?

There is only so much material I can expect to teach students over a limited amount of time; not only because of one’s own limited knowledge, but because of the degree of comprehension you can engender in that constricted allotment of time. For that reason, my goals as a teacher are very clear: whatever you impart must be done in such a way that your students understand the taught skills and fully grasp them in order to be able to cultivate and develop those learned concepts in a critical and independent way. Coaxing a student to develop an interest in a scientific field is one of the ulterior motives for teaching, and what is taught is only useful for those that become interested in the value of such teachings. When something is taught it must be taught critically, questioning every step of the method; albeit efficiently, giving the student a sense of achievement and satisfaction rather than frustration at the unfamiliarity, or even boredom. Students have always surprised me, mostly in a good way. You cannot teach those that do not want to learn, but you can teach absolutely anything to those that do.

What was your path like prior to present day?

I was born In Spain and lived my early years in a small city near Portugal. From a young age, science fascinated me, and in particular rocket and aerospace science. To give you an example, my room at my parents’ house has over 20 built model planes hanging from the ceiling. I studied aerospace at the School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering (ETSIA) in Madrid, a very theoretically challenging school. Working for a company like Northrop Grumman or Lockheed Martin was really not a possibility back then as I was not a U.S. citizen, so my other alternative, which I also enjoyed very much, was to teach and do research. This got me a fellowship at Yale, where I received a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in Electrical Propulsion for Satellites. How did I get from aerospace to nanometer-sized ions? Well, I like to say that I build “small wind tunnels for molecules,” which is essentially true, as the principles are not that different.

What about your future? What are you looking to accomplish in this field, in your life?

I really enjoy the work I do. If I was not paid (hoping they do not see this), I would probably still spend a large amount of time learning similar concepts and implementing them in a novel way. My goal is to make a useful contribution to science that will have a strong impact in the future. For example, with IMS, I would love to create a real-time diagnostic tool that can be used in healthcare or forensics, to help detect biomarkers at much earlier stages of the disease or identify unknown substances in complex environments like airports in a more streamlined way.

Might you share with us a little window into your personality?

I am a very friendly individual, but sometimes I might come across as indifferent or unfriendly to people who do not know me well, mostly because my resting expression does not convey cheerfulness in the way other people do. I love to try anything new without hesitation, no matter the challenge, and normally accomplish what I try. Although I must say that I have a habit of hyper-focusing on the task at hand. So, if you ever need someone to help you do something or accompany you, I am that guy. If it is a reasonable activity, I have probably tried it and liked it. Yes, skydiving is a reasonable activity.  At this point in life, we have a small one-year-old who is our greatest joy, and all our available time goes to him.