// graduated in chemistry before obtaining his doctorate in 1995 from Saarland University in Saarbrücken // This was followed by a postdoc position at the Centre d'Études Nucléaires de Saclay in France, where he worked on elemental analysis and isotope analysis with IC and IC-ICP/MS // He then returned to Saarland University, where he completed his habilitation in 2003 // After a two-year period of research and teaching, he accepted in 2005 a position as LC Systems Manager at Dionex Softron GmbH, a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific

The team of authors is participating in Ebola field diagnostics in Guinea as part of the European Mobile Lab project. Marburg virologists Dr Svenja Wolff, Dr Thomas Strecker, Anne Kelterbaum and Dr Gordian Schudt (l to r) have each spent several weeks in Guinea as part of the EMLab project, so as to conduct on-site diagnostics of suspected cases of Ebola. Another virologist from Marburg is currently deployed in Guinea. // is a principal investigator in the Institute of Virology at the University of Marburg // His research interests focus in particular on investigating the molecular mechanisms of virus release in arenaviruses and filoviruses

// studied pharmaceutical biotechnology at Biberach University of Applied Sciences // She is a doctoral candidate in the Prof. Zimmermann lab in the Institute of Pharma­ceutical Biotechnology at Biberach University of Applied Sciences // Her thesis topic is the ­“Development of protein aerosols for intranasal nose-to-brain drug delivery”

// graduated in biology, geography and physics before receiving his doctorate from the University of Konstanz on an ecology-related subject // Work in insect, fish and frog bio-acoustics was followed by his foundation of the BEEgroup at the University of Würzburg, a group that focuses on basic research in honeybee biology. Alongside his scientific work (author of around 140 publications to date, including 30 cover articles in journals such as Science and Nature), Jürgen Tautz also pursues a ­successful career in public relations work, where he strives to interest the general public in life sciences research. In 2005, 2007 and 2008, his work in this field was recognised by EMBO, honouring him as one of Europe’s leading science communicators. A further accolade Tautz received in 2012 was the ­Communicator Award from the DFG and the Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany.

// studied chemistry at RWTH Aachen and sports science at German Sport University Cologne // After receiving his doctorate in biochemistry (2001), he completed a post-doc at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) // Following his habilitation in biochemistry in 2004, he was appointed Professor of Preventive Doping Research in 2006 // He is Chair of the Centre for Preventive Doping Research at ­German Sport University Cologne and Head of the European Monitoring Centre for Emerging Doping Agents // His key areas of research focus on the development of new detection procedures for analytical anti-doping tests (especially new agents and peptide hormones currently undergoing clinical trials)

// studied physics at TU Dresden before completing his doctoral thesis on organic light-emitting diodes from 2007 to 2011 under Professor Karl Leo at the Institute for Applied Photophysics // His research focuses on the properties of thin-film organic semi-conductors and their applications in optoelectronics and other fields // He has worked in the microdisplays and sensors business unit at Fraunhofer FEP (prior to 2014: Fraunhofer COMEDD) since 2011, where he has particular responsibility for OLED technology and silicon-based systems

// graduated in chemistry from the University of California, Davis, obtaining his Ph.D. there in 1984 // He then worked as a chemist in the U.S. Air Force and at the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory System and Pickering Laboratories, Inc. // In 2001, he began working for Dionex – since 2011 Thermo Fisher Scientific – in Sunnyvale, California, where he works in the Applications Development and New Column Development unit

// studied Chemistry at the University of Dortmund // He has worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology e.V. (IUTA) since 2001 // His PhD thesis at the University of Duisburg has focused on LC-MS/MS analysis techniques in the field of occupational safety and environmental protection // From 2003 to 2008 he worked as project and lab manager in the field of environmental medicine // From 2009 to June 2012, he was the head of the department for Research Analysis // He has been managing the Environmental Hygiene & Trace Substances unit since July 2012 // In the services sector, Dr Turk is involved in biomonitoring and environmental monitoring work on cytostatics plus cleaning validation // Key scientific research topics include trace analysis using LC-MS, as well as the development of oxidative procedures for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment // The chemical and biological characterisation of transformation products plays a major part in this research work

// holds a professorship from the University of Mainz and works at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in the physics and chemistry of soft matter, including food systems // Vilgis studied physics in Ulm, where he also received his doctorate in polymers and elastomer systems // This was followed by postdoctoral work at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge under Sir Sam Edwards // His primary field of interest is the molecular properties of food systems and the multiscale physics of foodstuffs // He is the author of many specialist publications and has authored several books on the subject of cooking and science

// studied biochemistry at the University of Tübingen, receiving his doctorate in 1984 in developmental biology at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen // Professor Vollmer worked at a number of institutions prior to accepting the chair in Molecular Cell Physiology and Endocrinology in the Dept. of Biology, TU Dresden // Following a two-year postdoc at the Max Planck Institute in Tübingen, he established and then led – as lecturer, senior lecturer and acting Institute Director – the Molecular Endocrinology research group at the Institute for Biochemical ­Endocrinology at the University of Lübeck from 1986–1998 // From 1998–1999, he held the position of Head of the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology in Schmallenberg // His two research sabbaticals – at the Department of Pathology, University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC, USA (1989) and at the National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2010) at the NIH, Bethesda MD, USA – have been especially important in shaping his career // Since his time at Lübeck, Professor Vollmer’s research has focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of oestrogens, including naturally-occurring, plant-derived and synthetic industrial substances with oestrogen-mimicking properties // His research interests in recent years focused on investigating the effectiveness and safety of so-called “alternative” preparations for the treatment of menopausal complaints, most of which are plant-based and available as medical plant preparations or dietary supplements // Professor Vollmer is also keen to support the work of African researchers // He is currently involved in projects with researchers from Cameroon, Angola, Burkina Faso and South Africa. Günter Vollmer is the author of over 150 research papers and book chapters

// studied at the University of Würzburg, where she graduated with a master’s in German Studies and Cultural Anthropology // ­Following her traineeship, she completed further training as a press liaison officer at the Academy of Journalism in Munich // From 2010, she has worked as a freelancer in the press and public ­relations sector and is responsible for press and online content in the HOBOS team

The team of authors is participating in Ebola field diagnostics in Guinea as part of the European Mobile Lab project. Marburg virologists Dr Svenja Wolff, Dr Thomas Strecker, Anne Kelterbaum and Dr Gordian Schudt (l to r) have each spent several weeks in Guinea as part of the EMLab project, so as to conduct on-site diagnostics of suspected cases of Ebola. Another virologist from Marburg is currently deployed in Guinea. // is a research assistant in the Institute of Virology at the University of Marburg // Her research interests focus on arenaviruses and host cell-virus interaction

// studied biology at the University of Vienna, where she received her Diplom in 2010 from the Department for Systematics and Evolutionary Biology // During her degree, she worked as a research assistant in the fields of molecular biology and fungal chemodiversity // Since 2011, she has worked on her dissertation, entitled "Isothermal DNA Amplification Methods", in the Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln)

// studied physics at the University of Heidelberg and received her doctorate there in 2007 in the field of nanotechnology // After two years as a visiting researcher in France, she has been a research assistant in the "Soft Matter Food Science" lab led by Professor Thomas Vilgis at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz (Germany) since 2009 // Her activities focus in particular on using the methods of material analysis to conduct research into the physical foundations of the properties and structure of foodstuffs // She also has lab management responsibilities and provides support for a wide range of experimental methods in food physics and chemistry at the MPI for Polymer Research in Mainz