Program

In recent years, synthetic molecular communications (MC) has emerged as a new field of research in information theory and communication engineering with strong links to several other disciplines, including biology, nanotechnology, and medicine. MC is expected to provide connectivity in environments that are not suitable for conventional communication systems based on electromagnetic (EM) waves, such as the human cardiovascular system, bio-processes, and water pipes, and facilitate novel applications such as the Internet of BioNanoThings (IoBNT), targeted drug delivery, and interfacing with animals and plants.

Although some concepts known from conventional communication systems are applicable in MC, there are also many new aspects and differences. In this tutorial, we will first provide a broad introduction to synthetic MC, reviewing different forms of MC occurring in nature, the propagation of molecules, and potential applications. Subsequently, we will introduce communication-theoretical models for MC channels, discuss phenomena such as degradation and dispersion, and unveil concepts for MC system design. Finally, we will present an overview of state-of-the-art experimental MC systems and provide case studies for applications of MC concepts, including bio-process control and olfactory systems.

Robert Schober (S’98, M’01, SM’08, F’10) received the Diplom (Univ.) and the Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Germany, in 1997 and 2000, respectively. From 2002 to 2011, he was a Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. Since January 2012 he is an Alexander von Humboldt Professor and the Chair for Digital Communication at FAU. His research interests fall into the broad areas of Communication Theory, Wireless and Molecular Communications, and Statistical Signal Processing.

Robert received several awards for his work including the 2002 Heinz Maier Leibnitz Award of the German Science Foundation (DFG), the 2004 Innovations Award of the Vodafone Foundation for Research in Mobile Communications, a 2006 UBC Killam Research Prize, a 2007 Wilhelm Friedrich Bessel Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the 2008 Charles McDowell Award for Excellence in Research from UBC, a 2011 Alexander von Humboldt Professorship, a 2012 NSERC E.W.R. Stacie Fellowship, a 2017 Wireless Communications Recognition Award by the IEEE Wireless Communications Technical Committee, and the 2022 IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Stuart F. Meyer Memorial Award. Furthermore, he received numerous Best Paper Awards including the 2022 ComSoc Stephen O. Rice Prize and the 2023 ComSoc Leonard G. Abraham Prize. Since 2017, he has been listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by the Web of Science. Robert is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, and a Member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech).

He served as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Communications, VP Publications of the IEEE Communication Society (ComSoc), ComSoc Member at Large, and ComSoc Treasurer. Currently, he serves as Senior Editor of the Proceedings of the IEEE and as ComSoc President.