Dr. Julia L. Shamshina gained relevant experience during her Ph.D. (2008, Ph.D. in Organic Synthesis) and postdoctoral studies (2010, Ionic Liquid Chemistry) at The University of Alabama. She worked in several start-ups (Streamline Automation, LLC, 525 Solutions, Inc., Chitinality, Mari Signum, LLC) providing technical leadership and ensuring the implementation & commercialization of many technological solutions applicable in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and materials field. In 2016—2017, she went to Canada (McGill University, Department of Chemistry), as an Academic Associate in Green Chemistry where she was responsible for projects related to the design and development of new products from renewable polymers, biomass deconstruction, and processing— a critical part of the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) Group efforts. She is a recipient of the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Challenge Award Focus Area 2, Greener Reaction Conditions for “A Practical Way to Mass Production of Chitin: The Only Facility in the U.S. to Use Ionic Liquid-Based Isolation Process”. In 2021, she joined the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI) at Texas Tech University where she works as an Assistant Professor..

Dr. Paula Berton, a highly skilled researcher, currently serves as a Research Associate in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary. With a strong academic foundation, including a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Universidad Nacional de San Luis and a prior background in Biochemistry from Universidad Nacional del Sur, Dr. Paula Berton has held key positions at various esteemed institutions, including McGill University in Montreal, QC, Canada, and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, USA, where Dr. Paula Berton contributed significantly as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Chemistry.