Anu Kiviniemi; I did my PhD thesis at Bioorganic group in 2011 related mainly on click-chemistry on 4´-modified oligonucleotides (´Studies on Intrachain Conjugation, Hybridization and Invasion of Oligonucleotides´). Since year 2013, I have been working at PerkinElmer Wallac Oy and currently as a Senior Principal R&D Scientist. My job there is to develop new products for newborn screening of severe metabolic disorders that are treatable, if diagnosed early in life. I´m mainly working with small molecule assays based on mass spectrometry detection but occasionally also with PCR-technologies keeping in touch with nucleic acids. In all, I think organic chemistry has provided me a best possible background for the job with a key mind-set on structure, property, and reactivity.

Alejandro Gimenez Molina is since August 2023 Group Leader in the R&D Oligonucleotide department at Bachem in Switzerland. Previously, he worked for 4 years (2019-2023) as Oligonucleotide Process Chemist in the Chemical Development R&D at the Janssen Pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson (Belgium). He received his Ph.D. in 2015 focused on Liquid-Phase Oligonucleotide Synthesis from the University of Turku (Finland) under the supervision of Prof. Harri Lonnberg and Prof. Pasi Virta, before undertaking postdoctoral studies. Firstly, with Prof. Michael Smietana at the University of Montpellier in France (2016-2017) on the synthesis of Borononucleotides, and secondly, with Prof. Poul Nielsen at the University of Southern Denmark (2018-2019) on the synthesis of DNA/RNA molecular motors. Since 2020 he is serving as co-lead of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute in the Oligonucleotide team, and additionally he is member of the ACS Green Chemistry Articles of Interest for the pharmaceutical industry. Throughout his academic and industrial career, Alejandro has published several articles in the Oligonucleotide field.

Satish Jadhav, PhD, received his PhD from Bioorganic Chemistry group (2011-2016) at the University of Turku, Finland and was a Postdoctoral Fellow (2017-2022) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), CA, USA. In 2022, Dr. Jadhav joined Ionis Pharmaceuticals at Carlsbad CA, USA as a Senior Scientist-Medicinal Chemistry. His PhD research work focused on “covalent conjugates of therapeutic oligonucleotides for in vivo targeting’’. Later postdoctoral work has focused on the on addressing the rate-limiting delivery step of oligonucleotide therapeutics by synthesis of biomimetic endosomal escape molecules.

Petja Rosenqvist; I did my doctoral research focusing on natural C-nucleoside modifications in the Bioorganic group in 2016­–2021. After defending my thesis, I continued working in the Department of Chemistry for a year doing research on liquid phase oligonucleotide synthesis and partaking in supervision of lab courses in the teaching laboratory. In March 2023, I moved to the United Kingdom to begin my two-year postdoctoral period at Durham University with funding from the Royal Society’s Newton International Fellowship program. The postdoc project concentrates on preparing modified tRNA molecules for in vitro translation of non-natural amino acids. The prior work done at University of Turku gave me a good basis for starting this project involving plenty of nucleoside and nucleotide chemistry.

Tharun Kotammagari is currently working as a Senior Scientist at Metabion, Munich, Germany, since August 2024. At Metabion, he is involved in the development of mid- and large-scale oligonucleotide synthesis and purification. He also contributes to the synthesis of labeled oligonucleotides,including those produced under GMP conditions. In December 2020, he joined the University of Turku,Finland, as a TCSMT postdoctoral researcher in the Bioorganic research group under Prof.Tuomas Lönnberg. Where his research focused on the development of covalently mercurated oligonucleotide hybridization probes for detecting and isolating sulfur-containing tRNAs and for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection.This experience marked his transition from small molecule chemistry to oligonucleotide chemistry, providing him with critical hands-on expertise that laid the foundation for his current role. He did his Ph.D. in 2018 from the CSIR-National ChemicalLaboratory under the supervision of Dr. Asish K. Bhattacharya, focusing on the biomimetic total synthesis of natural products from carbohydrate scaffolds. He then completed his first postdoctoral research at the University at Albany, USA, in Dr. Qiang Zhang’s lab (2018-2019), working on photocatalytic amino acid functionalization. In June 2019, he joined GVK BIO as an Associate Scientist in small-molecule drug discovery. Tharun has a diverse background in organic and oligonucleotide chemistry, with experience spanning academic research and industrial innovation.

Antti Äärelä; I completed my PhD in the Bioorganic group in 2023, working in collaboration with Orion, where I also conducted experimental research. My thesis focused on the targeted delivery of spherical nucleic acids and involved small molecule synthesis, peptide synthesis, oligonucleotide synthesis, antibody conjugations, molecular assays, and cellular assays. This hands-on experience gave me a solid background in both synthetic chemistry and bioanalytical techniques. Since completing my PhD, I have been working at Radiometer as an R&D Chemist, developing immunoassays for blood biomarker detection. A background in organic chemistry gives a unique perspective in my current role. It helps me understand how small changes in molecular structure can affect how a compound behaves in a biological setting. This kind of insight is especially important when designing and optimizing immunoassays, where the interaction between molecules directly impacts sensitivity and specificity. Whether I’m optimizing antibody conjugation or troubleshooting cross-reactivity, the thinking and problem-solving skills I developed through organic chemistry are directly applicable. I enjoy working at the intersection of chemistry and biology, applying my skills to create practical tools for point-of-care diagnostics. My experience in both academic research and industry has taught me how to turn scientific ideas into useful products that can make a real difference in healthcare. Turning lab-based knowledge into tools that support real clinical decisions is what keeps me motivated in my career.

Lange Yakubu Saleh; I defended my dissertation in chemistry titled “Organomercury Oligonucleotides as Artificial Ribonucleases” in May 2024. In July of the same year, I started working at AIRNA, a company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with both rare and common diseases by pioneering the discovery and development of RNA editing therapeutics. I work as an Oligonucleotide Scientist, where I am responsible for synthesizing and optimizing oligonucleotides. My previous work at the University of Turku, under the supervision of Professor Tuomas Lönnberg, provided me with a strong foundation in the field.

Aapo Aho; During my PhD thesis at the Bioorganic group, I focused on N-methoxyoxazolidine ligation in oligonucleotides. This study explored the reversible covalent coupling of oligonucleotides to various molecules, with the coupling rate controlled by pH and driven by DNA or small-molecule templates. This reaction could be turned “ON/OFF” and potentially used for controlled release of therapeutic oligonucleotides by acidolysis or for detecting specific targets through dynamic covalent assembly of split aptamers. Towards the end of my thesis, I joined SEQENS (PCAS Finland Oy) as a chemist in API manufacturing. My role involved daily problem-solving related to multistep organic synthesis and research in our laboratory. As a chemist, I was the responsible organic chemistry expert for multiple API production processes, creating manufacturing instructions and coordinating process changes. Recently, I transitioned to a managerial role, where I still maintain “hands-on” chemist responsibilities for specific products. My focus has shifted towards optimizing our product mix and evaluating new processes. My studies at the University of Turku provided a solid foundation in synthetic organic chemistry, essential for my current position and enabling me to thrive in the multidisciplinary field of API manufacturing.