About us

Hi, my name is Diana and I’m a high school student at “Andrei Saguna” National College in the natural sciences specialization. In my free time, I love reading fantasy books and horseback riding, however at heart, I am a scientist, and projects like this one will always be what I love most. I had a lot of fun this past year, discovering synthetic biology together with my best friends, coming up with amazing ideas and working hard to see them come to fruition. I am so very grateful to have been part of this amazing team and so proud of how far we’ve all come. Love you, guys!

Hello, my name is Andreea Panti and I am a twelfth-grade student at Andrei Saguna National College in Brasov, Romania, studying natural sciences. Taking part in this competition has taught me so many things I hadn’t even heard about before and I feel like I’ve managed to learn so much in such little time. As I want to pursue a career in biomedical engineering, I think this competition represented the perfect opportunity for me to actually get some lab experience I certainly wouldn’t have access to otherwise. I could say that I am quite organized and responsible, so being a student leader was perfect for me-I stressed everyone the entire year (just kidding, they all love me). Can’t wait to meet all teams in Paris!

Hi, my name is Alexandra Titel and I'm a student in the twelfth grade at "Andrei Saguna" National College, Mathematics and Computer Science profile. Computer science has been for quite some time now my main passion and I couldn't be more grateful for the chance iGEM has given me to expand my knowledge in both synthetic biology and programming. Over this past year, while working on this project, I've had the opportunity to not only forge lasting friendships but also connect with talented individuals who are deeply dedicated to making meaningful contributions to the field of biology. Couldn't be more excited to represent Romania for the first time ever at the 2023 Jamboree!

My name is Alexandra Miron and I m a highschool student at Andrei Saguna National College studying mathematics and computer science. Being part of the Cnas igem team has truely been an unique experience for me. I had the chance to meet new people, spend quality time with my friends while also practicing my passion for programming. I think I speak for all of us when I say that Igem helped us create powerful bonds and unforgettable memories.

Hello, I am Tudor Bustan and I’m in the twelfth grade of the “Andrei Saguna” National College at the mathematics and computer science specialization. I am very grateful to be a part of this iGEM team and for all the amazing things I did and learned during the past year thanks to this competition. I discovered a new part of biology that I can understand and work with much easier since it follows mathematical and logical models, while also having fun with my teammates and meeting wonderful people. What more could I wish for?

Hi, I'm Paul Iacomi, and I'm also in the twelfth grade at "Andrei Saguna" National College, following a mathematics and computer science specialization. I can say that I definitely enjoy working with my team members on this project and that the contest has helped me discover this branch of biology, which I enjoy a lot since it many things in common with my favorite subject, chemistry. Overall, I found this experience fun and challenging, and I gained a lot of knowledge from it while also having fun.

Hello, my name is Floarea Vladu and I am a biology teacher at “Andrei Saguna” National College. This project has been a wonderful educational experience for my students and was quite challenging and stressful for me too at times, but I am very pleased with the results and thank the iGEM Foundation for this opportunity!

Hello, my name is Fedorca Ancuta. I am a conservation geneticist and I work a lot with international groups of experts. This project is close to my heart because it demonstrates how young people will help us to save the planet by creating essential knowledge with their clever ideas. I knew from the beginning that this project will help to better understating the Cyanobacteria but not only, because will generate the first documentation on different reactions of different species to environmental change.

Hello, I am Cristina Gălbău and I am an assistant professor at Faculty of Medicine at Transilvania University of Brasov. I teach students practical lessons of organic chemistry, analytic chemistry, biochemistry and biophysics, proteomics and lab equipment. My research interests include effects of bioactive compound on cell cultures, antioxidants, characterization of extracts, antibacterial tests and public health.

Hi, my name is Tudor Badea. I’m a researcher at Transilvania University of Brasov. I am an MD-PhD, I finished my studies in the USA at John Hopkins University, and I’m an expert in molecular biology in genetics. I think the iGEM competition is really challenging for high school students as it breaches the gap between them and the topics of the project. The diversity of approaches an iGEM project can have and the creativity, energy and enthusiasm the team had are the best part of this competition.

Hi, my name is Mihaela Badea and I am a professor at the University of Transilvania. I was very intrigued and fascinated by this project from the first time the team presented their ideas to me, as working with cyanobacteria was something I had never done before. I am happy with the hard work the team has done over the past few months and hope for good results at the iGEM competition!

Hi, my name is Maria Calvo and I have been the iGEM mentor assigned to the CNAS-Romania team along this journey. I am currently working at MDC-Berlin, where I combine biophysics tools and iPSC-derived models to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying disease propagation in Alzheimer’s disease. I have previously participated in the iGEM competition as Wet lab member of iGEM Stockholm 2021. Now, after finishing my masters I decided to take part in this adventure again, but this time by offering my guidance and support. I am very glad to have been paired up with CNAS-Romania team. It has been very exciting to see a first-year high-school team develop in such a short time. They have gain a lot of knowledge on molecular biology and genetic engineering, but also on experimental design and science communication. It has been great to see the project getting shape and growing over the past months. The whole experience has definitely been very inspiring and has allowed me to learn with them and their project along the way! I hope that they continue to be passionate about science and encourage them all to pursue a carrier in the field!