Members

BS in Marine Sciences, University of Alicante (2017)

MS in Aquaculture & Biology, Nord University (2018)

Alex graduated from Nord University with a MS in Aquaculture & Biology. His thesis involved the epigenetic study of farmed fish. After working two years at OIST's Core Facilities (SQC), Alex is now the data manager and bioinformatics lead for the Biodesign Unit, where he supports other members in their research, while also attempting to find ways to keep up with AI advancements.

In his spare time, Alex can be found freediving at the depths of the ocean trying to escape the overstimulating outside world, or attempting to cook some delicious meals (and failing).

BA Biology UC Santa Cruz (1988)

MS Biology Stanford University (1992)

Andy is a lifelong technical specialist who began studying algal biology at UC Santa Cruz. His career started at Sandoz Crop Protection in 1988, working with Bacillus thuringiensis gene expression in Brassica oleracea. He earned his MSc from Stanford University in 1992, studying rice adh1 promoters under Virginia Walbot.

His diverse career spanned multiple continents and disciplines: developing transformation protocols for Calgene Pacific's Blue Rose Project in Australia (1993), creating soluble Human B-cell receptors for T-cell tracking at University of Washington (1996), live imaging Drosophila neurodevelopment at RIKEN Japan (2004), studying striatal cholinergic systems with Jeff Wickens at OIST (2010), characterizing tunicate genomes with Nicholas Luscombe (2017), and currently supporting Naomi's multidisciplinary Biodesign lab while coordinating public fieldwork studies (2025).

Andy enjoys surfing longboards and music.

MEng Molecular Bioengineering, Imperial College London (2024)
 

Antonio graduated from Imperial College London (UK) in 2024 with an MEng in Molecular Bioengineering.
For his thesis, he developed synthetic gene circuits for a larger project to use auxin as a morphogen in yeast.
Currently, Antonio is a PhD Student & Research Intern (it's complicated), continuing from the lab's time in the UK. In his research, he is working on alternative methods to agriculture for obtaining plant-derived biomaterials.
Outside the lab, Antonio is typically lounging at the beach, or trying out a new creative outlet, ranging from sewing to electronics to woodworking.

BS in Biological Sciences, Hokkaido University (2026)

Ayuto obtained his bachelor’s degree from Hokkaido University, where he studied how the polar transport of plant hormones is established and maintained to regulate plant morphogenesis. His research interests lie in the design principles of biological structures, particularly the developmental processes and regulatory factors underlying the pappus of dandelions, as well as the evolutionary relationships among plants that independently evolved similar flight-aiding structures.

Away from the lab, Ayuto enjoys walking and driving with his wife. 

Website

BS in Molecular and Cell Biology, ENS Lyon (2003)

MS in Molecular and Cell Biology, ENS Lyon (2005)

PhD in Evolutionary Developmental Biology, ENS Lyon (2008)

Cédric completed his PhD in plant evo-devo at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. He then worked on various aspects of insect evo-devo as a postdoctoral fellow: the emergence of novel traits in flies (Sean Carroll's lab) and water striders (Abderrahman Khila’s lab), the orientation of cell division in Drosophila (Bénédicte Sanson’s lab), and the production of structural colours in butterflies (Antónia Monteiro's lab). Now, he is supervising projects on insect cuticle at the interface between biology, photonics, and engineering.

Away from the bench, Cédric enjoys sipping a cup of green tea in tête-à-tête with Virginia Woolf (and many others).

BS in Science, Hokkaido University (2019)

MS in Life Science, Hokkaido University (2021)

PhD in Life Science, Hokkaido University (2024)

Chiyo got her PhD in Life Science from Hokkaido University, where she studied the regulation of cell-to-cell communication in land plants, focusing on plasmodesmata as key structures for plant multicellularity. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the lab, investigating artificial control of multicellularity using synthetic biology approaches in plants.

Outside the lab, she enjoys painting and drawing in Okinawa. During her time in Hokkaido, she also loved hiking in the mountains and relaxing in hot springs.

BS in Biology , Ashoka University

Postgrad in Biology (ASP), Ashoka University

MS in Evolutionary Biology, University of Montpellier and Uppsala University

A Pluviophile and a microbial lover. Love understanding the interactions in the world hidden under blind sight. Passionate about cooking and eating good food. Enjoying my newly found passion for gardening and my old habit of baking!

Website

Eftychis obtained his PhD from the University of Oxford in the UK, where he focused on plant evolutionary development (evo-devo). After completing his PhD, he moved to the University of Tokyo as a JSPS Fellow, where he worked on developing a new experimental model system for hornworts, one of the seven main groups of land plants. Following a year in Hong Kong as a postdoctoral fellow at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Eftychis returned to the UK as a research associate at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, where his research centered on chloroplast biology. He now oversees projects with a broad focus on plant synthetic biology.

Outside the lab, Eftychis enjoys “experimental travelling” and slow running.

In her role as a research unit administrator, Kanae finds it truly rewarding to be able to support the research activities of the PI and unit members. She is also deeply grateful for the valuable opportunity to engage with distinguished guests from both within Japan and overseas.

Website

BASc in Taxonomy, Kyushu University (2025)

Kishin obtained his bachelor’s degree from the School of Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation at Kyushu University, Japan where he studied the taxonomy of parasitoid wasps that parasitize gall midges (Cecidomyiidae) and became fascinated by the diversity of galls and their associates. His research interest lies in complex plant-insect interactions, specifically, in the mechanism of the induction of the galls and how insects acquire the ability to induce galls in the evolutionary trajectory. 

Away from the bench, Kishin loves being on stage and performing, namely tap dancing or playing the clarinet.

BS in Biological Sciences, Nazarbayev University (2018)

PhD in Science, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (2025)

Lazzat received her PhD from the Biocomplexity and Biodiversity Unit at OIST, focusing on the factors driving variation in musculature investment in ant workers. Now in the Biological Designs Unit, she is studying the effects of wind on plant morphogenesis. In her free time, she enjoys camping and social dancing.

Merle graduated with a BS in Biology from the University of Marburg with a specialization in plant biology. During her participation in iGEM and her bachelor’s thesis, she worked on characterizing endogenous regulatory elements via Agrobacterium-mediated leaf infiltration in Taraxacum kok-saghyz (Russian dandelion) as an alternative chassis for rubber production. She is currently a Research Intern, focusing on protoplast regeneration in dandelion as well as plastid transformation in dandelion and Marchantia.

Outside the lab, Merle enjoys exploring Okinawan nature - whether hiking, cycling, or running. On calm evenings, she also enjoys doing various types of crafts and listening to music.

Saori is a research administrator supporting the general operations and daily running of the lab. Her role involves handling administrative tasks, ensuring the lab functions smoothly and assisting researchers so that they can focus on their projects. She was born and raised in Okinawa and later moved to the UK to pursue her studies. Although her background is English literature and media post-production, she enjoys applying the skills she gained in an environment where collaboration is essential beyond the fields.

Outside of work, Saori enjoys listening to music, travelling to the mainland for live music, and studying art. Spending time with friends and family is also very important to her, as it helps her stay balanced.

Yoshiko, who likes to be called Yoshi, majored in organic synthesis when she was a student. In Tokyo, she spent five years supporting cancer research, mainly carrying out sequencing and cell culture. Yoshi also spent around a year volunteering abroad, mostly in Thailand, India, and Egypt. After returning to Japan, she switched her research focus from animals to plants. Now, she uses her experience to help keep the Biodesign lab running smoothly and efficiently on a daily basis.

Yoshi's favorite hobby is to plan trips abroad, having visited over 30 countries so far, she may have even been to your city!