TATAA Biocenter Sweden

Mikael Kubista
Professor Mikael Kubista was among the pioneers who developed real-time PCR. Starting in 1991 his laboratory developed dyes and probes for qPCR and founded LightUp Technologies (www.lightup.se) as the first company focusing on qPCR based human infectious disease diagnostics. His team developed methods and approaches to analyze qPCR data and founded MultiD Analyses (www.multid.se) which develops state of the art GenEx software for qPCR experimental planning and data analysis. In 2001 he founded TATAA Biocenter and his team also pioneered single cell expression profiling, multidimensional expression profiling and intracellular expression profiling by qPCR. Working as advisor for Unesco Kubista introduced qPCR in Africa and in the Middle East. Kubista is presently setting up the first high throughput qPCR expression profiling center in Europe (www.ibt.cas.cz) and recently he co-authored the MIQE guidelines on the publication of qPCR data (http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/4/611). At TATAA Biocenter Sweden he is responsible for the Biostatistics courses.

Robert Sjöback
Robert Sjöback has a PhD degree in Physical Chemistry from Chalmers University of Technology where he studied the fluorescent properties of DNA binding dyes and contributed to the development of the LightUp probes, one of the probe technologies used in real-time PCR today. Sjöback worked several years with research and product development of both real-time PCR and ELISA based assays for food diagnostics. Since January 2005 Sjöback has been employed at TATAA Biocenter where he has been responsible for several of the international research collaborations mainly focusing on assay development for clinical diagnostics. He is a lead instructor in the Hands-on qPCR module and Sample preparation and quality control courses.

Linda Strömbom
Linda Strömbom has an MSc degree in Biotechnology engineering from Chalmers University of Technology, and has since then been working with gene expression analysis using qPCR. She is a project manager and research scientist at TATAA Biocenter and has extensive experience in assisting researchers implementing the qPCR technique for a variety of applications. Strömbom has held numerous practically oriented courses in qPCR in Europe and throughout the world. She is a lead instructor in the Hands-on qPCR module and is repsonsible for the Multiplex PCR courses.

Kristina Lind
Kristina Lind received her PhD in Molecular Biotechnology from Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, 2007. Her PhD project included development of the protein quantification technique immuno-qPCR. At TATAA Biocenter she is now working as a project manager in the research and development group. She has held courses in TATAAs regime since 2001 and is now responsible for the course program and symposia at TATAA Biocenter. She is lead instructor in the Hands-on qPCR module and immuno-qPCR courses.

Maria Lennerås
Maria Lennerås has an MSc in Pharmacy from Gothenburg University. She has been working with in vivo and ex vivo studies at Astra Zeneca and Biovitrum and thereby has a good experience of sampling, stabilization and extraction of all kinds of tissue, blood and cell samples. At TATAA Biocenter she is responsible for the Sample preparation and quality control course, and works with the practical parts of the Hands-on qPCR module as well as lectures in nucleic acid extraction and quality control. She is also part of a regional research project studying biomaterials for better dental implants.

Johanna Eliasson
Johanna Eliasson has an MSc in Medical Biology from Linköping University. She has previously worked at the National Board of Forensic Medicine, at the department for Forensic Toxicology, analyzing drugs in blood samples using gas chromatography. With the experience from this accredited laboratory she has an active role in the development of TATAA Biocenter's management system for quality control. At TATAA she is Product Manager and responsible for TATAAs products and the web shop. She is responsible for the High-Resolution Melt course and works with the practical parts of the Hands-on qPCR module.

Jenny Jacobsson
Jenny Jacobsson has an MSc in Biology from the University of Gothenburg with a major in Neurobiology. Previously she has performed a research project at the Sahlgrenska Academy, analyzing the effect of corticosterone on microglial cells. She is Application specialist at TATAA Biocenter and is working with CRO-project and course sales. She works with the practical parts of the Hands-on qPCR module.

Sara Andersson
Sara Andersson has an MSc with a major in Chemical Engineering - specialization Applied Biotechnology from University of Borås. She has previously worked with water analysis at the sewage treatment works in Borås. At TATAA Biocenter she works with Commissioned Research projects but is also involved in the development of TATAA Biocenters management system for quality control. She is involved in the laboratory parts of the Hands-on qPCR module and Sample preparation courses.

Greta Johannesson
Greta Johannesson has an MSc in Molecular Biology from Umeå University. She has worked at Umeå University with Molecular biology research projects and at Roche as a sales representative and application specialist before starting to work at TATAA Biocenter. At TATAA she is working with different Commissioned Research projects but also with the practical parts of the Hands-on qPCR module and Immuno-qPCR courses.

Jens Björkman
Jens Björkman has an MSc in Molecular Biotechnology from Lund Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. in Chemical engineering from University of Borås. He has previously been responsible for the Molecular Diagnostics section at Laboratory Medicine and Infection Control, Södra Älvsborg Hospital, involving analysis of bacteria and viruses by real-time PCR but also new assay setup and research projects. At TATAA Biocenter he has an active role in the EU funded FP7 program SPIDIA, which focuses on standardisation and improvement of pre-analytical procedures for in-vitro diagnostics. He is involved in the practical parts of the Hands-on qPCR module and the Sample preparation and quality control courses.

TATAA Biocenter Czech

Mikael Kubista
Professor Mikael Kubista was among the pioneers who developed real-time PCR. Starting in 1991 his laboratory developed dyes and probes for qPCR and founded LightUp Technologies (www.lightup.se) as the first company focusing on qPCR based human infectious disease diagnostics. His team developed methods and approaches to analyze qPCR data and founded MultiD Analyses (www.multid.se) which develops state of the art GenEx software for qPCR experimental planning and data analysis. In 2001 he founded TATAA Biocenter and his team also pioneered single cell expression profiling, multidimensional expression profiling and intracellular expression profiling by qPCR. Working as advisor for Unesco Kubista introduced qPCR in Africa and in the Middle East. Kubista is presently setting up the first high throughput qPCR expression profiling center in Europe (www.ibt.cas.cz) and recently he co-authored the MIQE guidelines on the publication of qPCR data (http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/4/611). At TATAA Biocenter Prague he is responsible for the Experimental design and statistical data analysis courses, Expression profiling courses and instructor in the Hands-on qPCR module.

Aleš Tichopád
Ales Tichopad studied biology at Charles University in Prague. Later he continued his post-graduate study at the Technical University Munich in the team of Michael Pfaffl, where he specialised in real-time PCR technology and its applications. He developed several methods of data analysis and then worked in pharmaceutical research as a statistician for 3 years. Since January 2006, Ales has been an entrepreneur and freelance consultant to the biotechnology industry, and has founded two companies with a focus on data analysis for pharma and biotechnology. His scientific achievements have been reflected by more than 300 citations. He is a tutor in the Experimental design and statistical data analysis courses.

David Švec
David Svec has an MSc in Pharmacy from Charles University, Prague and is now finishing his PhD in the Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. After finishing his diploma thesis in Paris, Inserm - working on developing a tool to monitor progress of acute myeloid leucemia in mice using blood, he stayed focused on gene expression analysis of "small scale" samples. He has worked on making gene-expression maps made using qPCR tomography and laser-microdissection, single-cell analysis and high-throughput qPCR. He is also involved in the EC-funded research project SPIDIA. He is a tutor in the Hands-on qPCR module, Sample preparation and quality control and Expression profiling courses.

Vendula Rusňáková
Vendula Rusňáková has an MSc in Biochemistry from Institute of Chemical Technology and is now conducting PhD studies in the Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Her diploma thesis was focused on transporting particles in cells. Now she studies the gene expression profile in primary breast cancer and circulating tumor cells and develops new techniques for the high-throughput qPCR analysis Biomark system from Fluidigm. She is a tutor in the Hands-on qPCR module, Sample preparation and quality control and Expression profiling courses.