Team

Dr. Nicoleta Elena DINA received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics (2008) and the Specialization in Biomedical Physics (2010) from Babeş-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). She has completed her Ph.D. (2013) at Babeş-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) in Physics. She completed a six months internship (September 2012-February 2013) at Technische Universität München (TUM), München, Germany, where she contributed at the optimization of the single-cell SERS-based detection methodology of uropathogens. Since 2015 she is working at the National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (INCDTIM), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, now as Scientific Researcher CS II. Her research main interest is using SERS in real-life applications.

In addition to the experience gained in experimental techniques based on SERS and analytical chemistry for optimization of the detection and identification of most relevant pathogens, both prokaryotic (bacteria) and eukaryotic (fungi), progress in spectral data analysis was achieved by employing different classical unsupervised multivariate statistical analysis such as principal component (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and hierarchical component analysis (HCA).

Dr Daniel Marconi received his Bachelor Degree in Physics (2002, Physics Faculty, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca) and the Master Degree (2003, Physics Faculty, UBB, Cluj-Napoca) with the specialization in Solid State Physics. In 2008, he was granted the PhD Diploma in Physics for the thesis: "The partial atomic substitutions on electrical and magnetic properties of oxide superconductors". In 2012 Dr. Marconi joined INCDTIM on a research scientist position and since then he research activities focus on: 1) Deposition of organic/inorganic films deposited under ultra-high vacuum using MBE facility and characterization of the surfaces using STM and AFM, with applications in biosensors, molecular sensors and nanoelectronics; 2) Fabrication of high-resolution nanostructured surfaces using photolithography techniques and 3) Design and Fabrication of a hybrid inorganic-organic p-n junction diode based on iron phthalocyanines (FePc) on flexible substrate using heavily doped ZnO as transparent conducting electrode. In 2013 he completed a dedicated training in deposition techniques of epitaxial molecular monolayers with controlled structure and thickness by MBE deposition and characterization using STM techniques. The internship was held at Technische Universität Chemnitz, Institut für Physik, Solid Surfaces Laboratory Analysis. In 2014 he finalised an internship in techniques for obtaining micro and nanostructured electrodes for high-quality applications in biosensors and molecular electronics using high-precision equipment and techniques. The internship was held at Technische Universität Chemnitz, Institut für Physik, Solid Surfaces Laboratory Analysis. In 2015 and 2016 he concluded internship training in STM and STS. The internship was held at Technische Universität Chemnitz, Institut für Physik, Solid Surfaces Laboratory Analysis. Currently he is employed as a senior 3rd degree research scientist.

Dr. Tiberiu SZÖKE-NAGY received his BSc in Biology and MSc in Cellular Biotransformation during 2006-2011 and his PhD in Biology in 2019. Starting with 2013, he was involved in several research projects hosted by the Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, National Institute for R&D for Biological Sciences (INCDSB) Bucharest, as Assistant Researcher, being assigned to environmental sample collecting, DNA and RNA isolation, purification and quantification, identification of bacterial strains using 16S RNA molecular markers and analysis of sequenced fragments. Since July 2016 joined INCDTIM on a research asistant position and since then he research activities focus on biological sample preparation, manipulation and Molecular Biology specific analysis.

PhD student Ana Maria Raluca Gherman has been active in the field of molecular modelling for six years, ever since she began her master degree studies at the Faculty of Physics, at Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, under the guidance of Prof. Vasile Chiș. She is an expert in describing quantum chemistry-aided structural and electronic properties of biomolecules, mainly active compounds of drugs by using Density Functional Theory (DFT). She focuses mainly on vibrational spectra resulted from frequency calculations.

She began using multivariate analyses such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and PCA-LDA on vibrational spectral (i.e. SERS) databases registered on pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, yeasts) as a member of two research projects since 2016. Her activities on these projects have materialized into a statistical model for identification, discrimination and classification of pathogens.

She is also able to manipulate a DeltaNU Advantage and Renishaw Raman spectrometer, and a Jasco UV-Vis spectrometer, having experience in recording Raman (powder and liquid) and SERS spectra of drugs.

Her research focuses mainly on the interaction between bactericidal compounds and their specific target by using computational tools. As an alternative to DFT calculations, she is gaining experience into the field of molecular docking studies, exploring ligands-receptor systems, with ligands belonging to the pharma field, in terms of geometry specificity and binding energy.