Liron Sarid-Krebs comes from Israel. She completed her M.Sc. in Plant Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, where she studied the effect of organic molecules on the activity of the flowering protein FT. Currently, she is an IMPRS Ph.D. student at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, in the group of George Coupland. Her research is focused on post-translational modifications of CONSTANS protein in the control of flowering time in Arabidopsis.

Gabriela Ronquillo-López comes from Ecuador. She completed her M.Sc. in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, where she worked on the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with resistance to root rot and yellow pathogens in common bean. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne (Plant Breeding and Genetics, Prof. Maarten Koornneef) in the group of Benjamin Stich. Her research is focused on the identification of a key gene involved in iron acquisition by map-based cloning and the understanding of gene regulation during iron deficiency in maize by a genome wide transcriptome profile (RNA-Seq).

Helen Springer comes from Germany. She studied Biological Sciences at the University of Cologne. Currently, she is a PhD student in the lab of Professor Jonathan Howard at the Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne. During her graduate studies she investigated the role of the Nod-like receptor NLRP10 in bacterial infection with Shigella flexneri. Her current research focuses on the question how the immunity-related GTPases can target the parasitophorous vacuoles of intracellular pathogens such as the apicomplexa Toxoplasma gondii.

Katarzyna Saedler Is originally from Poland but spent most of her life in Germany. She studied Biology at the University of Cologne. She completed her Diploma thesis in the lab of Prof. Maria Leptin at the Institute for Genetics, Cologne working on the development of specialized cells in the tracheal system of Drosophila. Becoming a fellow of the Graduate School IGSDHD in 2009 she studies the role of Fat mass and obesity associated protein (FTO) in obesity and energy metabolism in the lab of Prof. Jens Brüning (Department of Mouse Genetics and Metabolism,Institute for Genetics, Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine,University Hospital Cologne, Cologne Excellence Cluster CECAD).

Jana Knüver comes from Germany. She studied Medicine at the University of Lübeck. After her MD Thesis on mitochondrial biology in human skin in the group of Prof. Ralf Paus, she joined the Dermatology department at the University Hospital of Cologne. She is currently working in the lab of Prof. Sabine Eming, where she is investigating the role of insulin signaling in acute and chronic skin inflammation.