Urelle Biapo
Master : chimie inorganique option : molécules, surfaces et nanoobjets
Ph.D. : Chimie des matériaux
Occupation : Ingénieur R&D Chimie at Thethys Instruments
"I obtained a master in inorganic chemistry option: molecules, surfaces and nanoobjects at the University of Paris Saclay in 2016. Then, I continued my thesis at the University of Strasbourg at ICPEES in the Photocatalysis and Photoconversion team. My thesis work mainly focused on synthesizing nanomaterials based on titanium dioxide to integrate them as an active layer of a chemical microsensor. The resulting devices were eventually tested and optimized for the detection of chemical warfare agents such as Sarin. After my thesis, I wanted to do applied research in a company, which is why I applied to Tethys Instruments as an R&D engineer. Tethys is a company that manufactures and markets sensors, gas analyzers and water analyzers. My job is to design new analyzers on assisted design software to meet the demands of our customers. This design phase includes all the steps necessary for the creation of a new product, i.e. the design and conception of the prototype, the laboratory tests of physicochemical parameters measurements according to the specifications, and the writing of test reports and commercial documents."
Housseinou Ba
Master : chimie science analytique
Ph.D. : Chimie des matériaux
Occupation : CTO et responsable R&D BLACKLEAF SAS
"I obtained my Master’s degree in analytical chemistry in 2012 and my thesis in materials chemistry in 2015 at the University of Strasbourg. During my thesis at lCPEES I mainly worked on the synthesis and characterization (XPS, BET, DRX, ATG, SEM, TEM, Raman...) of carbonaceous materials (carbon nanotube/nanofibre, graphene, nanodiamond) for applications in catalysis. During my thesis, I was awarded the prize for ‘innovative project’ at the Alsace doctorate in 2014. I am co-author of about thirty scientific publications concerning the synthesis and characterization of carbon-based materials and their applications in catalysis, water filtration, energy storage, and electronics. I am also a co-inventor of 6 patents. I have participated in several projects as a research engineer and R&D engineer. I am co-founder and CTO of BLACKLEAF, in charge of the scale-up of the graphene production process, and am also involved in the daily technical management of industrial projects."
Pierre-Alexandre Gross
Master : Chimie-Physique des Molécules et des Interface, orienté chimie-physique et chimie théorique
Ph.D. : Chimie
Occupation : Co-founder and CTO Fullmoon Sensors
"I obtained my Master’s degree, CPMI (chemistry-physics and theoretical chemistry) at the faculty of Chemistry of the University of Strasbourg. During my Master, I performed two laboratory internships at the LMSPC on the development of nanostructured materials for the direct conversion of solar energy into hydrogen by photo-dissociation of water.
This work continued in my Ph.D. thesis where I worked on chemical doping techniques of semiconductors, the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles, the characterization of nanomaterials, and photoelectrochemical activity measurements. The research focused on modifying the optical properties of TiO2 to extend its absorption spectrum into the visible range and also using the plasmonic properties of silver nanoparticles to exalt the electric light field at the surface.
I continued my career as a postdoc at Stanford University in mechanical and chemical engineering where I developed a new type of micro-fabricated gas sensor to be used in the detection of natural gas leaks in the distribution network. This technology allowed me to create my company, which aims to provide automated emission detection solutions to the natural gas industry."
Arnaud Hemmerle
Master : Physique de la matière condensée et Nanophysique
Ph.D. : Physics
Occupation : Scientifique de ligne de lumière - Synchrotron SOLEIL
"I was a student of CPGE (MPSI-MP) at the Lycée Kléber from 2005 to 2007, and then I entered the 3rd year of the Bachelor's degree course "Physics and Applications" at the University of Strasbourg. I continued with the Master’s degree "Condensed Matter Physics and Nanophysics", and I did my M2 internship at the Institut Charles Sadron (ICS), where I studied the shape instabilities of a vibrated drop. I then continued my Ph.D. at ICS from 2010 to 2013, under the supervision of Thierry Charitat (ICS) and Jean Daillant (CEA/Synchrotron SOLEIL). My thesis was on soft matter physics and was entitled "Lipid membranes: effects of charges and electric fields".
I was a post-doc at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen (Germany) from 2013 to 2016 where I studied the physics of granular media. I then did a post-doc at CINAM in Marseille from 2016 to 2018 where I worked on the adhesion of lipid membranes. Finally, I was recruited in 2018 for a permanent position at SOLEIL synchrotron as a light line scientist."
Jean-Thomas Issenhuth
Ph.D. : Chimie
Occupation : Responsable Grands Comptes EMEA - Polyplus-transfection SA
"With a rich multidisciplinary academic background, my post-graduate studies have allowed me to pursue fundamental research work. All this work was described in a thesis manuscript entitled "Enantioselective catalysis and polymerisation: study of copper and aluminium complexes". This thesis was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Stéphane Bellemin-Laponnaz and presented on 28 November 2008. Other research work carried out during a postdoctoral research career has been published in various specialised journals. For several years, I have been working on technical and scientific projects for various international companies. Today I have the opportunity to manage and develop a portfolio of key accounts in the EMEA region within the company Polyplus-transfection."
Thomas Regrettier
Master : micro et nanoélectronique (MNE Unistra)
Ph.D. : Electronique, microélectronique, photonique
Occupation : Responsable R&D Photovoltaics - Voltinov
"After obtaining a Master's degree in engineering sciences in 2013, in the field of micro and nanoelectronics (MNE) at the University of Strasbourg, I worked for three months at the CNRS as a research engineer in the framework of the ANR project PICASSO.
Following this first experience, I started in January 2014 a PhD thesis entitled "Optically controlled light modulators composed of an organic photovoltaic layer", under the supervision of Professor Thomas Heiser, at the University of Strasbourg in the ICUBE laboratory (MaCéPV team). My thesis was conducted in the framework of a collaboration with the "Soft Photonic Systems group" of the University of Southampton.
This thesis work was promoted by SATT Conectus Alsace, which financed my postdoc in order to demonstrate the feasibility of an autonomous intelligent window concept.
These experiences enabled me to obtain my current position as R&D Manager in the company Voltinov. This company deals with the design of solar panels, photovoltaic solutions, and R&D for industrial companies (Voltec Solar (67), manufacturer of c-Si photovoltaic modules) or developers (Urbasolar (34), development, financing, construction and operation of solar power plants)."
Sarah Zahouani
Master :Ingénierie des polymères (Unistra)
Engineering degree : Polymer ingeneer (ECPM)
Ph.D. : Physical Chimisty
Occupation : Responsable R&D – dispositifs médicaux chirurgie ORL
"Passionate about life sciences and attracted by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical fields, I took the Concours Commun Polytechniques in 2011 to enter a chemical engineering school and more specifically the European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (ECPM) in Strasbourg. Indeed, the different specialties, as well as the trilingual curriculum offered by this school, convinced me from the start. I graduated in 2014 as a Polymer Engineer ("chemistry for health" axis, Master's degree in Polymer Engineering), and it was my end-of-study internship at the pharmaceutical company Astrazeneca in Sweden that confirmed my attraction for research. I then decided to pursue a PhD in the INSERM 1121 unit to have the opportunity to deepen my theoretical knowledge while learning new experimental techniques in the field of biomaterials and bioengineering. The title of my thesis is 'Développement de nouveaux systèmes enzymatiques mécano-transductifs'. After a one-year Post-Doc at the CNRS in the Charles Sadron Institute on a theme close to that of my thesis work, I joined the Dianosic company in December 2018 as the manager of its research and development activities for the development of medical devices for the ORL sphere."
