EXPERTS IN INSECT, MAMMALIAN AND BACTERIAL EXPRESSION

Meet the team at OET

Oxford Expression Technologies Ltd provides products, services and consultancy to the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries from its base in Oxford, England. We have a team of biological scientists and staff that excel in their field. Find out more about our highly regarded team members or get in touch with us today.

Dr Adam Chambers
Principal Scientist

Adam completed his BSc in Biotechnology at Oxford Brookes University. His third year was spent working on placement with Professor Possee at the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in Oxford on insect baculovirus molecular biology. After the final year of his degree he embarked upon a PhD at Oxford Brookes University with Professor Linda King. His research project concerned the role of ODV structural proteins in baculovirus replication. Following his PhD, Adam joined OET in 2010 as a junior scientist but is now one of the senior scientists within the company and oversees the successful running of the laboratory facilities and its research staff.

Dr Mine Aksular
Senior Scientific Officer

Mine completed her BSc in Biomedical Sciences at Oxford Brookes University where she first gained an interest in baculovirus research whilst carrying out her undergraduate project with Prof Linda King. She then moved to London to study for her MSc in Infection and Immunity at the University College London before securing a PhD position as part of a collaboration between Oxford Brookes University, the BBSRC Pirbright Institute and OET. This project concerned investigating the antigenic structure of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) VP2 protein which provides the groundwork for generating baculovirus-based AHSV vaccines. Mine came to work for OET in 2016 and carries out essential research in the production of a vaccine towards CCHF virus and also the development of gene therapies against type I diabetes.

Dr Leo Graves
Senior Scientific Officer

Leo received his BSc in Biotechnology at Oxford Brookes University, which included a year’s placement working at the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology (CEH). After this he started work at Allergy Therapeutics as part of the quality control and research & development division. He was then accepted for a funded PhD position at Oxford Brookes University to work with Prof Linda King on understanding the functional role of a highly expressed baculovirus protein, P10. Shortly afterwards Leo joined OET part-time in 2017 before moving to full-time employment in early 2018. Now he is one of the senior scientists within the company who helps with the contract service work.

Dr Stephen Adeniyi
Senior Scientific Officer

Stephen attained his BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry at Ajayi Crowther University. He subsequently decided to further his studies by undertaking MSc in Biotechnology at the University of Bedfordshire, which saw him receiving a most meritorious postgraduate award for his achievement in Biotechnology. He relocated to Scotland and was granted a scholarship for a PhD opportunity at University of Aberdeen. His doctoral research focused on the regulation of ribosome biosynthesis by cell physiology in budding yeast. Upon the completion of his PhD, Stephen moved back to England for postdoctoral research to isolate and purify ribosomes in bacteria at the Queen Mary University of London. Shortly after, Stephen joined OET in the summer of 2022. He currently works on the company’s service projects using baculovirus-insect expression and protein purification.

Durva Sevak
Higher Scientific Officer Kits & Products

Durva completed a degree in Biomedical Science at Oxford Brookes University before undertaking an MRes degree in Cancer Sciences at Birmingham University. Her area of research concerned a novel gene with a potential role in the Fanconi Anaemia tumour suppressor pathway. After finishing her studies, Durva joined OET in 2016 to work exclusively on the applications of baculovirus technology in the production of a viable vaccine for CCHF virus. Her involvement with the project from the outset has provided extensive experience and knowledge which will be beneficial as she continues to provide support during the next stage of its development.

Mina Emamian
Scientific Officer

Mina completed two master’s degrees in biology and biomaterials in Iran. She worked as a laboratory and research assistant for several years and got extensive experience and knowledge in cell culture, DNA and RNA extraction, tissue preparation and staining. Before joining OET, she was a business development specialist at Platit AG, working on developing antibacterial surfaces. She recently joined OET to support ongoing projects and help with lab maintenance and administration.

Ananya Jeshtadi
Scientific Officer

With over 20 years of experience in teaching and research, he has held senior investigator roles, making significant contributions to academia and industry. He earned his PhD in Biology & Biochemistry from the University of Bath, followed by postdoctoral research at the Institute for Animal Health, Compton (now the Pirbright Institute). He later served as a Senior Research Fellow/Senior Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, supporting Prof. Linda King’s research on Baculoviruses.

Before moving to the UK, as a master's student, he worked on the synthesis and immunogenicity of malarial peptide antigens in Prof. Virender Chauhan’s lab at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi.

As a principal investigator, he has developed independent collaborations with leading scientists, including Prof. Sarah Gilbert (The Jenner Institute, Oxford) and Prof. Mike Skinner (Imperial College London) on Fowlpox virus vaccine research. He has also collaborated with Prof. Stan Botchway (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), Harwell) on protein-protein interactions in virus-host relationships of Fowlpox virus and Baculoviruses using advanced fluorescence techniques. He showcased strong grant-writing skills by securing an innovation grant to develop Entomopoxvirus as a vaccine vector and receiving access grants to RAL, Harwell.

After a career break, he returned to the UK and worked at Evotec before becoming a scientific consultant at AccendoLab for COVID-19 testing. Currently, at OET, he is engaged in contract service projects involving recombinant virus generation, screening, and large-scale protein production.

Iqra Kaleem
Scientific Technician

Iqra Kaleem joined OET in 2023 as a scientific technician, bringing with her a strong academic foundation and hands-on experience in molecular biology and biotechnology. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Biotechnology in India and a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from University of Nottingham, which she completed with distinction after relocating to the UK in 2022.

During her master’s internship at OET, Iqra gained extensive experience in key molecular biology techniques, including cell culture, virus amplification, DNA extraction, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, PCR, qPCR, as well as protein purification techniques. Her strong technical capabilities and commitment to high-quality work led to her transition into a full-time role within the company. In her current position, Iqra actively supports both research and development (R&D) and contract services projects, applying her expertise across a range of molecular and protein-based workflows. In addition to her technical responsibilities, she also manages general laboratory maintenance and oversees the domestic and international shipment of materials for client projects.

Ana Paula Vilela
Cell Culture Technician

Ana Paula comes from Brazil, bringing to OET over 17 years of experience in microbiology and virology. She completed her Master’s and PhD at the Federal University of Minas Gerais and conducted postdoctoral research projects at institutions including INRA-France (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Jouy-en-Josas) and Institut Pasteur de São Paulo. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she worked in biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories, working with cell cultures under strict containment conditions. This expertise further strengthens her role at OET, where she is responsible for the maintenance of insect cell cultures for baculovirus-based expression systems. She has many years of experience in cell culturing using aseptic techniques, transfection, and cloning along with experience in a variety of molecular biology and biochemical methods such as PCR, ELISA, and Western blotting.

Yash Bajaj
Marketing Executive

Yash joined OET in June 2023, bringing a wealth of digital marketing expertise to the team. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Sinhgad Academy of Engineering (SPPU) in Pune, India, and a Master's degree in Digital Marketing from Oxford Brookes University, UK. Prior to joining OET, Yash gained valuable experience as an Integrated Marketing Strategist at Unmark Marketing and as a Social Media and Influencer Marketing Manager at Makeovers Consultancy in India, where he successfully managed comprehensive marketing campaigns and developed strategic social media initiatives. At OET, Yash has revamped the company website by implementing new design layouts and optimizing SEO strategies, resulting in increased organic website traffic and reduced bounce rates. He excels in creating engaging video content for social media channels, product photography, implementing PPC campaigns, and generating marketing-qualified leads through website optimization and social media advertising.