Hello!
We are a team of 12 students across two universities: the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH). Our interests are varied, ranging from beekeeping to drawing to kayaking, and we come from a variety of university degrees. Between us, we study Biology, Biomedicine, Bioinformatics, Mathematics, Political Science and English Literature and Linguistics in either the Bachelor's - or, in Elina's case - the Master's. In February 2023, we became a team, and we've been working together to address endometriosis ever since. You can meet us more personally below!
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Besides the twelve of us, there are also a couple more important people to meet. Our advisors were the ones who helped us when extra help was needed, and who advised us on whether our ideas were good - or needed some adjusting ;). Our instructors were the amazing people who taught us how to work in the lab, while our PIs supported us and gave us the opportunity to work in their labs.
Tim has been advising and recruiting iGEM teams since his participation in 2020. Currently completing his masters degree in Neural Systems and Computation, his focus lies with neuronal learning and neuromorphic systems. When he has free time, he likes to cook and bring hummus to the iGEM aperos.
Atilla is doing a joint Master's degree in Neuroinformatics at the University of Zurich and ETH. He focuses his research on Neuromorphic Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, hoping to replace himself one day. In his free time, he is either making music, playing Dungeons and Dragons, or following whatever life's passion he discovered just last week.
Gabriel specialises in the field of Microbiology and Immunology at ETH Zurich in his master's studies. His heart shares the passion for science and heavy weights. After participating in iGEM last year he is currently involved in the iDEC competition. Besides that he enjoys playing rugby.
Michelle is a PhD student at the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology at ETH Zurich. She is interested in the metabolic adaptations of bacteria in different environments, particularly in the clinical context. She enjoys her free time cooking a masterpiece from her homegrown produce or browsing literature for beautiful choir music.
Arpita is a PhD student at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich. She is interested in applying biotechnology to solve problems in healthcare. She comes from India and is very close to her culture and food. When she is not working, she enjoys trying out different dance styles and choreographies.
Emmanuel did his PhD at ETH Zurich in Life sciences, Microbiology and Immunology program. He is now working as a research scientist at the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology at ETH Zurich. His research focuses on functional characterization of protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) and protein engineering and protein-protein interactions. In his free time, he loves doing sports, listening to music and meeting friends.
Prof. Cyril Zipfel is Professor of Molecular and Cellular Plant Physiology at the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology of the University of Zurich (UZH). His group studies the molecular basis of plant receptor kinase-based signaling, particularly in the context of plant immunity. He is also interested in plant biotechnology and synthetic biology, and has been serving as mentor for the UZH team for the iGEM competition since 2020, as well as the iDEC competition since 2023.
Prof. Markus Seeger is Professor for Biochemical Microbiology at the Insitutie of Medical Microbiology of the University of Zurich. His group research focuses on membrane transport processes in pathogenic bacteria and developing innovative protein engineering tools.
Prof. Adrian Egli is Professor and director at the Institute of Medical Microbiology of the University of Zurich. His group research focuses on the host-pathogen interactions and is involved in the microbiota vault.
Prof. Nicola Zamboni is Professor for System Biology and Metabolomics at the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology at the ETH. His group research focuses on metabolomics and flux analysis.