Domenica Musumeci is an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemical Sciences of the Federico II University of Naples (Italy). Her research lines are mostly related to the development of potential anticancer/anti-inflammatory/antiviral agents mainly based on both small organic molecules (natural or synthetic) and oligonucleotides or their analogues (aptamers, nucleopeptides, etc.). Specifically, she studies the interaction of small-molecules or oligonucleotide and their analogues with nucleic acid or protein targets through biophysical techniques (CD, fluorescence, UV-vis, BLI, EMSA, ELISA-like assays, etc.). Furthermore, she investigates nucleopeptides and nucleoamino acids for their ability to self-assemble in order to develop innovative nanomaterials or drug delivery systems. Domenica Musumeci graduated in Chemistry in 1997 and obtained her PhD in Chemical Sciences in 2001 on the polyoxygenation of steroid scaffolds, at the Federico II University of Naples. She worked at the Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB) – National Research Council (CNR) in Naples from 2002 to 2007, under the supervision of Proff. Carlo Pedone, Ettore Benedetti and Enrico M. Bucci, on the synthesis and applications of peptides, Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNA), as well as oligonucleotide and PNA-DNA chimera aptamers. During those years, she participated in the founding (2006) of the company Bionucleon srl (a drug-discovery start-up, spin-off of the CNR), and coordinated the laboratories of the Naples site of this company for several years, since 2007, dealing with selection, synthesis and characterization of oligonucleotide aptamers against protein targets involved in inflammatory and tumorigenic processes. In 2012 she moved back to the Federico II University of Naples becoming a fixed-term researcher until the end of 2020 at the Department of Chemical Sciences in the research group of Prof. Daniela Montesarchio, and since January 2021 she has been an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry at the same University. For more information about the research lines of our group, please visit the website: www.scienzechimiche.unina.it/documents/13645316/70793185/Pagina_ricerca_gruppoMOM_ENG.pdf/eb994f9e-b1c6-4202-ba41-dca48651bef4 She is co-author of more than 110 ISI scientific publications, 3 Patents and 3 book chapters, and has participated in various national and international conferences presenting the data relating to her research activity. She is an Associate Editor of various Frontiers journals, Reviewer of international scientific projects and Reviewer of many articles submitted to journals in chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological field.

Michael is an Associate Professor of Chemical Biology and Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry at University College London. He studied for his PhD at the University of Cambridge and carried out a Junior Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford. Michael started his independent research career with a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. The Booth group aims to develop the next generation of nucleic acid technologies; through the development of conjugates to overcome current major challenges in their synthesis, modification, cell delivery, and targeting.

Dr. Takumi Okuda Born on September 3, 1990, in Osaka, Japan ORCiD: 0000-0002-2136-6525 Junior group leader (PI) since 2025 July Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany, Institut für Organische Chemie Home page: www.chemie.uni-wuerzburg.de/oc/okuda-group Post-doctoral fellow, 2020–2025 (including 3-month parental leave) Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Claudia Höbartner Topic: Develop the alkyne-transferase ribozyme for site-specific RNA modification ・ Synthesize a chemically stable propargylic SAM analogue. ・ Develop novel ribozyme that can transfer alkyne tag to target RNA. ・ Demonstrate the intracellular RNA modification by ribozyme. Education Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2017–2020 Osaka University, Japan, Advisor: Prof. Satoshi Obika Topic: Control of electron-transfer in DNA by a pyrene-modified oligonucleotide ・ Introduce an electron-donating group (e.g., methoxy or piperidinyl) into the pyrene moiety of 5-(pyrenylethynyl)-2′-deoxyuridine. ・ Enhance the reduction efficiency and inhibit the undesired oxidation of DNA by modulation of the energy potential of a pyrene-modified oligonucleotide.

Natalia is a D2R Postdoctoral Fellow in the Sleiman Lab at McGill University. She completed her PhD at the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia IQAC-CSIC, where she specialized in nucleic acid chemistry and developed strategies to enhance the cellular uptake and therapeutic efficacy of DNA origami nanostructures. Her research interest focuses on DNA nanotechnology and oligonucleotide conjugates, with the goal of improving the delivery and activity of nucleic acid therapeutics in both in vitro and in vivo models.