Gian Carlo Cardinali graduated in electronic engineering (summa cum laude) from the University of Bologna, Italy, on July 1979. In the same year, he joined the LAMEL Institute (nowadays Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems - IMM) of the Italian National Research Council, where he is still working. His scientific background is in the areas of design, fabrication, and testing of microelectronic and MEMS devices. From 1992 onwards his research activities focused on the development of microsensors and microsystems. In this field he was first engaged in the design and setup of fabrication  technologies suitable for the integration of electronic devices and transducers, with a specific concern for ink-jet printheads. Since 1996 he has been particularly involved in national and international research projects (EU projects COSSENSOR, SMOG, CLEAN AIR, NETGAS, GoodFood, DIRAC, DOGGIES) concerning the implementation of gas sensing microsystems based on chromatographic separation and infrared adsorption.