About us Trusted for our single-cell expertise
Single Cell Discoveries is your go-to discovery partner for customized single-cell sequencing and analysis.
The leading single-cell
sequencing CRO
We are focused on providing cutting-edge single-cell sequencing services to biopharmaceutical companies, health systems, and academic research centers globally. Located in our brand-new laboratory in Utrecht, the Netherlands, our team of PhD scientists is dedicated to developing customized solutions for your unique scientific questions, all while ensuring rapid turnaround times and high quality.
History
Ever a sole focus on single-cell science
What is now an industry-leading single-cell laboratory was once nothing more than a bold idea.
Single Cell Discoveries co-founder Mauro Muraro, PhD, started working on some of the earliest single-cell technologies in the Van Oudenaarden lab at the Hubrecht Institute. Back then, single cells were moved by mouth pipette. The procedure was so laborious and the empty pipette boxes so numerous that Mauro committed himself to develop a higher-throughput, standardized protocol. Recruiting several robots, Mauro was able to replace manual mouth pipetting with mechanized liquid handling and accomplish in an afternoon what used to take a year. This protocol was published in 2016 as SORT-seq.
From then on, The Hubrecht Institute established the Single Cell Core Facility, one of the first of its kind in the world. Co-founder Judith Vivié was recruited to run the facility, and demand
exploded. In 2018, after one of many long weeks serving clients through the core facility, Mauro and Judith decided they could best meet the growing demand for single-cell sequencing services through an independent company. Five years later, quality service, intelligent automation, bleeding-edge technology, and hard work are still central to Single Cell Discoveries' expanding operations. Each member of the growing team is committed to advancing single-cell sequencing and empowering clients with impactful single-cell discoveries with the ultimate goal of improving the human condition.
Timeline
2016
Mauro Muraro publishes SORT-seq, a robotized plate-based single-cell sequencing platform. The Single Cell Sequencing Facility is established at the Hubrecht Institute.
2018
Mauro Muraro and Judith Vivié decide to start Single Cell Discoveries to meet the growing single- cell sequencing demand.
2020
The company expands to 10 employees and offers single-cell sequencing services all over the world.
2021
Single Cell Discoveries becomes a Certified Service Provider for 10x Genomics and joins the PERSIST-seq consortium.
2023
Single Cell Discoveries has grown to a leading CRO in the field, with 40 employees and 1200 m2 newly-built office and lab space.
Mission
To accelerate groundbreaking research by developing and offering cutting-edge single-cell technologies as a service.
Vision
To help improve the human condition by bringing the power of single-cell analyses and discoveries to the clinic.
Founders
Mauro Muraro
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Mauro Muraro, PhD, leads scientific and technical initiatives and is closely involved with client relationships, excelling in bespoke project design and complex data analysis. Before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries, Mauro developed the SORT-seq platform in the Van Oudenaarden Lab at the Hubrecht Institute, where he earned his PhD. Mauro is eager to continue innovating new methods in the single-cell field to accelerate biological discovery for clients and realize the potential of single-cell insights in clinical settings.
Judith Vivié
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
Judith Vivié runs laboratory and quality assurance operations. Before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries and after completing her masters, Judith led the single-cell sequencing core facility at the Hubrecht Institute, one of the first facilities in the world to make single-cell innovations accessible to academic and biopharmaceutical clients. There, she earned the nickname "mother of robots" for her unparalleled ability to integrate smart automation into single-cell workflows. Judith is dedicated to continuing to standardize and perfect single-cell workflows to bring the highest quality data to clients.
This is who we are
Mauro Muraro
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Mauro Muraro, PhD, leads scientific and technical initiatives and is closely involved with client relationships, excelling in bespoke project design and complex data analysis. Before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries, Mauro developed the SORT-seq platform in the Van Oudenaarden Lab at the Hubrecht Institute, where he earned his PhD. Mauro is eager to continue innovating new methods in the single-cell field to accelerate biological discovery for clients and realize the potential of single-cell insights in clinical settings.
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Judith Vivié
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
As COO, Judith spearheads operational excellence at the company and has the final responsibility of running client experiments. She had extensive experience running the core facility for single-cell sequencing at the Hubrecht Institute, one of the first of its kind in the world, before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries in 2018. Judith has an MSc degree in Cancer, Stem Cells & Development from Utrecht University. She is an aficionado for lab robots and gets her inner nerd excited by sharing her love for automation with others.
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
Anke McCartney
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
Anke McCartney, PhD, is in charge of both the sales and marketing teams. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry, primarily in commercial roles for CROs. Anke is enthusiastic about interacting with clients and finding the most effective solutions for them. She has a PhD in Cell Biology and is fascinated by wildlife photography, which ignites her inner nerd.
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
Dylan Mooijman
HEAD OF R&D
Dylan Mooijman, PhD, leads the research and development team responsible for developing new technologies and improving current methods.
He brings a hefty 10 years of experience with single-cell technologies to the team, which he gained as a postdoc and HFSP fellow at EMBL Heidelberg (Ephrussi lab) and PhD student in the Van Oudenaarden lab (Hubrecht Institute).
HEAD OF R&D
Lotte Koopman
HEAD OF LABORATORY OPERATIONS
Lotte Koopman, PhD, is highly meticulous and loves a perfectly organized lab, making her our ideal lab manager. She manages the daily operations of the laboratory and oversees the processing of customer samples, lab safety, and QC.
Before joining SCD, she completed her PhD at the UMC Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute, where she gained extensive experience with genetics and project management.
In her free time, Lotte enjoys traveling and photography, and she is currently honing her programming skills with R and Python.
HEAD OF LABORATORY OPERATIONS
Nataša Josipović
TEAM LEAD OF LAB SERVICES
Nataša Josipović, PhD, leads a team of laboratory technicians at Single Cell Discoveries, where she specializes in high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing. She completed her PhD at the International Max Planck Research School for Genome Science in Germany, focusing on regulatory mechanisms in cellular transcription. Originally from Serbia, she holds a bachelor's in molecular biology and a master's in neurobiology. Besides her enthusiasm for coding in R/Python and automating NGS data, she’s passionate about pole dancing and perfecting her padel game. TEAM LEAD OF LAB SERVICES
Sabine Tanis
TEAM LEAD METHOD DEVELOPMENT
Sabine Tanis, PhD, is Team Lead Method Development in the R&D department and is responsible for enhancing current protocols, developing new methods, and supporting demanding customer requests.
Before working at SCD, she worked as a postdoc at the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences in Nijmegen, studying keratinocyte biology through multi-modal single-cell sequencing methods.
In her spare time, Sabine loves being outside biking or hiking, and her inner nerd loves to read a good fantasy book.
TEAM LEAD METHOD DEVELOPMENT
Oriol Llorà-Batlle
TEAM LEAD EXTERNAL R&D ALLIANCES
Oriol is responsible for coordinating the efforts of SCD within the PERSIST-SEQ consortium. He loves challenges and using cutting-edge technologies to address challenging questions.
He obtained his BSc degree in Biology at the University of Girona and his MSc and PhD in Biomedical Research at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Before joining SCD, he was working at the University of Cambridge doing research on developmental biology.
His inner nerd is triggered by LOTR and video games. He also enjoys road cycling, board games, and the company of a good book.
TEAM LEAD EXTERNAL R&D ALLIANCES
Unai Escribano Vazquez
TEAM LEAD NGS
Unai is responsible for the Next Generation Sequencing team, managing the internal sequencing facilities. His work experience includes setting up the sequencing facility at the CRO Biomillenia in France, and with 5+ years of research and project management experience in micro- and molecular biology, Unai is an expert in his field. He received his PhD in intestinal microbiota at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
In his free time, he enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, and backpacking.
TEAM LEAD NGS
André Nascimento
PROJECT MANAGER
André is responsible for supporting our management with organization and communication regarding important, companywide complex projects. Furthermore, communicating company strategy to internal & external stakeholders. André has an MSc in Business Administration in Change Management and Biotechnology graduate. André has experience with Project Management, Sales, and Business Development for life-science projects. Master studies internship as Project Commercialization Manager in the FMCG industry at Friesland Campina and sales experience in the genome sequencing space as Sales Account Manager for Macrogen Europe.
PROJECT MANAGER
Regan Hamel
HEAD OF DATA SCIENCE
Regan Hamel, PhD is Head of Data Science at Single Cell Discoveries, where she leads a team of bioinformaticians in applying advanced analytical techniques to process and interpret transcriptomic data. She built her first single-cell atlas as a wet lab scientist during her PhD at the University of Cambridge and later transitioned to industry as a bioinformatician and project lead in R&D for a cell-reprogramming biotech. At SCD, she guides her team in delivering actionable insights for clients, helping them navigate complex biological data to drive scientific discovery. In her spare time, Regan enjoys working out and exploring Europe by train.
HEAD OF DATA SCIENCE
Gini Smit
DATA SCIENTIST
DATA SCIENTIST
Sofia Drobysheva
JUNIOR DATA SCIENTIST
Sofia is working together with R&D and data teams to analyze data from mainly in-house projects. Before joining SCD, she was living in Stockholm, where she did her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as working part-time in biotech start-up Capitainer. During her master’s project, she has integrating single-cell datasets. Her bachelor’s project focused on yeast with impaired Ca2+ homeostasis. In her free time, Sofia goes on long city walks or hikes.
DATA SCIENTIST
Pablo Gómez Sacristán
BIOINFORMATICIAN
Pablo works as a bioinformatician at Single Cell Discoveries and is responsible for processing and sending out data to clients. Prior to starting at Single Cell Discoveries, Pablo worked at Macrogen Europe as a Bioinformatician analyzing NGS data. He obtained both his MSc in Computational Biology and BSc in Biotechnology at the Technical University of Madrid and carried out his internships in Ireland and France. His inner nerd gets triggered by retro video games such as Pokémon and Super Mario.
BIOINFORMATICIAN
Amalia Riga
SENIOR LAB AUTOMATION SCIENTIST
Amalia Riga, PhD, is responsible for setting up and implementing lab automations to improve and scale up Single Cell Discoveries’ workflows.
Before joining SCD, she was an automation scientist at Hudson River Biotechnology, Wageningen, and obtained her PhD on a Marie Curie Fellowship studying the role of basal polarity regulators using C. elegans at Utrecht University. Born and raised on the island of Corfu in Greece, she completed her Bachelor's in the School of Biology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and her Masters in the Medical School of the University of Crete.
Her inner nerd enjoys reading Jo Nesbo books and rewatching the same movies and series. SENIOR LAB AUTOMATION SCIENTIST
Darina Šikrová
R&D SCIENTIST
Darina Šikrová, PhD, works as a scientist in our R&D department, where she is working on improving the currently offered methods as well as developing new ones.
Born and raised in Slovakia, she obtained her BSc in Biology there and, afterward, her MSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics in the Czech Republic. After that, she moved to the Netherlands to get her PhD at Leiden University Medical Centre on a gene therapy approach to Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
She enjoys doing yoga and solving a daily Wordle puzzle.
R&D SCIENTIST
Lovindy Lebalado
LAB TECHNICIAN
Lovindy is responsible for sample processing, sample shipments, and general lab maintenance. Before SCD, she gained experience in panel sequencing as a lab technician for the NGS lab at Macrogen Europe. She was born and raised in Indonesia, where she obtained her bachelor’s in nutrition science. After her bachelor's degree, she moved to the Netherlands to obtain her master’s in molecular nutrition and toxicology at Wageningen University.
In her free time, she can be found creating new recipes or taking care of her plant colony.
LAB TECHNICIAN
Manon Messchendorp
LAB TECHNICIAN
As a lab technician at Single Cell Discoveries, Manon is responsible for sample processing, sample shipments, and lab maintenance. She obtained her MSc and BSc in biology at the University of Leiden. During her internships, she worked on the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress response in zebrafish embryos and the identification of mutation-independent neoantigens in cancer cells.
Besides playing tennis, going to the gym, and on an occasional run, her inner nerd gets excited by fantasy books and video games.
LAB TECHNICIAN
Andra Sonea
LAB TECHNICIAN
As a High-throughput Transcriptomics Technician at Single Cell Discoveries, Andra is responsible for processing samples for Discovery-seq projects, managing data documentation in the LIMS system, and communicating with clients to provide updates on project progress and quality control. She also conducts R&D experiments to improve Discovery-seq and potentially other services. Andra holds a Master's in Genetics and Applied Technologies and a Bachelor's in Biology from Bucharest. Previously at UniQure, she contributed to the development of molecular and immunoassays and managed data workflows for both clinical and non-clinical studies. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, and spending time in nature.
LAB TECHNICIAN
Ioanna Kavelaki
LAB TECHNICIAN
As a Junior Lab Technician at Single Cell Discoveries, Ioanna Kavelaki is responsible for sample processing, sequencing workflows, and lab maintenance. She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Crete. Before joining SCD, she gained valuable experience working at a biotech company within IMBB-FORTH. Originally from Chania, Greece, Ioanna enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and listening to podcasts in her free time.
LAB TECHNICIAN
Stefani Giacopazzi
LIMS ADMINISTRATOR
Stefani Giacopazzi is originally from California where she completed her BSc in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCSC. She moved to the Netherlands for love in 2020. She began her career at SCD as a laboratory technician, before transitioning to R&D.
While helping SCD implement LIMS, she discovered her inner nerd's love for relational databases. As database admin, her focus now is helping her fellow scientists leverage software solutions to automate and optimize their workflows, so they can focus on the science.
When she’s not spending time immersed in the world of data modeling and optimization, she can be found cooking, traveling, and caring for her small jungle at home
LIMS ADMINISTRATOR
Tim Muntslag
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Tim Muntslag, PhD, is responsible for our contact with customers and consults on the use of our services. He is an educated neuroscientist and molecular biologist with a PhD in microglial heterogeneity. During his work, he developed a passion for science and gained broad experience in single-cell technologies, both single-cell and spatial. His inner nerd gets excited about healthy aging, (endurance) sports, sports science, and nutrition.
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Marina Costagliola di Polidoro
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Marina is responsible for the sales pipeline and executing consultation calls with leads and clients. She completed her BSc in molecular biology at the University of Naples Federico II. Soon after, she recognized her character suited communication and sales activities better, so she combined her scientific background with the goal of fulfilling clients' needs. She gained experience in sales working for denovoMATRIX, a German biotech start-up where she learned account management and sales strategies.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Tom Ayers
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Tom Ayers, PhD, acts as Senior Business Development Manager at Single Cell Discoveries to bring our service offerings to new markets in the UK and beyond. He has worked extensively with global researchers to ensure success in their single-cell projects, having performed Sales and Support roles within several single-cell solution providers for over 7 years. Tom is based in Cambridgeshire, England, where he enjoys gardening and reading about history and sci-fi.
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
May Ho
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
May Ho, PhD, manages client relationships and ensures that they receive the best possible service from our company. Meanwhile, she explores the market to identify new business opportunities and connects Single Cell Discoveries with new clients.
She pursued a PhD in neurodevelopment at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Munich, Germany. In her thesis, she applied single-cell genomic technology to study inhibitory neuron fate commitment. She also developed a single-cell–compatible lineage tracing method that enabled a more comprehensive understanding of neuronal differentiation.
Outside of science, she enjoys taking pictures with her analog camera, visiting arts museums and the opera, and watching foreign films.
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
K Pereni Sri Rajitha
MARKETING MANAGER
Pereni found her passion for marketing in the biotech world while working in the lab, where she saw the importance of making academic insights accessible to a broader audience. Before joining SCD, she was a marketing specialist at Toxys, a Dutch CRO specializing in in vitro toxicology services. As a commercially minded scientist, she blends creativity and scientific knowledge to highlight SCD's innovative solutions to biological challenges.
Pereni enjoys traveling and photography. She loves exploring new cultures and cuisines on all her adventures.
MARKETING MANAGER
Tariq Dakkak
IT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Tariq is managing the whole IT department for Single Cell Discoveries. He manages the firewalls and switches, onboards all endpoints, and works together with other teams for optimizing their workflow and necessary implementations. Tariq has extensive knowledge on Microsoft 365 and loves to help colleagues with their IT problems. In his spare time he likes to tinker with his Smart Home, play padel and videogames.
IT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Chalene Ehlers
HR MANAGER
Chalene focuses on HR at Single Cell Discoveries. She has come all the way from South Africa where she obtained her qualification in Marketing and Business Management. She has a strong background in customer relations and staff management. Her management expertise stems from various senior management positions, where she was responsible for excellence, HR duties and the general management. For her hobbies, Chalene loves to scuba dive, cuddle with her fur babies, walks, and meeting new people.
HR MANAGER
Mauro Muraro
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Mauro Muraro, PhD, leads scientific and technical initiatives and is closely involved with client relationships, excelling in bespoke project design and complex data analysis. Before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries, Mauro developed the SORT-seq platform in the Van Oudenaarden Lab at the Hubrecht Institute, where he earned his PhD. Mauro is eager to continue innovating new methods in the single-cell field to accelerate biological discovery for clients and realize the potential of single-cell insights in clinical settings.
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Judith Vivié
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
As COO, Judith spearheads operational excellence at the company and has the final responsibility of running client experiments. She had extensive experience running the core facility for single-cell sequencing at the Hubrecht Institute, one of the first of its kind in the world, before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries in 2018. Judith has an MSc degree in Cancer, Stem Cells & Development from Utrecht University. She is an aficionado for lab robots and gets her inner nerd excited by sharing her love for automation with others.
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
Anke McCartney
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
Anke McCartney, PhD, is in charge of both the sales and marketing teams. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry, primarily in commercial roles for CROs. Anke is enthusiastic about interacting with clients and finding the most effective solutions for them. She has a PhD in Cell Biology and is fascinated by wildlife photography, which ignites her inner nerd.
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
Lotte Koopman
HEAD OF LABORATORY OPERATIONS
Lotte Koopman, PhD, is highly meticulous and loves a perfectly organized lab, making her our ideal lab manager. She manages the daily operations of the laboratory and oversees the processing of customer samples, lab safety, and QC.
Before joining SCD, she completed her PhD at the UMC Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute, where she gained extensive experience with genetics and project management.
In her free time, Lotte enjoys traveling and photography, and she is currently honing her programming skills with R and Python. HEAD OF LABORATORY OPERATIONS
Dylan Mooijman
HEAD OF R&D
Dylan Mooijman, PhD, leads the research and development team responsible for developing new technologies and improving current methods.
He brings a hefty 10 years of experience with single-cell technologies to the team, which he gained as a postdoc and HFSP fellow at EMBL Heidelberg (Ephrussi lab) and PhD student in the Van Oudenaarden lab (Hubrecht Institute). HEAD OF R&D
Regan Hamel
HEAD OF DATA SCIENCE
Regan Hamel, PhD is Head of Data Science at Single Cell Discoveries, where she leads a team of bioinformaticians in applying advanced analytical techniques to process and interpret transcriptomic data. She built her first single-cell atlas as a wet lab scientist during her PhD at the University of Cambridge and later transitioned to industry as a bioinformatician and project lead in R&D for a cell-reprogramming biotech. At SCD, she guides her team in delivering actionable insights for clients, helping them navigate complex biological data to drive scientific discovery. In her spare time, Regan enjoys working out and exploring Europe by train.
HEAD OF DATA SCIENCE
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Dylan Mooijman
Head of R&D
Dylan Mooijman, PhD, leads the research and development team responsible for developing new technologies and improving current methods.
He brings a hefty 10 years of experience with single-cell technologies to the team, which he gained as a postdoc and HFSP fellow at EMBL Heidelberg (Ephrussi lab) and PhD student in the Van Oudenaarden lab (Hubrecht Institute).
He loves to work on the cutting edge of single-cell sequencing techniques. Apart from molecular biology, Dylan loves classic literature and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
HEAD OF R&D
Sabine Tanis
TEAM LEAD METHOD DEVELOPMENT
Sabine Tanis, PhD, is Team Lead Method Development in the R&D department and is responsible for enhancing current protocols, developing new methods, and supporting demanding customer requests.
Before working at SCD, she worked as a postdoc at the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences in Nijmegen, studying keratinocyte biology through multi-modal single-cell sequencing methods.
In her spare time, Sabine loves being outside biking or hiking, and her inner nerd loves to read a good fantasy book.
TEAM LEAD METHOD DEVELOPMENT
Oriol Llorá Batlle
TEAM LEAD EXTERNAL R&D ALLIANCES
Oriol is responsible for coordinating the efforts of SCD within the PERSIST-SEQ consortium. He loves challenges and using cutting-edge technologies to address challenging questions.
He obtained his BSc degree in Biology at the University of Girona and his MSc and PhD in Biomedical Research at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Before joining SCD, he was working at the University of Cambridge doing research on developmental biology.
His inner nerd is triggered by LOTR and video games. He also enjoys road cycling, board games, and the company of a good book.
TEAM LEAD EXTERNAL R&D ALLIANCES
Amalia Riga
SENIOR LAB AUTOMATION SCIENTIST
Amalia Riga, PhD, is responsible for setting up and implementing lab automations to improve and scale up Single Cell Discoveries’ workflows.
Before joining SCD, she was an automation scientist at Hudson River Biotechnology, Wageningen, and obtained her PhD on a Marie Curie Fellowship studying the role of basal polarity regulators using C. elegans at Utrecht University. Born and raised on the island of Corfu in Greece, she completed her Bachelor's in the School of Biology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and her Masters in the Medical School of the University of Crete.
Her inner nerd enjoys reading Jo Nesbo books and rewatching the same movies and series. SENIOR LAB AUTOMATION SCIENTIST
Stefani Giacopazzi
LIMS ADMINISTRATOR
Stefani Giacopazzi is originally from California where she completed her BSc in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCSC. She moved to the Netherlands for love in 2020. She began her career at SCD as a laboratory technician, before transitioning to R&D.
While helping SCD implement LIMS, she discovered her inner nerd's love for relational databases. As database admin, her focus now is helping her fellow scientists leverage software solutions to automate and optimize their workflows, so they can focus on the science.
When she’s not spending time immersed in the world of data modeling and optimization, she can be found cooking, traveling, and caring for her small jungle at home
LIMS ADMINISTRATOR
Darina Šikrová
R&D SCIENTIST
Darina Šikrová, PhD, works as a scientist in our R&D department, where she is working on improving the currently offered methods as well as developing new ones.
Born and raised in Slovakia, she obtained her BSc in Biology there and, afterward, her MSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics in the Czech Republic. After that, she moved to the Netherlands to get her PhD at Leiden University Medical Centre on a gene therapy approach to Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
She enjoys doing yoga and solving a daily Wordle puzzle.
R&D SCIENTIST
SERVICES
Lotte Koopman
HEAD OF LABORATORY OPERATIONS
Lotte Koopman, PhD, is highly meticulous and loves a perfectly organized lab, making her our ideal lab manager. She manages the daily operations of the laboratory and oversees the processing of customer samples, lab safety, and QC.
Before joining SCD, she completed her PhD at the UMC Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute, where she gained extensive experience with genetics and project management.
In her free time, Lotte enjoys traveling and photography, and she is currently honing her programming skills with R and Python.
HEAD OF LABORATORY OPERATIONS
Nataša Josipović
TEAM LEAD OF LAB SERVICES
Nataša Josipović, PhD, leads a team of laboratory technicians at Single Cell Discoveries, where she specializes in high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing. She completed her PhD at the International Max Planck Research School for Genome Science in Germany, focusing on regulatory mechanisms in cellular transcription. Originally from Serbia, she holds a bachelor's in molecular biology and a master's in neurobiology. Besides her enthusiasm for coding in R/Python and automating NGS data, she’s passionate about pole dancing and perfecting her padel game.
TEAM LEAD OF LAB SERVICES
Unai Escribano Vazquez
TEAM LEAD NGS
Unai is responsible for the Next Generation Sequencing team, managing the internal sequencing facilities. His work experience includes setting up the sequencing facility at the CRO Biomillenia in France, and with 5+ years of research and project management experience in micro- and molecular biology, Unai is an expert in his field. He received his PhD in intestinal microbiota at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
In his free time, he enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, and backpacking.
TEAM LEAD NGS
Manon Messchendorp
LAB TECHNICIAN
As a lab technician at Single Cell Discoveries, Manon is responsible for sample processing, sample shipments, and lab maintenance. She obtained her MSc and BSc in biology at the University of Leiden. During her internships, she worked on the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress response in zebrafish embryos and the identification of mutation-independent neoantigens in cancer cells.
Besides playing tennis, going to the gym, and on an occasional run, her inner nerd gets excited by fantasy books and video games.
LAB TECHNICIAN
Lovindy Lebalado
LAB TECHNICIAN
Lovindy is responsible for sample processing, sample shipments, and general lab maintenance. Before SCD, she gained experience in panel sequencing as a lab technician for the NGS lab at Macrogen Europe. She was born and raised in Indonesia, where she obtained her bachelor’s in nutrition science. After her bachelor's degree, she moved to the Netherlands to obtain her master’s in molecular nutrition and toxicology at Wageningen University.
In her free time, she can be found creating new recipes or taking care of her plant colony.
LAB TECHNICIAN
Regan Hamel
HEAD OF DATA SCIENCE
Regan Hamel, PhD is Head of Data Science at Single Cell Discoveries, where she leads a team of bioinformaticians in applying advanced analytical techniques to process and interpret transcriptomic data. She built her first single-cell atlas as a wet lab scientist during her PhD at the University of Cambridge and later transitioned to industry as a bioinformatician and project lead in R&D for a cell-reprogramming biotech. At SCD, she guides her team in delivering actionable insights for clients, helping them navigate complex biological data to drive scientific discovery. In her spare time, Regan enjoys working out and exploring Europe by train.
HEAD OF DATA SCIENCE
Sofia Drobysheva
JUNIOR DATA SCIENTIST
Sofia is working together with R&D and data teams to analyze data from mainly in-house projects. Before joining SCD, she was living in Stockholm, where she did her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as working part-time in biotech start-up Capitainer. During her master’s project, she has integrating single-cell datasets. Her bachelor’s project focused on yeast with impaired Ca2+ homeostasis. In her free time, Sofia goes on long city walks or hikes.
DATA SCIENTIST
Gini Smit
DATA SCIENTIST
DATA SCIENTIST
Pablo Gómez Sacristán
BIOINFORMATICIAN
Pablo works as a bioinformatician at Single Cell Discoveries and is responsible for processing and sending out data to clients. Prior to starting at Single Cell Discoveries, Pablo worked at Macrogen Europe as a Bioinformatician analyzing NGS data. He obtained both his MSc in Computational Biology and BSc in Biotechnology at the Technical University of Madrid and carried out his internships in Ireland and France. His inner nerd gets triggered by retro video games such as Pokémon and Super Mario.
BIOINFORMATICIAN
Mauro Muraro
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Mauro Muraro, PhD, leads scientific and technical initiatives and is closely involved with client relationships, excelling in bespoke project design and complex data analysis. Before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries, Mauro developed the SORT-seq platform in the Van Oudenaarden Lab at the Hubrecht Institute, where he earned his PhD. Mauro is eager to continue innovating new methods in the single-cell field to accelerate biological discovery for clients and realize the potential of single-cell insights in clinical settings.
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Anke McCartney
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
Anke McCartney, PhD, is in charge of both the sales and marketing teams. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry, primarily in commercial roles for CROs. Anke is enthusiastic about interacting with clients and finding the most effective solutions for them. She has a PhD in Cell Biology and is fascinated by wildlife photography, which ignites her inner nerd.
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
Tim Muntslag
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Tim Muntslag, PhD, is responsible for our contact with customers and consults on the use of our services. He is an educated neuroscientist and molecular biologist with a PhD in microglial heterogeneity. During his work, he developed a passion for science and gained broad experience in single-cell technologies, both single-cell and spatial. His inner nerd gets excited about healthy aging, (endurance) sports, sports science, and nutrition.
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
May Ho
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
May Ho, PhD, manages client relationships and ensures that they receive the best possible service from our company. Meanwhile, she explores the market to identify new business opportunities and connects Single Cell Discoveries with new clients.
She pursued a PhD in neurodevelopment at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Munich, Germany. In her thesis, she applied single-cell genomic technology to study inhibitory neuron fate commitment. She also developed a single-cell–compatible lineage tracing method that enabled a more comprehensive understanding of neuronal differentiation.
Outside of science, she enjoys taking pictures with her analog camera, visiting arts museums and the opera, and watching foreign films.
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Marina Costagliola di Polidoro
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Marina is responsible for the sales pipeline and executing consultation calls with leads and clients. She completed her BSc in molecular biology at the University of Naples Federico II. Soon after, she recognized her character suited communication and sales activities better, so she combined her scientific background with the goal of fulfilling clients' needs. She gained experience in sales working for denovoMATRIX, a German biotech start-up where she learned account management and sales strategies.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Tom Ayers
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Tom Ayers, PhD, acts as Senior Business Development Manager at Single Cell Discoveries to bring our service offerings to new markets in the UK and beyond. He has worked extensively with global researchers to ensure success in their single-cell projects, having performed Sales and Support roles within several single-cell solution providers for over 7 years. Tom is based in Cambridgeshire, England, where he enjoys gardening and reading about history and sci-fi.
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
K Pereni Sri Rajitha
MARKETING MANAGER
Pereni found her passion for marketing in the biotech world while working in the lab, where she saw the importance of making academic insights accessible to a broader audience. Before joining SCD, she was a marketing manager at Toxys, a Dutch CRO specializing in in vitro toxicology services. As a commercially minded scientist, she blends creativity and scientific knowledge to highlight SCD's innovative solutions to biological challenges.
Pereni enjoys traveling and photography. She loves exploring new cultures and cuisines on all her adventures.
MARKETING MANAGER
Judith Vivié
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
As COO, Judith spearheads operational excellence at the company and has the final responsibility of running client experiments. She had extensive experience running the core facility for single-cell sequencing at the Hubrecht Institute, one of the first of its kind in the world, before co-founding Single Cell Discoveries in 2018. Judith has an MSc degree in Cancer, Stem Cells & Development from Utrecht University. She is an aficionado for lab robots and gets her inner nerd excited by sharing her love for automation with others.
CO-FOUNDER AND COO
André Nascimento
PROJECT MANAGER
André is responsible for supporting our management with organization and communication regarding important, companywide complex projects. Furthermore, communicating company strategy to internal & external stakeholders. André has an MSc in Business Administration in Change Management and Biotechnology graduate. André has experience with Project Management, Sales, and Business Development for life-science projects. Master studies internship as Project Commercialization Manager in the FMCG industry at Friesland Campina and sales experience in the genome sequencing space as Sales Account Manager for Macrogen Europe.
PROJECT MANAGER
Chalene Ehlers
HR MANAGER
Chalene focuses on HR at Single Cell Discoveries. She has come all the way from South Africa where she obtained her qualification in Marketing and Business Management. She has a strong background in customer relations and staff management. Her management expertise stems from various senior management positions, where she was responsible for excellence, HR duties and the general management. For her hobbies, Chalene loves to scuba dive, cuddle with her fur babies, walks, and meeting new people.
HR MANAGER
Tariq Dakkak
IT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Tariq is managing the whole IT department for Single Cell Discoveries. He manages the firewalls and switches, onboards all endpoints, and works together with other teams for optimizing their workflow and necessary implementations. Tariq has extensive knowledge on Microsoft 365 and loves to help colleagues with their IT problems. In his spare time he likes to tinker with his Smart Home, play padel and videogames.
IT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Advisory board
Prof. Alexander van Oudenaarden
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Prof. Alexander van Oudenaarden is the director of the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, a Professor of Quantitative Biology of Gene Regulation at the University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, and a Spinoza Price recipient. He is a leading researcher in stem cell biology and a pioneer of single-cell technologies. The Van Oudenaarden lab is innovating new methods in single cell multi-omics and maintains a collaborative relationship with Single Cell Discoveries.
Prof. John Groten
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Prof. John Groten is the managing director of PamGene and visiting professor at Wageningen University & Research. He is an experienced business leader with over 30 years of management experience in life science research companies. He sees his role as "a change manager to enhance quality, creativity, and business insights into organizations."
Menzo Havenga, PhD
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Menzo Havenga, PhD, is founder, president and CEO of Batavia Biosciences and Batavia Biopharma. He previously worked as the Managing Director of Biosciences Business at TNO and Vice President of Research and Development at Crucell, as well as holding a PhD in molecular virology from Leiden University.
COLLABORATIONS AND CONSORTIA
Partnerships play a dual role in our operations. In alignment with our vision, we work on projects that help adapt single-cell applications to diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Meanwhile, we access resources and experience that fuel our own evolution.
Careers
Enjoy working
alongside top talent to achieve a shared goal?
Passionate about advancing biological understanding through the power of single-cell? Apply today to join the team.
