My name is Stijn and I live together with my wife and two sons on a small farm where we keep sheep and grow many crops. From very young I’m passionate about growing plants. Hence my choice to study Biotechnology after seeing small plants growing in in vitro tubes. I graduated at the KATHO Roeselare in 2008 with a professional bachelor degree in Biotechnology. Next, I started to work at PSB, first setting up a maize transformation protocol together with my colleague Griet. Once we got it to work, we applied this as a service for in house groups and later other labs and companies within Europe. Transforming immature maize embryos, subculturing calli, testing small gene-edited plantlets by PCR and sequencing, growing the plants until seeds, and training students are all part of my daily work package. It is this combination of lab and greenhouse work that I find fascinating in this job!

I have a background in Biomedical Laboratory Technology (2017- 2020). Following my graduation, I spent 2.5 years at Ablynx, where I worked in the lab on validation of pharmacokinetic assays. I also played a role in sample analysis of human studies. Subsequently, I transitioned to the VIB, where I currently work as technician in the Crop Genome Engineering Facility. Here, I am mainly involved in all aspects related to cloning. I also assist with the maize transformation processes. I am happy to be part of this fantastic team!

"Hi all, I’m Griet Coussens and live with my husband and kids in Wielsbeke. In my free time I like walking, biking and running. But I also enjoy working in the garden, and harvesting some home-grown vegetables, it gives me energy. In 2006, I finished my studies Bachelor Agro and Biotechnology at VIVES Roeselare after I did my thesis in the lab of Marcelle Holsters at PSB. In september of that year I started working for 4 months at LEGEST (UGent; Lab of Guy Haegheman) but I came back to the ‘roots’ in January 2007 and started working in the lab of Mieke Van Lijsebettens to set up the maize transformation platform at PSB. After 2 years of trial and error - in the meantime Stijn Aesaert also joined the team - we were very happy with our first transgenic maize plant. From then on we started to set up a transformation facility for PSB researchers. We worked together with groups in the Center and other labs in Europe. In 2017, Laurens Pauwels, joined our team and took over the lead from Mieke. Till now, we are writing a successful transformation story. With customers around the world. In all these years, methods were improved a lot with the techniques still changing and making our work challenging. For example, we introduced digital PCR as a method in the lab, which I'm developing and coordinating. Most important over all these years: I still love the job and the team!"

My name is Els Van Lerberge I’ve studied, Biochemistry, a specialization year Drugstore and Cosmetics, a specialization year of Quality Control. My career at VIB started in 1996, so I was one of the first technicians working at VIB. Under the supervision of Director Professor Marc Van Montagu I’ve worked on different projects as technical support for Post Docs. After a while I could start working for group leader Professor Ann De Picker as a technician. In 2016 I‘ve got he opportunity to go to the University of Milan for a short stay. In Professor the Pickers group they developed anti-F18-ETEC in seeds of Arabidopsis, as prophylaxis to prevent F18-ETEC infection that causes diarrhea and anemia disease in piglets post weaning. Un this subject we could work together with lab of Luciana Rossi who where experts in veterinarian F18 challenge in piglet models, with the intention to investigate the clinical efficacy of our plant produced antibodies. For me this was very nice experience at professional and personal point of view. When professor Ann De Picker retired I’ve got the opportunity to start with the group of Laurens Pauwels. This was a nice chance to get acquainted with the transformation of maize, and start the setup of wheat and soy transformation. I enjoy working with all different kind of crops and make the transformation of these crops working and improve them, the research part is quit challenging that’s what makes it interesting for me.