Doctoral Program in Technology Supervised By:

Work submitted to the University of Girona in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Acknowledgements Throughout this doctoral thesis, I have been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, and colleagues. In particluar I would like to thank my supervisors Daniel and Quim, who took unprecedented interest in my development as a professional and a person. My lovely wife Chrissy has sat by my side this entire time keeping me on track. I am grateful to all of the wonderful people in the labs (you know who you are) at both Girona and Edinburgh for making me feel welcome as a stranger in strange lands. Among the countless people I need to thank, here are but a few who stand out: Josep – you got me out of the lab and showed me the beauty of the Catalan countryside, Sharad – for late night editing sessions and somehow still having the energy to laugh over a cup of coffee, Kos – thank you for walking the PhD road together and being a trusted friend and confidante