'FEBS Communications' posts general items from the FEBS Network Team as well as news on FEBS events and other activities.
Fevziye Burcu Şirin
Assoc. Prof., Medical Biochemist, MD, Suleyman Demirel University, Medical Faculty, Medical Biochemistry Department
My research interests focus on the roles mitochondria play in aspects of eukaryotic life, ranging from their origin, metabolism, biogenesis and role they play in cell death pathways. These are interrogated using biochemical, molecular biology, genetic and cell biology techniques. I incorporate these interests into classes I teach to provide an understanding of practical techniques and also the current literature in the field. I studied biochemistry at the University of Leeds, with an industrial placement at Astra Charnwood, followed by a PhD at the University of Bristol, supervised by Professor Andrew Halestrap, to characterise the molecular composition of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, with support from MitoKor. My post-doctoral training on the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis supervised by Dr Doug Green was at the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology in San Diego, California and St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. I then was an associate research scientist working in the laboratory of Professor Alexander Tzagoloff at Columbia University in New York to study biogenesis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I held independent positions as assistant professor at the New York Institute of Technology in New York and Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent where I continued my research and taught subjects related to biochemistry, cell biology, genetics and molecular biology. I am now a senior lecturer in biotechnology at Liverpool John Moores University. I am a strong supporter of scientific communications and outreach to disseminate scientific developments and knowledge to a broader audience with the goal of increasing the general support of the scientific process. I also direct Biomed News, a free biomedical research literature discovery platform that uses machine learning.
Fun Man Fung
Assistant Professor/ Committee on Chemistry Education, University College Dublin/ IUPAC
Dr. Fun Man Fung is a trained Analytical Chemist. He earned his postgraduate degrees from NUS and Technische Universität München (TUM). As a passionate educator and aspiring change-maker, he has contributed articles for CNA Channel News Asia, The Straits Times, The Conversation, and the World Economic Forum. His research centers on STEAM Education, EdTech, Science of Learning, and 21st Century Skills.
He co-edited two books on Chemistry Education:
[1] 10 Things You Must Know About the International Chemistry Olympiad (World Scientific) and
[2] Technology-Enabled Blended Learning Experiences for Chemistry Education and Outreach (Elsevier).
In 2022, Fun Man was elected council member of the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry (SNIC), and he served on the IUPAC Committee on Chemistry Education since 2020. Since 2021, Fun Man served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board at the Journal of Chemical Education, ACS Publications, and FEBS Open Bio, the premium Open-Access journal at the Federation of the European Biochemical Societies. He is the founding chair of the ACS International Chemical Sciences Chapter Singapore.
Multi-talented Technology Transfer Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Strong program and project management skills with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree focused on Molecular Biology-Genetics & Biotechnology. Skilled in scientific article writing, project management, intellectual property rights protection, university-industry collaborations, and commercialization of latest inventions. Always keen to learn, hungry for knowledge of the latest developments in biotechnology and motivated to learn, grow, and excel in Research & Development.
Christopher Sand
Student B.Sc ,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrecht-University
I am a Professor of Toxicology, Biochemistry and Cell Signaling at Université Paris Cité (former Université Paris Descartes). I have completed my PhD in molecular toxicology and a post-graduate year in Bethesda, MD. I am the head of a Master degrees in toxicology and ecotoxicology. My research is based on cellular and animal models and on three main axes: 1) the influence of persistent organic pollutants on breast tumorigenesis and metabolic disruption, 2) the contextual role of pollutants in the occurrence of chronic liver diseases including steatosis and fibrosis, 3) the effect of mixtures on the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. I am involved in the development of innovative pedagogy methods and technics in order to improve transmission, acquisition, memorization and utilization of scientific knowledge by our biomedical students. I used flipped classrooms, quizzes (at home and during courses) and virtual reality to interact and immerge with students in and outside the classroom. Indeed, I developed with pedagogic engineers, 1) Home-based 45’’ Quizzes to engage students in regular learning modes and 2) serious games on cell signaling and xenobiotic stress. Together, with Etienne Blanc, Caroline Chauvet and Frédéric Dardel, I wrote several French books of biochemistry and toxicology topics for undergraduate students. I collaborate with several national and international institutes and universities (CNAM Thierry KOSCIELNIAK, Université de Strasbourg Jean-Luc SOUCIET, National University of Singapore, Fun Man FUNG...) for the development of innovative methods in teaching.