Dr. Zuliani’s expertise lies largely in formal methods for reasoning about computing systems with an emphasis on probabilistic and quantum systems. He is in particular interested in the verification of biological systems, cyber-physical systems and quantum programs.

Anil trained first as a molecular microbiologist (with a special interest in Gram positive bacteria) and subsequently as a computer scientist. Recent work has focused on both bioinformatics and design in Synthetic Biology. He now carries out research at the interface of all of these subjects including an significant number of laboratory-based projects.

Anil is also very active in the development of standards for data exchange in Synthetic Biology and is the Chair of the International SBOL steering committee. He has over 100 refereed publications many of which are interdisciplinary in nature.

He has contributed to many data and reporting standards. He is a world-expert on the use of ontologies, pioneered the use of semantic similarity metrics in biology, and is now exploring novel methodologies for knowledge formalisation. He will use this expertise, as part of the Portabolomics project to help describe and formalise the data generating by the project and pre-existing, to support the analysis, use and downstream dissemination. In short, he will help the project move from data and toward knowledge.

Her group’s main research topic is the regulation of gene expression in various bacteria, including major human pathogens and cyanobacteria. Yulia’s group is working on basic mechanisms of transcription, the first stage of gene expression, and modes of action of antibiotics targeting this stage.

Photosynthetic cyanobacteria developed unique mechanisms to control gene expression in adaptation to day/night changes. The central control mechanism, which synchronizes gene expression with daily light cycles, is circadian clock. The clock sends the signals to the gene expression machinery to activate or repress target genes using network of regulators.

In the Portabolomics project, Yulia’s group is investigating circadian regulators, which switch genes on/off at the level of transcription. Ultimately, they aim to design elements of circadian control to use as tools for Synthetic Biology applications in industrially important microorganisms.

His laboratory investigates molecular mechanisms underlining transcription and translation, as well as processes mechanistically connected to them. They have uncovered plenty of mechanistic details for both steps of gene expression and developed unique in vitro experimental systems. Recently, the lab also discovered new types of RNA polymerases that may represent minimal requirements for RNA synthesis by cellular enzymes and will be used for construction of minimal RNA polymerases.

The objective of the Daniel group is, thought a combination of understanding both the mechanics of cellular processes and the physical properties of the cell envelope, to develop novel ways to redirect the biochemical capability of a bacterial cell toward specific biotechnological applications.

Simon has been work-package leader, or ethics advisor to ten EU projects and several with a focus on rare disease genomics in which issues related to the care and treatment of children have been central. Simon holds bachelor and doctoral degrees in philosophy and over the past 13 years he has pursued a career of teaching and research within bioethics.

Simon has considerable expertise in the ethics and regulation of bioscience research; he has been a member and vice-chair of NHS research ethics committees and is a member of the NHS Health Research Authority’s National Ethics Advisors’ Panel.