Jonah Nolf has been an integral part of Ghent University and VIB since 2006, contributing extensive technical, operational, and managerial expertise to multiple research teams within the Plant Systems Biology department. He began his career in the laboratory of Prof. Ann Depicker, where he developed strong competencies in protein purification and a broad range of molecular biology techniques. His commitment to high‑quality experimental work and his structured approach to laboratory operations led to his transition into the role of lab manager, a position in which he played a key role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the research environment. In his capacity as lab manager, Jonah took on responsibility for training and onboarding new researchers, maintaining and enforcing laboratory safety standards, and overseeing the procurement and supply management essential to supporting day‑to‑day scientific activities. Jonah currently works within the research group of Prof. Bert De Rybel, where he continues to support experimental workflows with a focus on protein-related methodologies and the optimization of laboratory processes. Building on his strong technical foundation, he has expanded his expertise toward next‑generation sequencing technologies. In collaboration with the Single-Cell Platform, he is actively involved in the development, implementation, and optimization of ATAC‑seq and single‑nucleus ATAC‑seq (snATAC‑seq) pipelines.

In 2008, Jolien obtained her bachelor's degree in Biomedical Laboratory Technology at Hogent. Shortly after, she became a member of Prof. Gerrit Beemster's research group at PSB, focusing on organ growth regulation. When Gerrit Beemster moved on from PSB, the group became part of the Yield lab led by Prof. Dr. Dirk Inzé and Dr. Hilde Nelissen. In 2021, Jolien seized the opportunity to join Prof. Bert De Rybel's plant single cell platform. Here, the team is dedicated to expanding their knowledge and expertise in the exciting but challenging field of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics in plants.

Akshay earned his bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bangalore, India. Subsequently, he pursued his master's degree in Genetics and Molecular Plant Sciences in Sweden through a collaborative program involving Uppsala University, Stockholm University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. He joined the group of Prof Annelie Carlsbecker to conduct his master's thesis, studying the impact of abiotic stress on the root primary xylem development. Continuing in the same line of research, Akshay joined as a PhD student in the group of Prof Bert De Rybel in March 2022. Currently, Akshay's project aims to identify the novel transcriptional regulators controlling primary xylem development.

Eline graduated from the Faculty of Sciences at Ghent University in 2021 with a Master in Biology, after which she continued her studies with a one-year Advanced Master in Plant Biotechnology. She performed her second Master thesis in the Vascular Development lab, where she subsequently joined to start a PhD in November 2022. Her project is embedded within the “PIPELINES” ERC Consolidator Grant (EU-funding) which was acquired by Bert De Rybel, and aims to discover novel transcriptional regulators in the process of vascular development through the use of single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. By studying the scRNA-seq data of evolutionary diverged model species that contain a vascular system, she aims to find regulators in xylem and phloem which are evolutionary conserved.