Rafael Aroso, from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, will join the “Metal Complexes and MRI” team. Its “PorphIRON” project aims to develop paramagnetic complexes based on transition metals, such as iron, for MRI applications. This work is part of the team's efforts to replace gadolinium, currently used in MRI, with more biocompatible and ecologically more sustainable metals.
Ross Ballantine, from Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, will join the "Synthetic Proteins and Bioorthogonal Chemistry" team to work on the « ThioSHowcase » project. This project aims to explore arylthiol-based amino acids for the chemoselective functionalisation of peptides and of proteins, with applications in protein labeling and selective peptide cross-linking.