Elena Eremeeva Email and Phone Number

To integrate artificial nucleic acids as a versatile tool in the fields of synthetic biology, diagnostics, and therapy, I am ready to apply my considerable experience in academia and industry in the development of synthetic biopolymers.Primary research interests: Aptamers - XNA - Synthetic biology - BiosensorsOver the last fourteen years, I have been working on chemically modified nucleic acids and protein biochemistry for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. I started my research in 2006 at the ICBFM of Novosibirsk State University (Russia), where I completed my MSc in June 2008, and continued to work as a Research Assistant, studying physicochemical properties of protein-nucleic acid interactions as well as in vitro evolution of biopolymers. While pursuing this research, I was also employed as a Chemical Engineer by the BIOSSET Company (September 2008 to September 2011, Novosibirsk, Russia), working on optimising DNA/RNA synthesis and purification platforms.In 2011, I moved to Belgium, where I commenced my PhD at KU Leuven in the Medicinal Chemistry lab. I was the first to demonstrate the functionality of artificial genetic systems in vivo that could be used as a new advanced biomedical tool. In addition, I isolated the first fully modified aptamer against therapeutic targets, including VEGF and thrombin. After successfully obtaining my PhD in May 2017, I continued to work at the Medicinal Chemistry laboratory, developing synthetic nucleic acids as a versatile tool for therapy and biotechnology. From 2018 to 2020, I was awarded several personal grants (worth more than AU$300K) aimed at developing chemically modified nucleic acids in new genetic systems toward advanced therapy and synthetic biology.During my research career, I trained at top laboratories in Switzerland (University of Bern), Belgium (KU Leuven), and Russia (Novosibirsk State University), which resulted in a vibrant international collaborative network. Throughout my PhD and postdoctoral research, I was a mentor to several MSc and PhD students whose projects I coordinated, leading to successful outcomes.My research spans the fields of nucleic acid biochemistry, molecular biology, bioengineering, and synthetic biology, with scientific interests in aptamer selection, biosensor development, and synthetic biopolymer construction. My current research as a Research Fellow at QUT is focused on integrating engineered nucleic acids and proteins into an easy-to-use biosensor device that can detect challenging small molecules and biomarkers not accessible by any other established methods.