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TEAM.html
From 2012.igem.org
Our iGEM Team 2012
Miguel Cañizales
Florida State University of Panama Student
Major: Environmental Studies
Hobbies: Read
Expectations from iGEM: I expect to take this challenge and surpass myself and a variety of positive experience.
Research of Interest: Focus on the environmental side
Emily Chong
Florida State University of Panama Student
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hobbies: watch anime and Asian drama, read novels
Expectations from iGEM: Modify bacteria successfully in orden make any activity more efficient. To learn from other groups around the world.
Research of Interest: To work on projects that involve artificial organs
Paul Monterrey
Latin University of Panama Student
Major: Biotechnology
Hobbies: Play guitar, surfer, science, video games.
Expectations from iGEM: A very exciting hardcore learn.
Research of Interest: Molecular Biology in general!
Natasha Gómez
University of Panama's Student
Major: Biology
Hobbies: read books, papers, write, play guitar, sing, play tennis, spend time with my family and messing around with friends and finally and be absorbed in my own thoughts.
iGEM expectations: This is a great step for doing something for the humanity. The entire world could change for good thanks to the synthetic biology. The power is in our hands, let`s do better things for the future.
Research interests: I am extremely interested in conducting research in order to contribute to the knowledge and development of humanity in the scientific field. Since I was a child, my passion has been to study animal behavior. However, since I joined to study biology, the ecology and the environmental biology has been very important to me.
Lizzi Herrera
Elkjaer González
University of Panama's Student
Major: Biology
Hobbies: Listen music, play soccer with my friends and surf the internet. But my most addictive hobby is playing Xbox (battle games)
Expectations from iGEM: I expect that this competition can give me a lot of experiences to shape myself as a professional and a good scientist in the area of Molecular Biology. This competition will open many ways for me in the scientific area since iGEM drives us to work, create, inspire and develop new ideas for projects and investigation in Synthetic Biology, Molecular Engineering and Genetics.
Research of Interest: My area of investigation is Molecular Bacteriology.
Dafne De la Cruz
UTP & University of Panama's Student
Major: Biology and Food Processing Engineering
Hobbies: Read, paint, hang out with friends, play soccer
Expectations from iGEM: I expect iGEM to open a path for opportunities and experiences that I can applied in the future.
Research of Interest: particular interest in biotechnology applied to medical development such as immunological research, human microbiology, and disease control. Also in food development (genetically modified).
Marla Ramos
Orlando Serrano
Katherine González
Research Technician in INDICASAT - AIP
Major: Biotechnology
Hobbies: Make journeys through the Panamanian countryside (I really like riding horses), Design every kind of stuff (blogs, vector images, draws and whatever I think will be fun at least for me), listen music and of course share with my friends.
Expectations from iGEM: Well I'm not a web designer, so this is a huge challenge. But I expect you will like this work, made with dedication because I believe in share knowledge and I want to share this project for the undergrads who are part of this iGEM team.
Research of Interest: Animal Genetics and Reproduction, Zoonotic Diseases, Molecular Biology and Microbiology
University of Panama Student
Major: Biology
Hobbies: Watch movies, sing, paint, play guitar, play with playstation and play soccer.
Expectations from iGEM: Learn more in depth the growth and use of bacteria with our own projects; try to find benefits by taking them beyond from laboratory. In regards to the competition I expect to observe other groups approach, always trying to be original and very careful.
Research of Interest: I am very interested in parasitology. I would like to focus on the area of protozoa since most them affect Panama enormously due to the enviroment conditions.
Andrés Nieves
Sergio Mosquera
Tamara Morán
University of Panama's Student
Major: Biology
Hobbies: Listen to music, sports, hang out with my friends.
Expectations from iGEM: I expect to learn a lot about synthetic biology to help by my friends from iGEM to make excellent investigation that can help aour country.
Research of Interest: I would like to make studies related to cancer.
Instructors
Carmenza Spadafora
I obtained my doctoral degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in Spain. After living in beautiful Andalucía I moved to Florida for my first postdoc position and then moved on to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in the Washington, DC area for a much longer second postdoctoral position. I moved back to my country four years ago and when SENACYT asked for my institution, INDICASAT, to help the team, I was asked if I could take charge of the team work in our lab. It has been great to see the independent thinking, great enthusiasm, and pride the students have shown facing the fact that they will be making it possible for our country, Panama, to be in the iGEM contest for the third time in our incipient scientific history.
Oris Sanjur
I obtained a doctoral degree in Cell and Developmental Biology from Rutgers University, New Jersey. After I got my degree, I returned to my home country Panama, for a two-year postdoct at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), using molecular tools to infer relationship among domesticated and wild squashes. In 2000, I accepted a position at STRI as Manager of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Evolution. Recently, I was appointed Associate Director for Science Administration at STRI. I got involved with iGEM when I was invited by SENACYT to participate as one of the instructors for the Panama team. It has been a wonderful experience to have the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with a group of very bright and enthusiastic Panamanian students that have embrace the challenge of representing Panama in the iGEM contest.
Senior Research Technician in INDICASAT - AIP
Major: Microbiology
Hobbies: To watch movies, to listen music, and gardening.
Expectations from iGEM: To share ideas with other researchers and to achieve a good participation of our team group.
Research interest: Biomedicine, Molecular Epidemiology.
University of Panama's Master Student
Major: Biology
Hobbies: Read, watch movies, play football, write short stories.
Expectations from iGEM: With the Synthetic biology all the students can modify the organism to create new substance to improve the life quality of the people in the world in ways that the genetic engineering, microbiology, Biochemistry individuality can´t do.
Research interest: Microbiology, Biotechnology , Cryptobiosis, Geobacter, Electrocytes.
Research Technician in INDICASAT - AIP
Major: Biotechnology
Hobbies: Science.
Expectations from iGEM: Huge learning experience.
Research interest: Biomedicine, Systems Biology
Arleny García
University of Panama's Student
Major: Biology
Hobbies: read all kind of scientific documentation (principally papers), work in lab (microbiology and parasitology… of course!) with marine bacteria, and drug discovery, Also I likes biotechnology and genetic manipulation of microorganisms. Computers and videogames, heard and create music (with guitar, piano), sing, see movies, share some time with my friends, my family, and lab partners.
Expectations from iGEM: Learn about Biotechnology and the manipulation of GMO´S, and use that kind of organism for have a better quality of life, according with the recuperation of some kind of ecosystems (Specially marine ecosystems) and try to have a better environment. Research interest: Drug Disccovery (for discover possible treatments of some human diseases).
Research of Interest: Microbiology and Parasitology
University of Panama's Student
Major: Biology
Hobbies: I like to paint, dancing, to watch TV, listen music and Reading.
Expectations from iGEM: acquire new knowledge to help me improve different laboratory techniques and learn more about what is synthetic biology.
Research of Interest: I would like to study virology because it is a broad field for research, in wich there are still many viruses to explore an antidotes, and this for me of great interest.
Mirella Martínez
Dr. Mirella Martinez is regular faculty at Florida State University – Panama in the Biological Sciences Department. She holds a Ph.D. earned at the Wildlife and Fisheries Management Department at Texas A&M University, an MSc in Agribusiness from Arizona State University and a B.Sc. in Biology with emphasis on aquatic ecosystems, fisheries-aquaculture and development from Arizona State University. She has served as Director of the Biological Sciences graduate programs under the Research and Graduate Studies Vice-rectorship at Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, Panama; also served as Chief of Party for the EPIQ/IRG project Institutional Support for the Sustainable Environmental Management of the Panama Canal Watershed; and, as independent environmental and development consultant.
Other Co-workers
Bejamin Patton - FSU
Sara Carey - FSU
Andrés Rivera - INDICASAT
Claudio Monteza - Universidad de Panamá
