I am a Bioengineer and PhD Candidate in Biochemical Sciences at Instituto de Biotecnología, UNAM, working under the supervision of Dr. Tonatiuh Ramírez. My work sits at the intersection of upstream bioprocessing, molecular biology, and computational science, with hands-on experience in CHO, S. cerevisiae, and E. coli systems.
I build software for scientific workflows: from local Python scripts and data pipelines to browser-based tools and offline-ready PWAs that reduce human error in repetitive lab calculations. The goal is always the same: make everyday experimental work more reliable, reproducible, and easier to share across labs.
Beyond the bench and the keyboard, I served for 3+ years as Coordinator of the Mexican Bioimaging Workshops (MBW) — a high-impact initiative funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), Leica, UNAM, and CONACYT — helping democratize bioimaging access across Mexico.
CHO Cell Engineering for Biotherapeutic Production
IBt-UNAM · Lab of Cellular Engineering and Biocatalysis · Dr. Tonatiuh Ramírez
My doctoral work centers on Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell process development for recombinant protein and biotherapeutic production, with a focus on optimizing producer cell lines for both quality and productivity — maximizing titer while controlling critical quality attributes.
- Fed-batch process design and metabolic monitoring (glucose, lactate, glutamine via YSI 2950)
- Clone selection using flow cytometry and sweetspot productivity analysis
- Integration of real-time analytical data into process control and decision-making
- Building open-source tools to eliminate human error in high-frequency lab calculations
| Category | Expertise |
|---|---|
| Biological Models | CHO (mammalian) · Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) · Escherichia coli (bacteria) |
| Bioprocessing | Batch · Fed-batch · Shake flasks · Stirred-tank bioreactors · Scale-up · Downstream purification |
| Molecular Biology | CRISPR-Cas9 · Cre-LoxP · Homologous Recombination · Golden Gate · Gibson Assembly · Yeast Gap Repair |
| Analytics | YSI 2950 · Flow cytometry (FlowJo · sweetspot) · Neubauer counting · IVCD |
| Other | Metabolic engineering · Recombinant protein production |
Scientific Computing
Web & Tools
| Project | Description | Stack |
|---|---|---|
| HostCell | Main platform for practical lab software and the clearest expression of my bioengineering + programming work | HTML, CSS, JS |
| Clonalyzer-2 | Browser-based kinetics analysis for CHO fed-batch cultures with local processing and exportable outputs | HTML, JS, Pyodide |
| ysi-processor | GitHub Pages workflow for YSI 2950 QC, replicate review, averaging, and export-ready results | HTML, JS, Python |
| BioReact-Lite | Interactive chemostat simulator for Monod kinetics, reactor dynamics, and local stability analysis | Python, Streamlit |
A collection of offline-ready PWA tools for bench-side bioprocess workflows. Born from the necessity of a PhD routine — evolved through AI-assisted live coding.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| CellSplit | Precision cell passaging calculator from Neubauer counts |
| PulseGrowth | Growth kinetics (μ, doubling time, IVCD) and feed corrections |
| MolarPrep | Molarity calculations, stock solution prep, and dilution planning |
| DiluteIt | Universal dilution calculator (C₁V₁ = C₂V₂) for lab workflows |
- 🌐 Portfolio: ebalderasr.github.io/ebalderasr
- 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emilianobalderas
- 📧 Personal: ebalderas@live.com.mx
- 📧 Institutional: emiliano.balderas@ibt.unam.mx