Scientific stuff

Barbara's skills

Molecular biology

• Standard molecular biology and DNA manipulation techniques for cloning and heterologous protein expression and production in Escherichia coli: gene expression vector construction, PCR, RT-PCR
• High quality total RNA and mRNA isolation; genomic DNA extraction
• Sequencing of genomic DNA
• Strong knowledge of the antibody phage display technology: panning and selection of scFv from a library of antibodies, affinity maturation of a library of antibodies, antibody characterization (BIAcore, sequencing, gel filtration, affinity column)

Cell biology and biochemistry

• Immunologic techniques: ELISA, immunoprecipitation, western blot, dot blot, 2D-SDS polyacrylamide gel, immunofluorescence, ADCC, CDC, B-cell depletion, Apoptosis analysis, migration assays, Flow cytometry
• Protein and antibodies purification
• Strong experience in handling of insect and mammalian (mice, rat, human, hamster) cells and in vivo systems (chicken embryo)
• Different transfection and transduction methods
• Lentivirus-based viral particle production (working experience in biosafety level 2)

Other skills and informations

• Languages: Italian (mother tongue), English, (oral and written), German (oral and written), French (school knowledge)
• Informatics: excellent knowledge of Windows and Mac based platforms and related software: MS Office, Acrobat, Photoshop, EndNote, DNA Strider, Plasmap, MacDraw, EnzymeX, ImageJ

Barbara's publications

• B. Guarino
  HIV-Derived Lentiviral Vectors Engineered for Regulated Transgene Expression
  PhD Thesis, ETHZ 2005 [pdf]
• B. Mitta, M. Rimann, M. Ehrbar, V. Djonov, M. Ehrengruber, J. Kelm, M. Fussenegger (2002)
  Advanced modular self-inactivating lentiviral vectors for multigene interventions in mammalian cells and in vivo transduction
  Nucleic Acids Res, 30(21):e113 [pdf]
• B. Mitta, C. Weber, M. Rimann, M. Fussenegger (2004)
  Characterization of Self-Inactivating Human and Non-Human Lentiviral Expression Vectors Engineered For Streptogramin-Adjustable Transgene Expression
  Nucleic Acids Res, 32(12):e106 [pdf]
• B. Mitta, C. Weber, M. Fussenegger (2004)
  In-Vivo Transduction of HIV-1-Derived Lentiviral Particles Engineered For Macrolide-Adjustable Transgene Expression
  Journal of Gene Medicine [pdf]
• B. Mitta, M. Rimann, M. Fussenegger (2004)
  Detailed Design and Comparative Analysis of Protocols for Optimized Production of High-Performance HIV-1-derived Lentiviral Particles
  Metabolic Engineering [pdf]
• F. Viti, P. Pedrioli, B. Mitta, D. Neri (2001)
  Phage display libraries as a source of tumour-targeting agents
  Chimia, 55, 206-211.
• C. Fux, B. Mitta, B. Kramer, M. Fussenegger (2004)
  PDual-regulated expression of C/EBP-alpha and BMP-2 enables differential differentiation of C2C12 cells into adipocytes and osteoblasts
  Nucleic Acids Res, 32(1):e1
• C. Diaz Sanchez Bustamante, J. Kelm, B. Mitta, M. Fussenegger (2001)
  Heterologous Protein Production Capacity of Mammalian Cells Cultivated as Monolayers and Microtissues
  Biotechnology and Bioengineering

Andrea's skills

Scientific knowledge

• Classical and quantum optics, quantum electronics, electro-optics, nonlinear optics, wave propagation in anisotropic crystals, integrated optics, optoelectronics
• Laser physics, quantum physics, solid state physics, thermodynamics
• Fundamentals of electronics, structural engineering, chemistry, nuclear engineering, nuclear instrumentation

Lab experience

• Fabrication of waveguides: ion implantation, ferroelectric thin films by crystal ion slicing and bonding
• Structuring: clean Room class 10000, photolithography, RIE etching, sputtering, bonding, fs laser micromachining
• Testing: interferometry, ellipsometry, waveguide coupling, waveguide mode measurements, electro-optics measurement, second-harmonic measurement, AFM surface analysis

Work experience

• Development of high power single emitter laser diodes (GaAs based). Wavelengths: 793-808-830-880-9xx nm
• Physical characterization electro-optical perfomance of laser diodes (LabView software)
• Reliability testing of laser diodes (Hardware maintenance and development, data analysis)
• Planning and realization of prototypes and pre-production samples (Front End and Back End)
• Database development for large quantity data analysis, database development for prototype production trackflow and planning

Computer Skills

• OS: Windows, OSX, Linux
• Programming: fundamentals of Java, C++, HTML, SQL, Ruby
• Scientific: MATLAB (advanced), Mathematica, LabView, Femlab (Comsol Multiphysics), C2V (integrated optics)
• Other: Office, Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape. MySQL, MS Access

Andrea's publications

• A. Guarino
  Electro-optic microring resonators in inorganic crystals for photonic applications
  PhD Thesis 17029, ETHZ 2007. [pdf]
• A. Guarino, G. Poberaj, D. Rezzonico, R. Degl'Innocenti and P. Gunter,
  Electro-optically tunable micro-ring resonators in LiNbO₃
  Nature Photonics, 1, 407-410 (2007)[pdf]
• A. Guarino, M. Jazbinsek, C. Herzog, R. Degl'Innocenti and P. Gunter,
  Optical waveguides in Sn₂P₂S₆ by low fluence MeV He⁺ ion implantation
  Optics Express 14(6): 2344-2358, 2006 [pdf]
• A. Guarino and P. Gunter,
  Nondestructive method for the characterization of ion-implanted waveguides
  Optics Letters 30(18): 2412-2414, 2005 [pdf]
• D. Rezzonico, A. Guarino, C. Herzog, M. Jazbinsek and P. Gunter,
  High-finesse laterally coupled organic-inorganic hybrid polymer microring resonators for VLSI photonics
  IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 18(5-8): 865-867, 2006.
• L. Mutter, A. Guarino, M. Jazbinsek, P. Gunter, M. Zgonik, and M. Doebeli
  Ion implanted optical waveguides in nonlinear optical organic crystal
  Optics Express, 15(2) 629-638, 2007
• R. Degl'Innocenti, A. Guarino, S. Reidt, G. Poberaj and P. Gunter
  Second harmonic generation of continuous wave ultraviolet light and production of β-BaB₂O₄ optical waveguides
  Applied Physics Letters 89 (4): 041103, 2006.
• D. Haertle,A. Guarino,J. Hajfler, G. Montemezzani and P. Gunter
  Refractive indices of Sn₂P₂S₆ at visible and infrared wavelengths
  Optics Express (6): 2047-2057, 2005.
• R. Piazza, A. Guarino
  Soret effect in interacting micellar solutions
  Physical Review Letters, 88 (20): 208302, 2002
• Degl'Innocenti R., Reidt S., Guarino A., Rezzonico D., Poberaj G. and Gunter P.
  Micromachining of ridge optical waveguides on top of He⁺-implanted β-BaB₂O₄ crystals by femtosecond laser ablation
  Journal of Applied Physics, 100, 113121, 2006.
• Herzog Ch, Aravazhi S. , Guarino A., Schneider A., Poberaj G. and Gunter P.
  Epitaxial K_1-xNa_xTa_0.66Nb_0.34O₃ thin films for optical waveguiding applications
  Journal of the Optical Society of America B