Following her nose to success

November 9, 2023

Liliana Delgado was in her lab, hunting for the smell of mold: The kind found in cars that causes a musty odor, and one of the top odor concerns in Japanese cars. Her team at the P&G Singapore Innovation Center (SgIC) was developing a Febreze Car Freshener that would remove the odor, and they needed her to identify the molecular culprits.

To do so, she analyzed the air from car cabins and collaborated with the microbiology team to grow different types of molds that are found in cars. She fed these samples into a state-of-the-art Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer, an exquisitely sensitive machine that would analyse the molecular composition of her samples. The GC-MS could detect compounds at the parts per billion level.

As the machine ran her first sample, she engaged an even more sensitive odour detection capability: Her own nose. The Sniff Port attached to the GC-MS allowed her to smell those odorants and identify them at the same time.

Liliana has quite literally travelled the world following her nose. Her journey began at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, where she graduated with a degree in food chemistry, which eventually led her to join P&G in Mexico. Her career in fragrance and odor analysis has since spanned four more countries, finally bringing her to Singapore.

Despite her experience, she felt unprepared for the challenges she faced. She arrived at SgIC ten years ago as a founding member of the analytical team, tasked with setting up the new lab. The GC-MS for which her mastery was renowned, was misbehaving. She didn’t get along with her boss at the time.

She credits her mindfulness studies with an enduring notion that “this too shall pass”, and with the support of friends and family, she prevailed. The fleet of GC-MS machines grew from one to four. As did her family.

Fast forward to two weeks ago: Liliana was in Cincinnati, climbing a stage to shake hands with Victor Aguilar, the Chief R&D and Innovation Officer of the company. She had been appointed to the prestigious Ivorydale Technical Society, one of only 12 global appointees this year. She is the first SgIC appointee, in recognition of her track record of "solving tough technical problems and building foundation capability.”

Congratulations, Liliana!

#Aircare