Meet the current research team members of the Voiniciuc lab at the University of Florida and Lab Alumni since 2019.
Dr. Cătălin Voiniciuc – Associate Professor (Horticultural Sciences Department; Plant Molecular & Cellular Biology (PMCB) Graduate Program; UF Genetics Institute; AI² Center)
Education: Ph.D., (RWTH Aachen University, Germany), M.Sc. and B.Sc. (UBC, Vancouver, Canada)
About me: My research in Vancouver (Canada), Jülich (Germany) and Versailles (France) identified novel cell wall genes using Arabidopsis seed mucilage mutants. After moving to Düsseldorf in May 2016, I applied yeast Synthetic Biology (SynBio) to reconstruct plant polysaccharides. From January 2019 to February 2022, I led an independent research group at IPB Halle to gain further mechanistic insight into the synthesis of matrix polysaccharides. In March 2022, I joined the University of Florida to lead its Plant SynBio efforts and further the Designer Glycans mission. See our Publications page to explore our latest research articles.
Outside the lab: exploring Florida’s great outdoors
Hemicellulose Bioengineering
Research Team Members
Talia Jacobson – Ph.D. Student (Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology program)
🏆CALS Dean Award (2022 – 2026)
Education: B.Sc. in Genetics (Purdue University)
About me: My B.Sc. degree involved work in a Drosophila developmental genetics lab followed by soybean breeding experience, where I became interested in plant molecular biology and how data science can be utilized to solve biological problems. This inspired me to pursue an opportunity with Bayer Crop Science where I developed machine learning models that analyzed corn genomic and environmental data to predict yield. This solidified my research interests in genetics and functional genomics, biotechnology, and computational biology. As a Ph.D. student, I hope to combine the skills gained during my undergraduate research to tackle questions revolved around polysaccharides in the cell wall.
Outside the Lab: violinist, runner/swimmer
R. Logan Spicer – Ph.D. Student (Horticultural Sciences graduate program)
🏆CALS Dean Award (2023 – 2027)
Education: B.Sc. Biological Sciences (Rowan University), M.Sc. (University of Minnesota)
About me: During my B.Sc. I began researching the tropical urban rainforests of Puerto Rico through summer internships with the U.S. Forestry Service then transitioned to more lab-based research studying phytoplankton in local reservoirs to help predict harmful algal blooms. For my M.Sc. I transitioned into plant breeding and genetics focusing on molecular genetics. By happenstance I began researching novel gene editing techniques in fruit crops (apples & grapes). This project was pivotal in guiding my research interest into molecular biology, biotechnology, and practical research. From my past experiences I noticed the beneficial potential of plants and began to appreciate their role in our world. I am confident as a Ph.D. student I will develop the skills needed to participate in creating and designing new plant products for various fields with endless real-world applications.
Mair Edwards – Ph.D. Student (PMCB program; co-supervised with Hanson Lab)
🏆CALS Dean Award (2023-2027)
Education: B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Cell and Molecular biology (Eastern Michigan University)
About me: My research at Eastern Michigan University, which I did over 3 years as an undergraduate and graduate student, consisted of constructing, purifying and running biochemical assays on recombinant photorespiratory aminotransferases. This research is a part of a collaborative study to understand the effects of temperature on kinetics of photorespiratory enzymes. It was this research that consolidated my interest in molecular biology and plants. As a PhD student, I am particularly excited to work in labs using synthetic biology with a goal of crop improvement and expand my knowledge of molecular biology in plants.
Dr. Alan D. Gomez – Postdoctoral Scientist
Education: Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Plant biotechnology (Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico)
About me: My research has focused on the functional characterization of genes and enzymes in fructan metabolism, specifically fructosyltransferases, from Agave tequilana. I utilized heterologous expression systems, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, to investigate the catalytic activity of these enzymes. In parallel, I employed Nicotiana benthamiana for protein expression and purification, confirming enzyme characteristics including post-translational modifications via mass spectrometry and subcellular localization through fluorescent tagging. Additionally, I performed bioinformatic analysis on transcriptomic data from A. tequilana, with a focus on the Plant Glycoside Family 32 (PGHF32). More recently, I analyzed genomic data to identify and characterize all the members of the PGHF32 in silico. I joined the Designer Glycans team to lead genome editing in Arabidopsis thaliana to uncover biological functions of genes involved in hemicellulose synthesis. Using CRISPR/Cas9 my work aims to explore novel aspects of plant cell wall.
Kathryn DeLuca – Undergraduate Research Scholar
🏆UF/IFAS Research Internship awardee and UF Scholars Program (2024-2025)
About Me: I am a third year Gator studying Biological Engineering with a specialization in Biosystems. I am passionate about the application of polymer research within the pharmaceutical sector, specifically the properties and biomedical potential of pectin. With three years of undergraduate-level lab experience, CAD modeling, and coding practice (Python and MATLAB), I am thrilled to be a part of the Designer Glycans team!
Hannah Zheng – Undergraduate Research Intern
About Me: As a rising second-year Biology major at the University of Florida, I am passionate for genetic innovations and their applications for sustainability. Joining the Designer Glycans team for my first lab experience is an exhilarating opportunity to delve into the intricate world of genetic design and its implications.
Ryan T. Cantrell – Undergraduate student (Microbiology and Cell Science)
B.Sc. Student Internship (2023.10-11); Undergraduate research credits since 2024.08
Ryan completed a 4-week internship as a first-year microbiology and statistics major in the Fall of 2023. He assisted with molecular biology and yeast genetic engineering experiments and returned in fall of 2024 to work yeast glycoengineering through gene editing.
Outside the lab: Exploring the outdoors and a playing guitar.
BOTany Research Team Members
A subgroup in the lab is dedicated to developing an entry-level Biofoundry in the Horticultural Sciences department at UF. This robot-driven infrastructure will accelerate biological discovery.
Dr. Moni Qiande – Biofoundry Postdoctoral Scientist
Education: Ph.D. in Agronomy (University of Florida) and B.Sc. (China Agricultural University)
About me: My research focused on optimizing the metabolic engineering of sugarcane (Saccharum ssp. hybrids) for higher oil content in its vegetative tissues, with a subsequent focus on testing and evaluating the inducible transgene expression system that can speed up the oilcane molecular breeding process. Prior to that, I did my Bachelor in the major of grassland and forage science at the China Agricultural University, with a focus on optimizing silage methods and reduce the content of tannins of paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera L.). At the beginning of 2024, I joined the Designer-Glycan team to lead high-throughput experimentation and programming of liquid-handling platforms, with an aim to speed up the design-build-test-learn cycles for the plant cell wall engineering.
Outside the Lab: having fun with my dogs (one lab-dalmatian and one schnauzer)
Lianna Larson – Biofoundry Biological Assistant
🏆UF/IFAS Research Internship (2024-2025) awardee
About me: I am a second year Biological Engineering major with a specialization in Biosystems at the University of Florida. I have a strong interest in the innovation and continued research of biofuels to create a more sustainable and renewable source of energy. I have experience with both the coding language Python as well as lab experience where I volunteered in the Designer Glycans lab working on a novel mutant peel-1 of the Arabidopsis thaliana.
Abigail B. Lin – Biofoundry Programming Assistant
🏆AI Scholar (2024-2025)
About me: I am a Computer Science major with a Math minor in my second year at the University of Florida. I am interested in the role that computational biology can play in enhancing and speeding up the rate of biological research. In order to pursue this interest, I have joined the Designer Glycans lab to help automate liquid pipetting with Opentrons OT-2 robots. I have experience with various programming languages, including Python, which I am currently to modify the Opentrons protocols.
Want to design glycans and/or program plant cells with us?
The Designer Glycans research team welcomes applicants who are highly motivated to lead innovations in plant synthetic biology or carbohydrate-related research. Do you have relevant experience and wish to be part of our scientific success stories? If so, send us an email (cvoiniciuc [at] ufl.edu) to explain your research interests and how you can contribute. For full consideration, your email should detail your motivation, experience and accomplishments.
You can visit our Lab Alumni page for a full list of former research team members and their next positions in academia and industry.
