Garcia – Miint Lab

Saravanakumar. C
Postdoctoral Researcher

Ph. D. Microbiology, University of Madras
M. Sc. Applied Microbiology, Bharathiar University
B. Sc. Microbiology, Bharathiar University

I am fascinated by the parallel microbial world, and I work to delineate the ecological theory of microorganisms due to human impact and climate change. I aim to expand high-quality research and develop projects on creating sustainable and healthy ecosystems. I love water and “mother nature”. I strive to upkeep them all by spreading science. I believe in using mindfulness to train self-awareness.

Alejandro Rodriguez Gijón
Doctoral Researcher

M. S. Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid.
B. S. Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

I’m a PhD student from Spain obsessed with evolution and genetics. I love horror movies, Marvel superheroes, Eurovision and all types of video-games. As member of the LGTB+ community and first-gen, I want to make science available for everyone, promote mental health and fight for equality in its broad spectrum. If you don’t like the rules, make your own. We create our own beauty. We define our own success.

Armando Pacheco Valenciana
Doctoral Researcher

M. S. Biotechnology, West Virginia State University, USA.
B. S. Biochemical engineer, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Mexico.

I am a Ph.D. student eager to understand the diversity, ecology, physiology, and biochemistry of microorganisms from aquatic ecosystems. I am interested to study the biogeochemical relevance of these microbes and applying all this knowledge to improve different biotechnological tools to develop a more sustainable society. I also like to dream, explore and discover life, one step at a time

Michelle Verstraaten
M.S. student

BSc in Liberal Arts and Sciences, University College Utrecht

I started my academic career in pre-medical science and ended up assembling the mitochondrial genome of the Azolla fern for my bachelor’s thesis. Realizing that I wanted to continue studying the environmental side of biology, I switched to marine biology for my master’s degree at Stockholm University. Now I am drawn to the complexity of microbial communities and all that can be learned from sequence data using bioinformatic techniques. In my free time, I enjoy reading, exploring the outdoors and listening to, playing, or writing music.

Valentina Guccini
Guest Postdoctoral research

Posdoctoral researcher at Aalto University
Ph. D. Department of Environmental and Material Chemistry, Stockholm University
M. S. Chemical Science, Universitá degli Studi di Sassari
B.S. Chemistry, University degli Studi di Sassari

I started University thinking already to become a researcher and now I truly love being one, especially in an interdisciplinary context. My passion is to design materials with high performance, based on environmentally benign resources and processes. I am fascinated by how natural systems can account for so much complexity in such an effortless way. My ambition is to build a research community centered on honesty, empathy, and dialog, in which we all are welcome to express our talents. Creativity blooms when we feel good!

Jennah Dharamshi
Bioinformatician 2021 – 2022

Ph.D. in Molecular Evolution, Uppsala University, Sweden
M.Sc. in Evolutionary Biology, MEME program, Uppsala University, Sweden and The University of Montpellier, France
B.MSc. in Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, Canada

I find the microbial world truly fascinating and am amazed by our ability today to use sequence data to explore its diversity, ecology, and evolution straight from a computer screen. As a researcher, I am interested in studying microbial symbioses and interactions, in untangling their evolutionary history, and their impacts on each other and surrounding environments. I am also a traveler, hiker, and avid fiction reader with an interest in science communication.

Rhiannon Mondav
Research Assistant 2021 – 2022

Ph.D. in Microbial Ecology, Uppsala University, Sweden
M.Phil in Microbiology. University of Queensland Australia
BScHnr in Soil Microbiology. University of Queensland Australia
BSc in Molecular Biology. RMIT Australia and Lund University Sweden
DpSc in Environmental Science, Technology, and Law. RMIT Australia

During my post-graduate research career I have had the privilege of exploring how microbes and their environment interact: from feedback mechanisms in thawing permafrost to enabling reductions in agricultural fertiliser and pesticide use. My goal is to connect my environmental consultancy / industry experience with my more recent computational based research to contribute to ecosystem resilience and agricultural sustainability.
While I currently have little time outside of being a parent and finishing my doctoral studies, I have an entertaining history of environmental and human rights activism.

Justyna J. Hampel
Postdoctoral Researcher 2021 – 2023

Ph.D. Environmental Sciences, Wright State University
B.S. Biological Sciences, Wright State University

I am mesmerized by microbes and their role in biogeochemical cycling in all aquatic ecosystems from shallow lakes to deep sea sediments. I am interested in studying nitrogen and exploring how humans impact nitrogen cycle in the biosphere. I am also a swimmer, avid fantasy reader, rock music enthusiast, and traveler.

Julia Nuy
Postdoctoral Researcher 2020 – 2022

Ph.D. Microbiology, University of Duisburg-Essen
M.Sc. in Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum and University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
B.Sc. in Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

I am fascinated by science since I was a child. I loved to watch Star Trek seeing Jean Luc Picard discovering new planets and lifeforms, or BBC documentaries whit David Attenborough exploring the wild and Quarks&Co listening to Ranga Yogeshwar explaining physics. I dreamt of doing what they did and being a discoverer and scientist myself. Thirty years later, I am a microbial ecologist, but also a traveler, a gamer, a dancer, a cat lover and still a dreamer.

Fabian Bergland
M.S. student 2021 – 2022

I am originally a BSc marine biologist, but have ended up pursuing microbial ecology as a topic of my M.S. degree after I was fascinated by the intricacies of marine microbial communities and biogeochemical cycles. My speciality is that I don’t have one, and I tend to enjoy the holistic perspectives in biology. However, I am always excited to learn more about all the molecular techniques that provide science with data. In my spare time I enjoy learning about most things but biology, hangout with friends and family, spend time in nature and play football.

We can because we must!

Giulia Testa
Summer intern 2021


I’m a M.S. student in Molecular Techniques in Life Science, passionate about science and divulgation. I’m committed to environmental protection and mental health promotion. As a woman who is entering the STEM fields, I am putting all my effort to work on equal opportunities and inclusive science. I love to travel around the world, swimming, hiking and reading all sorts of books. Do not judge a book by its cover, but I would rather say judge it by its last sentences, thus I always read the end of the book before buying it (you can understand much more of the author by how he/she close the book).