Alexandre has nurtured a lifelong passion for studying life in all its forms since his childhood in France. This curiosity, coupled with an early discovery of programming in high school, led him to pursue an engineering degree at EPFL in Switzerland. He earned both his Bachelor's and Master's in Life Sciences Engineering, where he honed a diverse skill set in molecular and cellular biology, mathematics, statistics, and artificial intelligence. During his time at EPFL, Alexandre engaged in numerous projects, including linking retinal features to the development of specific diseases, modeling the impact of cognition on fruit fly evolution, and validating lipidomics models for cell state prediction using computer simulations. His work reflects a deep commitment to advancing our understanding of biological systems through computational and mathematical approaches. Alexandre’s research interests encompass modeling, machine learning, computational biology, and the study of non-human organisms. Driven by a desire to push the boundaries of knowledge, he is dedicated to exploring the intricate mechanisms of life and contributing to the scientific community.

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Project: Prediction and interpretation of thermophilic proteins

Supervisor: Prof. Wim Frederik Vranken

Email: alexandre.theodore.charles.bouillon@vub.be

Josephine is of Danish-Norwegian descent and received her B.Sc. in Biology at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) (DK), which included a study abroad to Imperial College London (UK) and a deep-sea expedition to the Sognefjord (NO) to study life in extreme environments. Developing an interest in the application of biotechnology for climate change mitigation, she completed her M.Sc. in Molecular Biology & Genetics at UCPH with a thesis focusing on photosynthesis-directed optimization of microalgae as biofactory units by investigating carotenoid-synthesising genes. Afterwards, she was employed as a Research Assistant at the Technical University of Denmark to develop a biohydrogen production pipeline from strictly anaerobic and thermophilic bacteria isolated from the subsurface, in which she established laboratory procedures for a cultivation strategy with demanding circumstances.

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Project: Thermophilic prokaryotes cultivation and biology

Supervisor: Prof. Eveline Peeters

Email: josephine.boel.andresen@vub.be

Caroline Jachmann completed her B.Sc. in Computer Science at the Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, diving deeply into data analysis and programming. Her fascination with the potential of combining biological problems with computational power led her to pursue an M.Sc. in Bioinformatics at the University of Tübingen. During her master's studies, Caro developed a significant interest in proteins, particularly through working with them in 3D visualisers for drug design applications during her master thesis. To complement her computational skills, Caro undertook an internship at a proteomics facility, gaining hands-on experience in the wet lab environment. She is responsible for adapting the state-of-the-art tools from the CompOmics lab to the challenges of prokaryotic single cell proteomics. Outside the lab and office, Caro enjoys karaoke, running, volleyball, taking care of her thunder lizards, and propagating plants.

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Project: Single prokaryote cell MS data analysis

Supervisor: Prof. Lennart Martens

Email: caroline.jachmann@ugent.be

Kenneth, originally from Costa Rica, obtained his bachelor's degree in biology with an emphasis in biotechnology from the National University of Costa Rica in 2020. During his undergraduate years, he developed a passion for data analysis and bioinformatics. He worked as a student assistant in the Laboratory of Applied Bioinformatics (LABAP), where he gained extensive bioinformatics knowledge by actively engaging in various projects. Immediately after graduating, Kenneth secured a position as a data analyst at a cloud computing consulting company. Here, he expanded his expertise in the latest cloud computing technologies and data management methods. In 2022, he moved to Hungary to pursue a master’s degree in molecular biology at the University of Debrecen (UNIDEB). During his time at UNIDEB, he focused on the genotyping and analysis of genomic data from celiac disease patients, aiming to elucidate the main genetic factors and patterns associated with the disease. Currently, he aims to develop innovative methods for processing bioinformatics data and applying it to cutting-edge research.

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Project: MS Thermal Proteome Profiling (TPP) data analysis/visualisation

Supervisor: Prof. Harald Barsnes

Email: kenneth.aguilar@uib.no

María José Rimón Martínez studied Biology at the University of Murcia, Spain, where she gained extensive lab experience through internships focused on genomics and molecular biology. Her interest in these fields led her to conduct her Final Degree Project on using zebrafish as an animal model for psoriasis drug discovery, which sparked her interest in bioinformatics. To deepen her expertise, María José pursued a Master’s degree in Computational Biology at the Universidad Politecnica of Madrid. There, she honed her skills in several programming languages, applying them to modeling, lead discovery, and genomic analysis. For her master’s thesis, she spent six months at the CNB (National Biotechnology Centre) collaborating with the Scientific Computing Service to design an R package called MADFBA (Multi-model Adaptive Dynamic Flux Balance Analysis) aimed at improving metabolic network simulations. María José has experience in both experimental and computational fields and is eager to continue learning and expanding her expertise.

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Project: Genome scale network models

Supervisor: Prof. Jürgen Zanghellini

Email: maria.jose.rimon.martinez@univie.ac.at

Mansi was born in Delhi, the capital of India. She obtained a B.Sc. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Delhi. She was awarded the prestigious INSA-IASc -NASI Summer Research Fellowship during her undergraduate studies and further completed her master's at the University of Delhi, South Campus. During her master's thesis, she worked on protein purification techniques, which strengthened her research interest in the field of proteomics. She then joined a mass spectrometry-based company in Delhi, where she was primarily involved in sample preparation and gained hands-on experience with MS instrumentation. Apart from her strong interest in the field of proteomics, she enjoys traveling, trying different cuisines and socializing with people.

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Project: Optimisation of sample preparation and examination of the thermal response of selected thermophilic organisms

Supervisor: Prof. Éva Csősz

Email: mansi.jain@med.unideb.hu

Sunu has been an Erasmus Mundus scholar of the joint master’s degree program “EACH: Excellence in Analytical Chemistry” at the University of Tartu, Estonia (Master 1) and the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France (Master 2). She holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Purbanchal University, Nepal and has gained professional experience as a pharmacist at Ohm Pharmaceutical Laboratories in Nepal. During her master’s studies, she completed a six-month internship at LABERCA, ONIRIS, France in the “Alimentation” department under the Mixed Research Unit. Her research focused on analysing oligoesters and monomers in food coating materials (FCMs) and their gastrointestinal (GI) fates to ensure food's chemical safety, utilising LC/GC coupled with an Orbitrap high-resolution mass analyser. This experience has been a significant highlight in her academic journey where she garnered a wide range of research and analytical skills. Additionally, an opportunity to collaborate with the pharmacy researchers team of the University Santiago de Compostela, Spain, during the same project deepened her understanding of in vitro GI digestion and the protocols employed to investigate the same. Furthermore, her master’s first-year internship at the Estonian Environmental Research Centre (EERC), Estonia specialising in “environmental chemistry”, was another invaluable experience. With these professional experiences, spanning various laboratories encompassing both “analytical chemistry” and “pharmacy”, amalgamated with her academic foundations, now her goal is to apply these analytical experimental and computational approaches to study molecular biology and leverage this knowledge to promote and enhance efficient pharmaceutical drug delivery systems. By participating in this promising scholarly research project “PROHITS”, she aspires to delve deeper into single-cell proteomics, uncovering its hidden dimensions and making a meaningful contribution to this scientific community. "

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Project: MS methods development for thermal proteome profiling and single cell analysis

Supervisor: Dr. Christine Carapito

Email: sunu.lama@etu.unistra.fr

Dinu received the Master’s degree in Chemical Sciences at University of Genoa. He completed the thesis in collaboration with University of Basque Country working on organic synthesis of bio-active compound via multi-component organocatalyzed reactions. After a short experience as Field Service Engineer, he joined IIT (Italian Institute of Technology) as Research Fellow working on two different projects: Graphene Flagship and FFC1.2023. In both projects he was involved in investigating the omics profiles, mainly proteomics and lipidomics, via mass spectrometry. Dinu joins the PROHITS project aiming at conducting collaborative and interconnected research on proteomics studies on thermophiles. TPP mass spec based proteomics experiments will be conducted on bacteria, gathering information about protein stability both in bulk and at single cell level. Dinu joins as DC6 in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary role with the final aim to generate, collect and output high quality proteomics data. This contribution is designed for the implementation of efficient and green industrial processes bacteria as biomass converters.

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Project: Thermal proteome profiling of thermophilic bacteria

Supervisor: Dr. Christine Carapito

Email: dinu-zinovie.ciobanu@etu.unistra.fr

Ana began her studies with her bachelor’s in biotechnology at the University of Aveiro, in Portugal, in 2018. During these years, she developed an interest in microbial biotechnology and the bioprocessing field. Later in 2021, she enrolled in the master’s in biotechnology at the same university, where she opted to do her master's thesis in the industry field, where she focused on the replacement of the current carbon source with a cheaper and greener alternative for a specific bioprocess, aiming to reduce production costs. After finishing her studies, she enrolled in a 9-month Erasmus + internship at IPLA-CSIC, in Spain, studying the physiology, genetics, and technological properties of lactic acid bacteria that produce neuroactive compounds. There, she developed her hands-on skills in molecular biology techniques, bioinformatics, and microbial cultivation. In addition to science, she enjoys reading, sports, learning new languages, and playing trumpet.

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Project: Optimisation of cell factories

Supervisor: Prof. Jürgen Zanghellini

Email: ana.carvalho@novoarc.at

Onyeka Francis Offor was born in Nigeria where he obtained his bachelor's degree in pure chemistry at University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) Nigeria. After his graduation, he worked as a graduate assistant in the department of chemistry, Akwa State University, Nigeria. Thereafter he was awarded a fully funded scholarship for a master’s degree in organic chemistry by the petroleum development technology fund (PTDF) at Uniport. His master’s thesis at Uniport was on synthesis and modification of alkyd resin from velvet tamarind which also involved IR, GC-MS, and NMR characterization of the synthesized product. In 2022, following his completion of the master’s program at Uniport, he was awarded a fully funded Erasmus Mundus Scholarship and proceeded to study in Europe for a dual master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry at University of Tartu, Estonia and Uppsala University, Sweden. During his second master’s degree in Europe, he worked as a summer intern with Recipharm, Sweden where he developed LC-MS method for analysis of lipid (lipidomic). In June 2024, he completed his dual master’s degrees in Analytical chemistry with a master’s thesis focus on MALDI mass spectrometry analysis of acetyl-CoA and other CoA’s relevant to humans (metabolomics). Francis is passionate about the omics research which has led to his involvement in the PhD research on proteomics.

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Project: Microfluidics cell separation and MS integration

Supervisor: Dr. Anjali Seth

Email: f.offor@cellenion.com