Made in Penang, Malaysia.  I obtained my Bachelor's degree in genetics from Universiti Malaya (Malaysia) and DPhil degree in plant sciences from University of Oxford (U.K.).  Have been living a nomadic lifestyle as a researcher in Japan, Sweden and Germany.   

Menaka is a Sri Lankan PhD scholar. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in bioinformatics from University of Colombo and her PhD in Plant Sciences from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. During her academic career, she trained as a postgraduate at the University of Vienna, subsequently as a postdoctoral researcher in Hokkaido University, Japan. She spends her leisure time travelling and photography. Menaka will be working on the evolution aspects of Pectin Methylesterases (PMEs). 

Bal was born in a village of Uttar Pradesh, India and studied Botany for his Bachelor's degree at University of Delhi, India. He subsequently pursued his PhD degree in Genetics from the same university. Before coming to Taiwan, Bal worked at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in New Delhi, India. Bal enjoys travelling during his spare time besides playing badminton and cricket. 

Chia-Yun is originally from Hsinchu and earned her Bachelor degree in Horticulture and Biotechnology from Chinese Culture University. She has plans to pursue her Master degree in the coming years. During her free time, Chia Yun enjoys exploring the beauty of nature and listening to 80’s rock n roll. She is currently working on a glycoprotein named SLEEPING BEAUTY and hopes to unravel its role in cell wall remodelling.

Chin-Lien is a local Taipeian and received his Bachelor's degree in Plant Pathology form National Chung Hsing University. He went on to pursue a Master degree in plant biology from National Taiwan University and just graduated in the summer of 2022.  In his spare time, Chin-Lien enjoys hiking and collecting wild plants (the true wild-type). His research will focus on the signalling pathways that are downstream to RALF. 

Manju Maharjan is from Nepal. She graduated from the Master's Program in Biodiversity at National Taiwan University in January 2024. Prior to joining the lab, she conducted her research on In Vitro Plant Regeneration and Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation in Saintpaulia ionantha (African violets). Her research interests are evolutionary and developmental biology, molecular biology, conservation biology, seed biology, traditional ecological knowledge and biocultural diversity.