In my PhD in Biomedical Sciences, I focus on optimizing the extraction of high-quality RNA from dried blood microsamples to enable reliable RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and downstream gene expression analyses. I work within OncoRNALab, a research group with strong expertise in RNA biology and microsampling workflows.

With my research, I aim to:

• Improve RNA extraction protocols for dried blood microsamples, ensuring sufficient yield, integrity, and reproducibility for transcriptomic applications.

• Benchmark and validate critical processing steps that influence RNA quality, including stabilization, storage conditions, and extraction methods.

• Translate optimized workflows into practical applications, such as large-scale or remote sampling studies, which are becoming increasingly important in biomedical research and citizen science.

• Support and strengthen collaborations, including with Neoteryx, to explore how microsampling devices can be adapted or improved for RNA-based analyses.

• Contribute to future projects such as GLORIA, where integrating RNA research could provide substantial added value.

Overall, my work contributes to the development of minimally invasive, scalable, and sustainable sampling strategiesthat make molecular analysis more accessible and accelerate biomarker discovery.