Consultants

MEng, PhD
Senior Research Scientist

Raffaello holds a Chemical Engineering Diploma (2005) and a PhD degree in the field of physical organic chemistry (2010), both from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. During his PhD, he specialized in the synthesis of solvatochromic probes and molecular switches. Later on, he moved to Marseille, France (September 2010–January 2013) working as a researcher at the Institute of Molecular Sciences, CNRS/Aix-Marseille University, in the field of water oxidation catalysts in the research group of Dr. Thierry Tron. Raffaello has subsequently moved to Uppsala University to join the group of Dr. Henrik Ottosson (2014) in which he worked as a PostDoc and later on as a researcher. His research interests revolve around physical organic and materials chemistry with an emphasis on the chemistry and photochemistry of graphene as well as polysaccharide chemistry. He is the author and co-author of 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers, three book chapters and has more than 35 contributions to international conference proceedings. Furthermore, Raffaello is an active referee of scientific peer-reviewed papers of world-class chemistry journals and he has acted repeatedly as a scientific expert evaluating international research grant proposals (including EU-grant applications). He has acted as the academic editor of a Book related to Dyes and Pigments and the Molecules (MDPI) issue: “Coupling Heterocyclic to Graphene Chemistry: Syntheses, Functionalizations, Interactions and Catalysis”. In his work at TdB Labs, Raffaello is particularly interested in polysaccharide fluorescent labeling and dye applications. Raffaello works currently as a senior research scientist at TdB Labs AB.

MSc 
Scientific Consultant

Ruben Sandoval is our remote colleague whom TdB Labs collaborate with tighly since several years back. As a cell biologist, multi-photon excitation intravital microscopy guru, renal tissue researcher and fluorescent staining artist – Ruben Sandoval is our true superstar expert consultant.

Ruben received his B.Sc. and M.S. degree from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. Shortly after finishing his studies in December of 1993, he started working at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, IN, in the laboratory of Bruce A. Molitoris; a leader in the field of acute kidney injury. His initial work utilizing electron microscopy transitioned to confocal microscopy when the university purchased a BioRad MRC-1024. The addition of multi-photon excitation hardware and software to the system prompted the development of multi-photon excitation intravital microscopy at this institution in the late 1990’s. Since then, he has been utilizing this technique to augment the research of investigators at his institution, as well as collaborating with researchers throughout the United States and countries in Europe, Scandinavia, and Australia.

Ruben has published over 80 peer reviewed manuscripts, invited reviews, and book chapters. His images have appeared in the covers of over 60 journals and books. He has placed in international imaging competitions sponsored by Nikon and Olympus. His studies on aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity has helped generate numerous patents on the clinical application of select non-nephrotoxic congeners of gentamicin as a safe form of this antibiotic, as well as its use to safely treat monogenic diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis and Muscular Dystrophy. He has also helped to generate several patents relating to the development of a rapid renal function test and plasma volume test utilizing fluorescent dextrans. This work lead to the formation of FAST Biomedical, a small biotech company currently involved in human trials for this technology.

Rubens art is based on the flourescent renal imaging and is available here.