ESR1: Justine Raymond

Originally from the region of Alsace in the north-eastern part of France, I graduated from the “Ecole Nationale supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier”: a French “Grande Ecole” which awards a postgraduate title of “Ingénieur Chimiste”- equivalent to a top Master’s degree. In my last year, I majored in medicinal chemistry, that includes organic chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology courses.

During my studies, I had the chance to build up my skills as an organic chemist through various internships in pharmaceutical companies and research institutes with international outreach. Those valuable experiences fostered my interest for scientific research and my commitment to scientific achievements in the field of healthcare. Joining the VIRO-FLOW project is for me a decisive step in this direction.

I started as a PhD student in May 2018 at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalunya (ICIQ) in Spain. My aim is to develop new synthetic methodologies in continuous flow in order to accelerate and optimize the generation of library compounds targeted for HBV.

When I am not busy experimenting in the lab, I like to enjoy some quality time with my friends, and visit new places.

ESR2: Tamás Vermes

I was born 1992 in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. With ten I moved to Forchheim, Germany where I finished my Abitur at Herder-Gymnasium Forchheim. Afterwards I studied the novel course “Molecular Life Science” at Firedrich Alexander University in Erlangen with the main focus on Drug Discovery, designing and synthesizing organic compounds as well as their testing in various biochemical assays. At 2017 I finished my master thesis with the main topic on pathogen host interaction between phytopathogens and their hosts.

Since 2018 I am working at AiCuris within the scope of the Viro-Flow project. Major tasks are the development and adaptation of a biochemical assay for in flow determination of the on target activity for newly synthesized compounds.

Choosing the right equipment for the Microfluidic assays was challenging, since microfluidic systems differ from classical setups due to the changes in physical properties, especially scaling laws. After the evaluation of different providers we have chosen the company Fluigent, who not only delivered excellent devices but was very supportive in every regard from the very beginning. Further challenges, such as the dilution of the compounds, measurement of the compound activity and the evaluation of these datasets led us to the collaboration with Dr. Thomas Henkel from IPTH who is helping us out with his expertise.

Currently I am working on the optimization of a biochemical assay by improving signal to noise background, reducing sample consumption and enhancing signal resolution. In a couple of month I will move to Tarragona to work on the integration of the biochemical assay with the organic synthesis.

I am always happy to have a good conversation in science, so if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me! 

ESR3: Elena Detta

In 2017 I have obtained my Master Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from La Sapienza University of Rome. With a solid background in organic chemistry, I have gained during my studies practical experience of synthesis of small molecules and worked in a molecular biology laboratory with human cell cultures.

Since May 2018, I have been working at AiCuris Anti-Infective Cures GmbH pharmaceutical company in Wuppertal, Germany in the drug discovery field. Currently, my role as part of VIRO-FLOW project is mainly focused on the design and identification of novel anti-infective agents through the exploration of multiple and diverse computational techniques.

During my first year of PhD I have acquired an extensive knowledge of the state of the art computer-aided drug design approaches, such as structure- and ligand-based virtual screening, scaffold hopping, in silico focused library design and molecular docking. Thanks to the collaboration with the Forschungszentrum Juelich, I have also had the opportunity to get familiar with the use of advanced in silico structural biology approaches, mainly Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

I consider myself a dynamic, creative drug designer, constantly seeking for adventures and challenges.

When I am not making magic at my desk, you are likely to find me practicing some sports, reading novels,  exploring new destinations, never without my camera and my sketchbook.

Originally from Italy, I am also passionate about good homemade food and trust me : you would love to try my Spaghetti Carbonara!