Biography

Frank Biedermann (ORCID 0000-0002-1077-6529) earned his B.Sc. from Leipzig University in 2004 before relocating to Cambridge, UK. There, he completed his Part III degree (equivalent to an M.Sc.) and, in 2013, received his Ph.D. in Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry under the guidance of Prof. Oren Scherman. Subsequently, he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany, and at the Institute of Supramolecular Science and Engineering (ISIS) in Strasbourg, France. During this time, he conducted research on supramolecular analytical chemistry with Prof. Werner Nau and on metal-organic and microporous materials with Prof. Luisa De Cola. 
In 2016, Frank was awarded the prestigious Emmy Noether Grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and established his independent research group at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Additionally, Frank served as a young researcher representative on the board of the Heidelberg Karlsruhe Strategic Partnership (HeiKa) and is an active advisory board member for the RSC flagship journal, Chemical Science. In 2021, he received the highly esteemed Aventis Life Science Bridge Award for his contributions to supramolecular assay development for molecular diagnostics applications. Starting in July 2023, he will lead an ERC Consolidator group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), focusing on the development of "SupraSensors" for small molecule detection in biofluids. In 2024, Frank obtained his Habilitation at the Faculty of Chemistry and has been elevated to the ranks of a Privatdozent.
Outside of his professional life, Frank enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, as well as playing chess.

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Biography

Patrick Gruhs (ORCID 0000-0001-6512-1485) completed his studies at Aalen University before joining the Bräse Group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), earning an M.Sc. in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry for synthesizing new fragrances. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in the Biedermann Group at KIT, concentrating on developing new chemosensor systems based on cucurbit[n]urils.

Biography

Vahideh Mahram (ORCID 0000-0003-3787-1689) began her academic journey at Payam Noor University, Behshahr, Mazandaran, Iran, earning a BSc in Pure Chemistry. She then advanced her studies at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran, securing an MSc in Analytical Chemistry (Chemometrics). Her master's research centered on the design and fabrication of Indicator Displacement Assay (IDA)-based sensor arrays for simultaneous mixture quantification. Transitioning into industry, she served as a Research and Development Scientist at Ronak Pharmaceutical Co., Tehran, Iran. Now part of the Biedermann group, Vahideh advances her expertise in chemosensor and assay development for biomarker detection through fluorescence-based assays.

Biography

Panagiotis Bizirtsakis (ORCID 0000 0002 8279 4846) obtained his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where he worked in the development of Microfluidic Paper-based Analytical Devices (μPADs) for the colorimetric determination of bismuth in aquatic solutions. His academic studies continued by undertaking a Master's degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Analysis at the Hellenic Open University. During his Master’s thesis, he investigated the performance of various Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) in the degradation of SDX, particularly focusing on identifying generated Transformation Products with Orbitrap HRMS. Parallel to his academic pursuits, Panagiotis worked as a Research Associate at the Center for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), where he participated in various projects related to green technology, waste valorization, membrane processes, and AOPs. Currently, after joining the Biedermann group, Panagiotis is pursuing a PhD in the synthesis and design of peptide-based chemosensors.
When he is not working, Panagiotis enjoys playing the guitar and basketball, while he never turns down a pint of beer.

Biography

Ahmad Omira. Ahmad holds an M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering from Ilmenau University of Technology. From 2019 to 2024, he worked as a research assistant with the SigMaSense research group, a collaboration between Fraunhofer IZFP and Technische Universität Ilmenau, focusing on advanced signal processing methods for non-destructive testing, with a particular emphasis on ultrasound technology. During this period, Ahmad contributed to advanced signal acquisition and reconstruction, real-time processing, and platform development for manual ultrasonic testing. His expertise includes strong conceptual work, Python programming, and lab responsibilities. Ahmad's research interests are centered on machine learning for biomedical applications. He joined the Biedermann group as a PhD student in April 2024.

Biography

Margarita Maksimova (ORCID 0009-0009-1743-7122) joined the Biedermann Group as a researcher with a strong background in fluorescent dye chemistry and imaging. She earned her Specialist degree (equivalent to MSc) in Chemistry from Lomonosov Moscow State University, where she focused on the synthesis and photophysical characterization of BODIPY-based fluorophores for bioimaging applications.

In the Biedermann Group, Rita is working on the development of novel fluorescent dyes for chemosensing applications. Her research combines organic dye synthesis with supramolecular approaches involving macrocycles and inorganic zeolites to create advanced sensor platforms.

Biography

Albert Kraft (ORCID 0009-0008-9810-8162) joined the Biedermann Group as a PhD student on September 2, 2024. He completed both his BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, where he specialized in analytical chemistry and biosensor development. His previous work focused on self-assembling protein arrays and label-free reflectometric techniques.

In the Biedermann Group, Albert’s research centers on the development of chemosensors using perylene-based reporter dyes, with the goal of advancing molecular recognition and signal transduction strategies.

Biography

Guillermo Galceran García (ORCID 0000-0001-6385-5493) joined the Biedermann Group as a PhD student on January 15, 2025. He obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry from the University of Valencia, with a strong background in organometallic and transition metal chemistry. Prior to joining the group, he worked as a research technician under the INVESTIGO fellowship, focusing on catalytic bond activation using first-row transition metals.In the Biedermann Group, Guillermo’s research is dedicated to the synthesis of functional peptides for chemosensor development, combining his expertise in molecular design with emerging supramolecular recognition strategies.

Biography

Hanna Hönle joined the Group in March 2025 as a Master's student. In 2023 she completed her Bachelor's degree in Chemical Biology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. In her Master's thesis, she is now working on the development of new zeolite-based chemosensors for analyte differentiation in biofluids.

Biography

Katerina Dimoula joined the Biedermann Group for a 3-month Erasmus internship in April 2025. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Toxicology at the University of Thessaly, Greece, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Katerina gained practical experience in analytical chemistry during her work at the Doping Control Laboratory in Athens, where she focused on the development and validation of LC-MS/MS methods for detecting prohibited substances. In the Biedermann Group, she is contributing to chemosensor development projects, applying her skills in analytical method optimization within a supramolecular chemistry framework.

Biography

Tatiana Huertas Navarro joined the Biedermann Group as a visiting scientist from November 2024 to April 2025 as part of the ENRICH MSCA Staff Exchange program. She is a PhD student at the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, where her research focuses on functionalized nanomaterials such as MOFs and metal nanoparticles.

During her stay in Karlsruhe, Tatiana worked on the synthesis of novel glycoluril monomers and their oligomerization, contributing to the development of new building blocks for supramolecular chemistry.

Biography

Gonzalo Federico Fernández joined the Biedermann Group as a visiting scientist from November 2024 to April 2025 as part of the ENRICH MSCA Staff Exchange program. He is a PhD student at the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, where he works on the synthesis and application of nanoscale materials for environmental remediation.

During his research stay in Karlsruhe, Gonzalo contributed to the development of glycoluril-based host systems, focusing on monomer synthesis and supramolecular structure formation.

Biography

Nilima Manoj Kumar (ORCID 0000-0003-2993-2752) completed her integrated BS-MS degree in Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram in 2020. She subsequently joined the Biedermann Group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as a doctoral researcher, supported by a DAAD scholarship. Her PhD research focused on the design and development of chemiluminescence-based chemosensors for the detection of bioanalytes. In July 2024, Nilima was awarded her PhD degree from KIT.

Biography

Dr. Amrutha Prabodh (ORCID 0000-0001-7106-0324) pursued her Ph.D. in Chemistry from October 2018 to September 2022 in our group. She focused on designing new optical chemosensors and assays with improved performance for biomolecule and drug sensing, utilizing various spectroscopic techniques. Before her doctoral studies, Amrutha attended the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER-TVM) in India from August 2012 to April 2017, where she earned a dual degree of Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (BS-MS) in Chemistry, with a minor in Biology.
After her Ph.D., Amrutha started as an Analytical Scientist in the R&D division of CSL Behring in Marburg, Germany.

Biography

Pierre Picchetti (ORCID 0000-0002-0689-5998)  completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2020 at the University of Strasbourg, under the supervision of Prof. Luisa De Cola, where he focused on functional and photonic materials. Afterwards, Pierre became a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Frank Biedermann's group at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. In March 2024, Pierre started his own independent career as a Liebig group leader at the INT. His research interests encompass supramolecular chemistry and materials chemistry, with a particular emphasis on smart (nano)materials for biomedical applications.

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Biography

Fathia Idiris (ORCID 0009-0000-7883-197X)  completed her Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in 2022 as a member of the DFG research training group 2450, "Tailored Scale-Bridging Approaches to Computational Nanoscience." During her studies, she developed a multi-scale computational framework for simulating histidine kinase activity.

In a joint project with us and the Chemotion group, Fathia worked as a software developer, focusing on features for the Chemotion ELN and the SupraBank repository to manage physical chemistry experimental data. In July 2024, Fathia joined a promising start-up company in Durlach, where she applies the software development training she received during her stay at KIT.

Biography

Joana Krämer (ORCID 0000-0003-0498-7298) pursued her chemistry studies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and completed her M.Sc. degree in 2019. Subsequently, she joined the Biedermann Group at KIT for her Ph.D. studies, supported by a scholarship from the Evonik Foundation.  Joana's research focused on designing supramolecular chemosensors for detecting small bioanalytes, such as amino acids. On 26.04.2023, Joana defended her Ph.D. thesis work with great success and was awarded a Doctorial degree in Chemistry. She stayed then a few more months at the Biedermann group as a Postdoctoral researcher and joined in January 2024 the chemical company W. R. Grace as a Sr. Technician Specialist.

Stephan Sinn (ORCID 0000-0002-9676-9839) served as a Postdoctoral Researcher in our group from April 2017 to January 2022, where he focused on supramolecular assay development based on host-guest chemistry and software development. Notably, he was the chief developer of SupraBank and continues to contribute to maintaining this supramolecular repository in his free time. Prior to joining our group, Stephan completed in March 2017 his Ph.D. at the Université de Strasbourg's ISIS under the supervision of Prof. Luisa De Cola. He earned his Diploma in Chemistry in 2012 from the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
Currently, Stephan works as a Senior Consultant at d-fine.

Biography

Leandro J. Trupp (ORCID 0000-0003-1517-6095) earned his undergraduate and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina). Subsequently, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of Materials, Environment, and Energy (Argentina). Additionally, he conducted research visits at the Center for Molecular Biophysics (Orléans, France) and the Institute of Advanced Materials (Castellón, Spain). In June 2022, Leandro joined the Biedermann Group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where his research focuses on designing and synthesizing cucurbit[n]uril-based chemosensors for detecting small molecules in biofluids.

Biography

Laura Marie Grimm (ORCID 0000-0002-1808-2206) earned her M.Sc. from Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg in 2017 before joining the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). At KIT, she completed her Ph.D. in 2021 in the Biedermann Group. Following her Ph.D., Laura continued working at KIT as a postdoctoral researcher, supported by a Vector Fellowship. Subsequently, she served as a DAAD visiting research fellow at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, engaging in fruitful collaboration with the Barner-Kowollik Group. As of June 2023, Laura has returned to our KIT lab, advancing her research on biofluid-applicable chemo- and nanosensors, notably emphasizing the application of inorganic porous materials and fluorescent dyes. In March 2024, Laura transitioned to an industrial career at the Freudenberg Group.

Biography

Rui Kang (ORCID 0000-0002-5149-6443) pursued her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) as a member of our group, completing her degree in 2022. During her studies, Rui Kang was awarded a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (CSC). Before joining our group, Rui earned her Master of Science degree in Physical Chemistry from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU) between 2015 and 2018, under the supervision of Prof. Yu Fang. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the School of Chemistry and Materials Science at Hebei Normal University, supervised by Prof. Haito Yu from 2011 to 2015.
After returning to China, Rui joined the bio-pharmaceuticals company Wuxi Biologics near Shanghai.

Biography

Paersis Weslie (ORCID 0000-0003-1811-0892) obtained her Integrated BS-MS degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, India, in 2022. Subsequently, she joined the Biedermann group at KIT for a DAAD-funded internship. Nowadays, Paersis works on mesoporous, conductive transient sieves at the TU Darmstadt.

Biography

Changming Hu (ORCID 0000-0002-1220-003X) completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry in September 2022, where he developed unimolecular supramolecular host-guest conjugates for biorelevant small molecule detection. Before his Ph.D., he earned a Master of Science in Polymer Chemistry from Soochow University in 2018, focusing on biofunctionalized surfaces. Changming obtained his Bachelor's degree in Material Science and Engineering from Soochow University in 2015.
After leaving our group, Changming joined an industrial company in China that develops electronic materials for semiconductor applications.