Meet Our Team
Dr. Constantinos Patinios is a molecular biotechnologist with expertise in genome editing, metabolic engineering, and microbial systems. Trained across laboratories in England, the Netherlands, and Germany, he established his lab at the VU LSC–EMBL Partnership Institute in December 2024 to simplify microbial genome editing and uncover new aspects of microbial biology.
Outside the lab, he enjoys sports, watching basketball, playing with his cats, cooking, and dancing with friends.
Research Prof.
Constantinos Patinios
Adini is a molecular biologist with expertise in CRISPR–Cas systems, RNA engineering, and microbial genome manipulation, with experience in engineering several non-model bacteria using CRISPR–Cas systems and developing reprogrammed RNA-targeting platforms in human cells. She joined the Patinios Lab at the VU LSC–EMBL Partnership Institute as a postdoctoral researcher in 2026 to advance simplified genome engineering and explore new mechanisms of CRISPR biology.
In her free time, she enjoys playing with her cats, cooking, baking, and doodling, and hopes to return to gardening when the weather allows.
Dr. Adini Q. Arifah
Sharvika is a PhD student with a focus on expanding the Append Editing toolbox. She explores how toxic enzymes can be carefully controlled and repurposed for precise gene editing applications. She is fascinated by biological systems that seem chaotic at first glance but reveal elegant logic when studied closely.
Outside the lab, she recharges by gaming, wandering through cities without a fixed plan, bouldering, and cycling long distances just to see where the road takes her. Curiosity drives both her research and her adventures.
Sharvika S. Khochare
Bingshati Sarkar is a PhD student with a background in molecular and cell biology, biophysics, and advanced microscopy. Her background spans lipid and membrane biology, protein–protein interactions, molecular cloning, and quantitative imaging. Currently she is studying class 1 type III CRISPR-Cas systems, with a focus on their proteolytic activities.
Beyond research, she enjoys scientific communication, dancing, poetry, basketball, painting, and is a voracious reader.
Bingshati Sarkar
Viktorija is a PhD student with a background in genetics, systems biology, multi-omics analysis, and machine learning. Her current research focuses on developing AI-guided strategies for genetic accessibility and genome engineering of non-model bacteria.
Outside the lab, she embraces the idea “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”. Her interests range from painting, crocheting, sewing, pottery, cooking, and being a devoted plant lady, to volleyball, badminton, hiking, and sometimes carpentry.
Viktorija Daukšaitė
Aravindhan is a Jr. researcher with background in industrial biotechnology and experience in microbial fermentation, pharmaceutical analytical method validation and optimization, and biomolecular conjugation techniques. His current research focus is on developing efficient genome editing tools for mycobacteria species and their phages.
Beyond his academic work, he is a state-level volleyball player and has a strong interest in deep space research.
Aravindhan Ravi
Povilas is undertaking his MSc thesis at the Patinios Lab. He is a molecular biology graduate, a valedictorian, and a former Lab Lead of Vilnius–Lithuania iGEM 2025.
Alongside his academic pursuits, he is an avid reader and explorer. He also works as a private mathematics tutor.
Povilas Kruopis
Amanda is a Molecular Biology undergraduate at VU-LSC. She joined the Patinios Lab for her BSc thesis to gain hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques, while exploring genome-editing approaches beyond CRISPR-Cas particularly tools that could enable more flexible and precise editing in prokaryotes.
Alongside her studies, she enjoys web design and ceramics, and stays active through bouldering and playing badminton.
Amanda Marčenkaitė
Alumni
Vytautas Miškinis
Master’s student
Eglė Beinaraitė
Bachelor’s student