Ling is from Shanghai, China. He completed his BSc Chemistry at the University of Liverpool in 2023. Their BSc dissertation was about the sustainability in organic synthesis in the teaching lab under the supervision of Dr Gina Washbourn and Dr Catherine Cropper. Then, he completed his MSc Chemistry by Research in 2024 under the supervision of Dr Matthias Baud, and the project was to synthesize and assess possible small molecule chaperones for multiple sulfatase deficiency. He then took a short placement under the supervision of Dr George Williams to research a functional organic material based on indigo-type photoswitches. His PhD is focusing on synthesis of Hemi-indigo and novel types of photoswitches under the supervision of Dr George Williams. Outside of the lab Ling likes photography and travel.

Becky is from Ledbury, Herefordshire, and completed her Integrated MSc in Chemistry at the University of Birmingham in 2024. In her third year, she undertook an industrial placement in the medicinal chemistry department at Sygnature Discovery, a Contract Research Organisation (CRO) based in Nottingham. During her fourth year at Birmingham, she completed a research project in Dr. Timothy Barendt’s group, focusing on synthesizing Perylene Diimide (PDI) based macrocycles. Becky started in the Williams group in September 2024, with her research focusing on photoswitchable antimicrobials for wound infections. Her hobbies outside of the lab include hockey, climbing and painting.