Soraya S. Bosch

Soraya S. Bosch started a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Biotechnology in March of 2006, at the University of Rosario (UNR) in Argentina.
In 2010, in association with the biophysics department, she initiated her Master studies under supervision of Dr Pablo E. Tomatis and Prof. Dr Alejandro J. Vila as co-advisor. The title of the master dissertation was “Optimization of the hydrolytic capacity of the serine β-lactamase KPC by directed molecular evolution”. The objective of the project was to study the Serine-beta-lactamase, KPC-2. This protein has a high relevance nowadays in the clinic, because of its ability to hydrolyze carbapenems (antibiotics of the last defense line). After defending the Master thesis in September of 2012, she worked as a technician in the Laboratory of Prof. Vila until she moved to São Paulo, Brazil to start a PhD with Prof. Carsten Wrenger, in August of 2013.

Miss Bosch doctoral studies were focused on a protein called Aspartate Carbamoyl transferase (ATC) of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum which she validated as a drug target by in vitro characterization of the protein as well by in vivo experiments using the protein interference technique with transgenic parasites. Subsequently, thanks to several negotiations and networking between the Universities of São Paulo and the University of Groningen, she initiated the PhD double degree program between São Paulo and Groningen and became the first Brazilian student who participated in the program. Dr. Bosch got both diplomas after defenses in March 2019.

In April 2021, she continues her career as a Post-Doctoral researcher joining the “Monoclonal Antibody Discovery Laboratory” (MAD-Lab) team led by Dr. Rino Rappuoli at Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences (TLS), in Siena. Thanks to Dr. Bosch experience in Molecular and Cellular Biology, she will be working on the discovery and development of human monoclonal antibodies against antibiotic resistant bacteria, with focus on the ShiMabs Project.