In 2008, Jolien obtained her bachelor's degree in Biomedical Laboratory Technology at Hogent. Shortly after, she became a member of Prof. Gerrit Beemster's research group at PSB, focusing on organ growth regulation. When Gerrit Beemster moved on from PSB, the group became part of the Yield lab led by Prof. Dr. Dirk Inzé and Dr. Hilde Nelissen. In 2021, Jolien seized the opportunity to join Prof. Bert De Rybel's plant single cell platform. Here, the team is dedicated to expanding their knowledge and expertise in the exciting but challenging field of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics in plants.

Akshay earned his bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bangalore, India. Subsequently, he pursued his master's degree in Genetics and Molecular Plant Sciences in Sweden through a collaborative program involving Uppsala University, Stockholm University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. He joined the group of Prof Annelie Carlsbecker to conduct his master's thesis, studying the impact of abiotic stress on the root primary xylem development. Continuing in the same line of research, Akshay joined as a PhD student in the group of Prof Bert De Rybel in March 2022. Currently, Akshay's project aims to identify the novel transcriptional regulators controlling primary xylem development.

Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Nataliia has completed her Bachelor and Master studies at Queen Mary University and Imperial University London, respectively, with a focus on plant molecular and synthetic biology. For her PhD, she has moved to the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria to the group of Professor Luschnig to decipher the mechanisms controlling protein polarity in the root. Driven by the interest of understanding mechanisms guiding polarity, currently Nataliia is focused on studying the process of oriented cell divisions in Professor De Rybel's group.

Claudia von der Mark

With a strong background in root physiology and vascular development, Claudia joined the group of prof. Bert De Rybel in September 2022 to explore the transcriptional landscape and central regulators of xylem formation. During her undergraduate and graduate studies, which she conducted at the Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf (Germany), she worked on deciphering the plant’s iron deficiency response under the lead of Prof. Petra Bauer. In March 2018 she moved to Switzerland to conduct her doctoral research at the ETH Zurich. Together with her supervisor Prof. Antia Rodriguez-Villalon and colleagues she investigated the role of signaling phospholipids during vascular development. Claudia was a scholarship holder of the Walter Benjamin stipend (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) and is currently supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) in form of a junior postdoctoral fellowship.

Bert De Rybel graduated from the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of Ghent University in 2005 before starting his PhD research in the group of prof. Tom Beeckman, focusing on early lateral root development. For his postdoctoral research, he moved to the lab of prof. Dolf Weijers at Wageningen University in early 2010 funded by Marie-Curie and FEBS postdoc grants. Here, he initiated work on early vascular development. He received a NWO VIDI grant to continue this line of research in an independent manner. Funded by an FWO Odysseus II and an ERC Starting Grant, Bert moved back to Belgium in 2015 to initiate his own lab within VIB and was elected EMBO young investigator in 2019. Bert is currently group leader at VIB of the ‘Vascular Development’ lab and full professor at Ghent University. His group aims at integrating developmental, cell and evolutionary biology to understand how plant vascular tissues develop and is funded by FWO and ERC Consolidator grants.

Jonah Nolf has been an integral part of Ghent University and VIB since 2006, contributing extensive technical, operational, and managerial expertise to multiple research teams within the Plant Systems Biology department. He began his career in the laboratory of Prof. Ann Depicker, where he developed strong competencies in protein purification and a broad range of molecular biology techniques. His commitment to high‑quality experimental work and his structured approach to laboratory operations led to his transition into the role of lab manager, a position in which he played a key role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the research environment. In his capacity as lab manager, Jonah took on responsibility for training and onboarding new researchers, maintaining and enforcing laboratory safety standards, and overseeing the procurement and supply management essential to supporting day‑to‑day scientific activities. Jonah currently works within the research group of Prof. Bert De Rybel, where he continues to support experimental workflows with a focus on protein-related methodologies and the optimization of laboratory processes. Building on his strong technical foundation, he has expanded his expertise toward next‑generation sequencing technologies. In collaboration with the Single-Cell Platform, he is actively involved in the development, implementation, and optimization of ATAC‑seq and single‑nucleus ATAC‑seq (snATAC‑seq) pipelines.