Get to know the SPIDoc's crew!
Frederik Menn
Name: Frederik Menn
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since 01/04/2024
University and place of work: Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
Project title: Probing the Conformational stability of Proteins from solution to the gas phase by combining Lasers to Mass Spectrometry and Ion Mobility
Supervisor: Dr. Luke MacAleese, Prof. Fabien Chirot
Nationality: German Resident: France
Short bio:
Frederik grew up in the city of Siegen in Germany where he also did his studies. In 7th grade he discovered his interest in chemistry, which quickly became one of his favourite subjects alongside language subjects. After writing his Bachelor thesis in Computational Chemistry, he focused on Analytical Chemistry during his Master’s. For research projects and his Master thesis he worked on the characterization of metallic nanoparticles using ICP-MS in single-particle mode as an atomic and isotopic Mass Spectrometry method, as well as complementary analytical methods.
Studies:
M.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Siegen, Germany
B.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Siegen, Germany
What do you like to do in your free time?
Making music, going to concerts/festivals/cultural music events, camping
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Learning an instrument requires a lot of patience, both making music and listening to live music is very inspiring and helps being creative
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Bringing some spontaneity and creativity to the group
“Everything comes down to asking the right questions and keeping an open mind, and resisting the terrible inclination that scientists have - because they’re human beings - of finding what you expect to find” - Brian May
Ezgi Gürler
Name: Ezgi Gürler
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since May 2024
University: Charles University, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ
Place of work: Biotechnology and Biomedicine Centre, BIOCEV, CZ
Project title: Native Mass Spectrometry with Advanced Fragmentation Schemes for Protein Structural Characterization
Supervisor: Dr. Alan Kádek, Dr. Petr Novák
Nationality: Dutch - Turkish Resident: Czechia
Short bio:
Ezgi completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and was followed by a Master of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ankara, Turkey. During her undergraduate studies, she completed her junior thesis project at Leiden University Medical Center (Leiden, NL) at the Centre for Proteomics & Metabolomics Department (CPM) on C. difficile bacterial proteases under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Paul J. Hensbergen where the story of her lifelong friendship with mass spectrometry started. Before pursuing her Ph.D., she worked in the biopharmaceutical industry. She was part of the Analytical Development team at Johnson Vaccine and Prevention (Johnson & Johnson) where she contributed to the development of the glycoconjugate vaccine candidates (ExPEC Next Generation) and the MultiResp RSV vaccine projects in Dalton Lab.
Ezgi continued her journey in Dr. Petr Novak's laboratory as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholar (SPIDoc's) under the supervision of Dr. Alan Kadek, specializing in the development of advanced fragmentation schemes for non-covalent complexes and Norovirus P-dimer protein by top-down native mass spectrometry on FTICR-MS (Bruker, Solarix 15 Tesla) with custom coupled UV/IR lasers. She will be a visiting PhD researcher at DESY-CSSB (Hamburg, Germany) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Charlotte Uetrecht and at Uppsala University, Department of Biophysics and Chemistry (BMC) (Sweden), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Erik Marklund.
Studies:
Erasmus + Biomedical Sciences, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands (thesis work)
Master of Science - Biochemistry, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
Bachelor of Science - Biology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
What do you like to do in your free time?
Ezgi enjoys adventurous outdoor activities like mountain hiking and scuba diving, exploring both high peaks and deep exotic waters with a special passion for encountering different shark species. In addition, she loves cooking, exploring sophisticated cuisines. Ezgi has a deep passion for painting, often blending the structured geometry of cubism with the dreamlike distortions of surrealism, while also appreciating the fine detail and precision of realism.
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Source of motivation! Ezgi looks forward to being in nature, cleansing the mind, eating well & nutritious, keep the body intact! Ezgi’s interest in painting enhances her creativity, attention to detail, allowing her to approach scientific challenges with a fresh perspective and think outside the box.
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Inspire those around you to get involved and contribute to the collective vision. Embrace the distinct qualities of the team and elevate the most compelling and strong aspects of an individual’s persona within the SPIDoc's community.
“If one day, my words are against science, choose science.” ― Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Pierre Chouzenoux
Name: Pierre Chouzenoux
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since 01.04.2024
University: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, NL
Place of work: MS Vision, Almere, NL
Project title: Mass Spectrometry Instrumentation Dedicated to the Studies of Viral Protein Complexes and Particles
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A.M Rijs, Dr. S.D Daly, Ing. Jan Commandeur.
Nationality: French Resident: Netherlands
Short bio:
I am has been passionate about science and technology from a young age. I enjoy exploring the fundamentals of physics while also working on higher level systems such as electronics, mechanics and informatics. Additionally, I am eager to deepen his understanding of biology and biochemistry by studying and developing instrumentation for scientific researchs.
Studies:
M.sc. – Physics, Instrumental Development for Micro and Nanotechnology
B.sc. – Physics, Math, Electronics and Mechanics
What do you like to do in your free time?
Adventure, sport, listen and play music!
How your hobbies help you in your work?
It brings me new ideas!
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Yes! Sport games, activities like video editing, encouraging open communication.
“It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover” - Henri Poincaré
Panagiotis Katechis
Name: Panagiotis Katechis
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since 15.05.2024
University: University of Groningen, NL
Place of work: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), DE
Project title: Gas-phase photodissociation processes of relevance for imaging biomolecules and understanding protein drug interaction
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sadia Bari
Nationality: Greek Resident: Germany
Short bio:
Biology and chemistry are both fields that greatly interest me, which is why I pursued a degree in chemistry, specializing in analytical science with biomolecular samples. During my master's program, I became particularly fascinated by the use of light sources for information extraction. This interest prompted me to focus on gaining knowledge in action spectroscopy for my master’s thesis.
Studies:
M.Sc. – Chemistry, Analytical science (track), University of Amsterdam/ Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
B.Sc. – Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy taking pictures, especially still life, and I participate in several sports like football, boxing, and surfing.
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Absolutely, the principles of teamwork are essential in both professional work environments and sports.
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Encouraging open communication on unconventional ideas and projects, even if their feaibility s uncertain.
“The more abstract is form, the more clear and direct its appeal” - Wassily Kandinsky
Sandeep Mishra
Name: Sandeep Mishra
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since October 2024
University: University of Lübeck, DE
Place of work: Center for Systems Structural Biology, Hamburg, DE
Project title: Sample Delivery for Single Particle Imaging: Protein Orientation and Detection
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Charlotte Uetrecht, Dr Thomas Kierspel
Nationality: Indian Resident: Germany
Short bio:
Sandeep has interest in biology, being a biotechnology aspirant who has some hands on in Synthetic biology is now initiating structural biology to streamline both of these domains to speed up Drug Discovery.
Studies:
Graduation: In 2018 from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University U.P. India, in Botany, Zoology.
Post-Graduation: In 2024 from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University U.P. India, in Biotechnology.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Courses, Cooking, Listening Songs, Games
How your hobbies help you in your work?
New courses directly help me in gaining new skills and knowledge about a particular topic. By cooking I learn for activities like preparation (of ingredient), imagination, (Intangible - Taste, Aroma; Tangible- Color, Texture, cooking process etc.) measurements, innovation, creativity etc. During listening song I feel more energize, oriented towards my dream, get clear vision, imagination etc.
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Yeah! if there will be some Gaming activity (Cricket, Badminton, Tennis etc.), Creativity, Video Editing etc.
- “Try to see what can’t be seen.” -
Friederike Krüger
Name: Friederike Krüger
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since May 2024
University: Uppsala Universitet, SE
Project title: Molecular Dynamics of Coulomb Explosions in Single Particle Imaging Experiments with XFELs
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carl Caleman, Prof. Dr. Erik Marklund
Nationality: German Resident: Sweden
Short bio:
Friederike is a curious person that loves science, nature, culture and meeting people. As a little girl she wanted to become a jungle scientist in Amazônia, later on she became really into General Relativity, Particle Physics and the mysteries of Biophysics. After spending some time in the corporate world she is excited to be back in academia. She studied in Berlin, Barcelona and Lisboa and worked in Germany and India in consulting and climate policy. Whenever she has the time and resources she goes travelling to see places (including Amazônia) and to visit friends and family.
Studies:
Master of Science in Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Cosmology, Universitat de Barcelona
Master in Political Philosophy, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Bachelor of Science in Physics, Frei Universität Berlin
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like dancing: Oriental, Dancehall, Afrobeats and more, but also hiking or swimming and camping, I like traveling and learning about history, politics and science and I like learning languages: currently it's Swedish!
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Living in different countries is good training for adapting to new situations and making contacts. Dancing helps me relax after a long day in front of the computer. Hiking and camping are great ways to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the world and reconnect with nature. Reading about politics and history or learning languages are welcome distractions when I get stuck on a problem.
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Travel agent, networker and German translations
- “In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.” - Carl Sagan
Panagiotis Katechis
Name: Panagiotis Katechis
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since May 2024
University: University of Groningen, NL
Place of work: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
Project title: Gas-phase photodissociation processes of relevance for imaging biomolecules and understanding protein drug interaction
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sadia Bari
Nationality: Greek Resident: Germany
Short bio:
Biology and chemistry are both fields that greatly interest me, which is why I pursued a degree in chemistry, specializing in analytical science with biomolecular samples. During my master's program, I became particularly fascinated by the use of light sources for information extraction. This interest prompted me to focus on gaining knowledge in action spectroscopy for my master’s thesis.
Studies:
M.Sc. – Chemistry, Analytical science (track), University of Amsterdam/ Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
B.Sc. – Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy taking pictures, especially still life, and I participate in several sports like football, boxing, and surfing.
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Absolutely, the principles of teamwork are essential in both professional work environments and sports.
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Encouraging open communication on unconventional ideas and projects, even if their feasibility is uncertain.
- “The more abstract is form, the more clear and direct its appeal” - Wassily Kandinsky
Assel Berikkara
Name: Assel Berikkara
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since September 2024
University: Universität zu Lübeck
Project title: Native MS and SPI of coronaviral nsp complexes for structural investigations
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Charlotte Uetrecht
Nationality: Kazakhstani Resident: Germany
Short bio:
Assel holds a bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences with a major in Biology from Karaganda Medical University in Kazakhstan. Her Bachelor’s project focused on the role of dairy products in gut health using MALDI-TOF MS for bacterial identification. During her Master’s at Nazarbayev University, she gained wet lab experience studying the role of EBV-encoded proteins in modulating glial cells. Also, Assel analyzed the effects of drug-resistant mutations in HIV-1 pol sequences on immune escape. These projects enhanced her skills in molecular docking, protein-receptor interaction analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations. Through her research projects, Assel developed a keen interest in applying gene expression analysis and structural biology technologies to study infectious diseases.
Studies:
2024 - Master in Molecular Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana city, Kazakhstan
2022 - Bachelor of Natural Sciences, Karaganda Medical University, Astana city, Kazakhstan
What do you like to do in your free time?
Reading (Victor Hugo, Remarque, Feynman, Dostoevsky), walking, pilates
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Hobbies boost my physical and mental well-being, energizing me for further endeavors.
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Build a motivating and supportive environment within the Spidoc community.
- “Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.” - Richard P. Feynman
May Constabel
Name: May Constabel
SPIDoc’s PhD student: since 01/05/2024
University: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Project title: Structural analysis of protein-drug interactions by innovative mass spectrometry-based approaches
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Anouk M. Rijs
Dr. Sjors Bakels
Nationality: Canadian Resident: The Netherlands
Short bio:
May’s interest in Chemistry began at age 14 and her interest in mass spectrometry started with a visit to the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany. Since then, she has pursued studies in Analytical Chemistry, focusing on mass spectrometry. During her Master’s, May discovered a passion for native MS. Her thesis studied the unfolding and refolding of proteins through thermal cycling experiments using an in-house designed and built programmed-temperature controlled electrospray ionization (ptESI) source coupled to a mass spectrometer
Studies:
M.Sc. – Applied Chemical Science and Technology, University of Washington, Seattle
B.Sc. – Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
What do you like to do in your free time?
Cycling (all types!), camping/being outside, knitting, crocheting, and embroidery
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Cycling keeps me fit and healthy, and needlework helps my fine manual dexterity – very useful for loading nanospray capillaries and adjusting optics!
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Building a sense of community between all the PhD candidates
– “There is a single light of science and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere.” - Isaac Asimov
Hendrik Krolle
Name: Hendrik Krolle
PhD Student at SPIDoc’s: since 01/05/2024
University: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Place of work: MS Vision
Project title: Application of novel Mass Spectrometry technologies for the studies of virus particles
Supervisors: Dr. Steve Daly
Ing. Jan Commandeur
Prof. Dr. Anouk M. Rijs
Nationality: German Resident: The Netherlands
Short bio:
In high school I was already interested in biochemistry, leading to a focus of plant science and especially microscopy, during my bachelor studies. While doing my master’s, my focus switched more towards application and analytics, culminating in a thesis in the cross-linking MS field.
Studies:
2024 - M. Sc. Biochemistry at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
2023 - Erasmus Internship Copenhagen University
2022 - Internship Leibniz Institute for Plant Biochemistry
What do you like to do in your free time?
Board Games - D&D, dice-, strategy-, card-, tabletop-games)
Baking (beer-bread, cinnamon rolls and everything in-between)
Reading (fantasy, sci-fi, short stories, horror, classics, historical texts)
Creative activities (drawing, developing board games, writing, painting)
How your hobbies help you in your work?
Mostly delicious chemistry experiments (Baking)
Complex pattern recognition with many factors (Board games)
Unconventional approaches/out-of-the-box thinking (Creative Activities, Reading)
SPIDoc’s contribution:
Building connections to Mass Spectrometry groups outside the consortium
Organizational Skills in general
– “A scientist in [their] laboratory is […] a child confronting natural phenomena that impress [them] as though they were fairy tales” – Marie Skłodowska-Curie