Research & Development
We are
committed to being on the leading edge
R&D is at the heart of Single Cell Discoveries. We pioneered the SORT-seq and VASA-seq methodologies and are driven to keep innovating new ways to study single-cell multi-omics and spatial modalities. Our team is continuously working to implement better protocols that improve the accuracy, resolution, flexibility, and ultimately value of our services.
Overview
An expert team driving
innovation and versatility
We are driven to innovate
Our team has deep experience with the technology and an insatiable curiosity that keeps our services futureproof by optimizing our methods, assimilating new protocols, and upgrading our infrastructure.
We like challenges
Our R&D unit is eager to work on your non-standard project, whether it is a novel application, a tough tissue, or an uncommon species requiring technological tinkering. We say "yes" to challenges others reject.
We keep you ahead of the curve
We are dedicated to offering clients the most advanced technologies in the single-cell and spatial field to give them an edge against the competition and accelerate their therapeutics towards the clinic.
We consistently evolve
Our R&D team is always working on adaptations to our current services to improve client experience and elevate data quality. Recently, we have introduced automated nuclei isolation, targeted amplification, and fixed RNA profiling.
THE R&D TEAM
Meet our experts
Click on a profile to read more personal info.
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).
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.
Fredrik Salmèn
R&D CONSULTANT
Fredrik Salmèn, PhD, his role is to improve existing methods and to develop novel methods that we can offer our clients. He takes pride and joy in working with technologies covering the transcriptomics and genomics field, focusing mainly on single-cell and spatial methods.
Prior to working at SCD, Fredrik was a postdoc at the Hubrecht Institute (Van Oudenaarden lab), where he created the VASA-seq technology among other things. Before that, he was a PhD student at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)/Scilifelab in Stockholm, Sweden, and part of the group to develop the technology underlying 10x Genomics Visium.
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.
Doreth Fransen
AUTOMATION SCIENTIST
Doreth Fransen works as an Automation Scientist in our R&D department. Currently, she focuses on managing and testing new robotic solutions to automate our current and new techniques.
Prior to joining Single Cell Discoveries, she completed her Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Biotechnology (with a major in Forensic Sciences) at Van Hall Larenstein and graduated with her Master's in Biology of Disease at Utrecht University.
Stefani Giacopazzi
SUPPORT SCIENTIST
Stefani Giacopazzi started out at SCD managing our bulk RNA-seq pipeline. After single-handedly processing thousands of samples, she carried her bulk RNA-seq expertise into her next role in SCD's R&D team, where she is responsible for bulk RNA-seq optimization and translating new R&D techniques into service-ready SOPs for our Services team.
She is originally from California and completed her BSc in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Oriol Llorá Batlle
PERSIST-SEQ SCIENTIST
Oriol Llorá Batlle, PhD, 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.
Amalia Riga
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.
Recent publications
Blood
Neutral sphingomyelinase blockade enhances hematopoietic stem cell fitness through an integrated stress response
Clinical & Experimental Immunology
Compartment-driven imprinting of intestinal CD4 T cells in inflammatory bowel disease and homeostasis
Nature Communications
Development of Plasmodium falciparum liver-stages in hepatocytes derived from human fetal liver organoid cultures
Case studies
Immune Profiling of atherosclerosis reveals new therapeutic potential
A team of scientists uses 10x Genomics Single Cell Immune Profiling to characterize T cells in the atherosclerotic plaque. Their results redefine atherosclerosis as an autoimmune disease.
Mechanism of disease: a new hypothesis for atherosclerosis
To elucidate atherosclerosis’ mechanism of disease, Sheffield University researchers analyzed the transcriptomes of single endothelial cells.
Drug Discovery
for Precancerous Liver Disease
Here’s the story of how SORT-seq helped advance a novel drug candidate for liver cancer into clinical trials.
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.
Blog posts
10x Chromium: how does it work and what are its features?
10x Chromium is a machine, or platform, that researchers use for high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). It enables the analysis of gene expression profiles at single-cell resolution. Also, it can…
Biotech podcast The Single-Cell World speaks with our CEO
Our CEO and co-founder, Mauro Muraro, PhD, is the most recent guest in the biotech podcast The Single-Cell World. In the 40-minute conversation, he speaks to host Cátia Moutinho, PhD,…
What is CellRanger and How Do You Use It?
To unravel single-cell RNA sequencing data, scientists can use Cell Ranger, a tool developed by 10x Genomics that combines with most 10x Genomics services. The CellRanger software empowers researchers to…
How can we help?
Want to supercharge your project with our services?
Connect with our PhD-level scientists to discuss your biological question, timeline, sample types, and other customizations for your project.