Synergene appoints new chief scientist

Synergene Biotechnology Group have just recruited Dr Niina Johanna Pirinen, Ph.D., as the new chief scientist of the Malta operation.

Dr Pirinen completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre of the Institute of Cancer Research in London, where she mainly took care of molecular mechanisms, mediated cell migration and matrix remodelling.

She will soon be publishing the results obtained in her thesis in which she investigated the functional role of lipid-based targeting motifs in T-cell receptor signalling by using a variety of recombinant DNA, biochemical, cell biological and immunological methods.

Dr Pirinen obtained her doctorate at the Imperial College and the MRC National Institute for Medical Research in London. She has also had international experience while on an industrial placement at the Biological Industries Ltd in Israel.

Commenting on her new appointment with Synergene, Dr Pirinen said: "I look forward to joining the team at Synergene and working with the Maltese scientific staff. I am excited to continue developing Synergene's R&D programme and further strengthen Synergene's DNA testing capabilities."

Andrew Alexander, sales and marketing manager for Synergene, added: "We are very excited to have Dr Pirinen join Synergene Malta and we look forward to benefiting from her international experience."

He added: "Dr Pirinen will be responsible for the scientific division of Synergene Malta and will thus be based at the company's local headquarters.

"Dr Marios Kambouris, associate professor at the Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, will be based in Greece and will continue as Synergene's chief scientific director and guide the company scientifically on an international level."

Synergene Biotechnology Group is Malta's only commercial biotechnology company and is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory.