What we stand for
At Quantoom Biosciences, our scientists, engineers, and clinicians are committed to solving some of the biggest challenges facing mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics production.
Our team
Management Team
Click on each picture to see the bio of each member
Jose Castillo
Chief Executive Officer
(& Univercells co-founder)
Jose Castillo
Chief Executive Officer
(& Univercells co-founder)
José Castillo co-founded Univercells in 2013 and still serves as the company’s Chief Technology Officer today. Under his leadership, Univercells has become a pioneering force in the biopharmaceutical industry, with highly efficient production processes that aim to make biologics available and affordable for all. His goal was to disrupt the industry and position Univercells as a leader in comprehensive manufacturing solutions.
In June 2021, building on his success at Univercells, José launched Quantoom Biosciences, a cutting-edge biotech with a mission to remove the barriers to making mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, from sequence up to mass production. As the CEO of Quantoom Biosciences, José continues to drive innovation and create solutions that have the potential to revolutionize mRNA production.
As a recognized technology leader in the biopharmaceutical industry, José brings a strong track record in innovative process design and successful commercialization. Previous accomplishments include the start-up of Artelis, where he designed and developed bioreactors that transformed industrial operations – the iCellis system is now considered standard in the vaccines and gene therapy industry. The technology was industrialized at ATMI LifeSciences and Pall Lifesciences, where José held the position of Cell Culture Technologies Director. Before Artelis, José was Head of Viral Vaccine Industrialization at GSK Vaccines.
With a background in Chemical Engineering, Jose’s education includes a PhD in Applied Sciences from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and an entrepreneurship degree from the Solvay Business School.
Didier Masson
Chief Operating Officer
Didier Masson
Chief Operating Officer
As COO, Didier leads technology development projects and oversees all activities related to the delivery of products and services to clients. He guides his teams to ensure operational excellence and align the organization with business strategy. Didier joined Univercells in May 2021, coinciding with the creation of the Quantoom Biosciences affiliate.
With over 25 years of experience in project and operations management, primarily in the medical devices, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries, Didier brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. His background in transformational leadership has been honed through roles at Ion Beam Applications, Advanced Oncotherapy, and UCB, where he led projects, operations, field service engineering, and supply chain activities.
Didier holds master’s degrees in Engineering from the University of Liege and in Management from the University of Louvain. Additionally, he has recently completed the Chief Operating Officer program at INSEAD Executive Education.
Guillaume Roelandts
Head of Products, Marketing & Sales
Guillaume Roelandts
Guillaume leads the company’s commercial strategy definition and execution, overseeing the development & management of the product portfolio, strategic marketing activities, technologies’ market adoption & sales on a global scale, as well as corporate branding & communications.
He joined José Castillo in 2020 when the project was in its incubation phase within Univercells and has since supported the development of Quantoom Biosciences by combining his experience in business strategy and commercial excellence with his passion for innovation in the life sciences sector. Prior to joining Quantoom Biosciences, he initially worked in innovation management roles in the industry and then joined the strategy consulting firm Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company), covering various sectors including industry, transport, retail, and private equity & venture capital.
Guillaume graduated from Solvay Business School (ULB) in Belgium with an MSc in Business Engineering, supplemented by a program in Corporate Finance at HEC Paris Executive Education.
Coralie Pirlot
Financial Director
Coralie Pirlot
Financial Director
With over a decade of multifaceted experience across various industries, roles and countries, Coralie is a finance professional adept at navigating complex business landscapes. Currently serving as the Finance Director at Univercells, overseeing the financial operations of Quantoom Technologies and Univercells R&D divisions, Coralie brings a wealth of expertise in financial management and strategic planning in various sectors.
Prior to this role, Coralie served as the Group FP&A Manager at Atalian, a prominent figure in the facility management industry. Leading a team of FP&A analysts, Coralie played a pivotal role in driving corporate financial performance analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and procurement controlling, demonstrating a keen ability to align financial strategies with organizational objectives.
With previous experience in the pharmaceutical industry at Galapagos as a Senior Project Lead, Coralie was instrumental in developing commercial controlling processes and providing financial support for operational and strategic decision-making. This role showcased Coralie’s proficiency in financial excellence, business partnering, and process optimization, contributing to the company’s success in a highly competitive market.
Before transitioning into the biotech sector, Coralie honed her skills in the legal industry, serving as the Manager of Business Operations at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, in the USA as well as the UK. Spearheading business operations activities across EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, Coralie played a key role in financial planning, reporting, pricing strategies, and client billing rate management, earning recognition for her contributions to the firm’s operational efficiency and client satisfaction.
Coralie began her career in banking at ING Belgium, where she held roles in corporate sales and associate relationship management. Responsible for advising large corporations on financial risk hedging and executing financial market products, Coralie developed a reputation for excellence in client relationship management, complex financial analysis, and regulatory compliance.
Throughout Coralie’s career journey, she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence, adaptability in diverse environments, and a passion for driving results. Armed with a robust skill set and a track record of success, Coralie is poised to continue making impactful contributions in Quantoom and Univercells.
Ingrid Gaultier
Head of Quality & Customer Satisfaction
Ingrid Gaultier
Head of Quality & Customer Satisfaction
Ingrid Gaultier is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in quality management across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, aeronautics, automotive, and space. At 46, she currently serves as the Head of Quality and Customer Satisfaction at Quantoom Biosciences, where she has the pleasure of leading a dedicated, competent, and humorous QA team since April 8, 2024.
Ingrid joined Quantoom Biosciences with a desire to leverage her expertise and enthusiasm to contribute to the company’s growth and enhance its performance. Her goal is to ensure that the company consistently meets and exceeds the expectations of QTM’s customers and partners.
Throughout her career, Ingrid has honed a unique blend of rigor, agility, and compliance. She is committed to bringing these qualities to Quantoom Biosciences, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Together with her team, she strives to achieve the highest quality standards and deliver exceptional results.
Strategic & scientific
advisory board
Pierre Morgon
Board Member
Jean-Paul Prieels
Board Member
Michel De Wilde
Andrin Oswald
Beate Kampmann
Our history
Quantoom Biosciences is reinventing mRNA production by developing the Ntensify® platform that encompasses RNA manufacturing and formulation. The platform includes a manufacturing process, mixes of reagents, automated equipment and associated disposables. This enables RNA production at any scale, ranging from small (R&D) to large, commercial production.
Launch of Univercells
In 2013, Univercells was created with the ambition to make biologics available and affordable to all.
Incubation within Univercells
The “Quantoom” project was incubated within Univercells with the vision to reinvent mRNA production. This initiative was inspired by insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic and made use of Univercells’ distinctive bioprocessing expertise.
Official launch of Quantoom Biosciences
The COVID-19 pandemic underlined the desperate need for technological innovation in manufacturing to provide a simple, scalable way to make RNA. By lowering the barriers to RNA production, we allow our partners that have previously not considered exploring RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, to gain access to RNA production capabilities and enter the market.
Collaboration with eTheRNA
Quantoom entered into a strategic collaboration to build an advanced, small footprint technology platform for the affordable production of RNA-based therapies. This platform was designed to be used either within existing facilities or rapidly deployed to areas of urgent need.
Grants of $13.9 million to support the development of the mRNA platform
The company received grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walloon Region of Belgium for an amount of $7.5 million (€ 6.7 million), and $6.4 million (€ 5.7 million), respectively.
Agreement for the first African-owned Covid-19 vaccine
The collaboration between Univercells and Afrigen Biologics (hosting the World Health Organization’s Global mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Hub) will focus on the development of a novel mRNA vaccine that will drastically accelerate access to vaccination by using Quantoom’s mRNA production technology. Afrigen Biologics and Univercells will be supported in the collaboration by mRNA specialist eTheRNA.
Installation of the 1st Ntensify midi
Quantoom Biosciences announces the installation of its first Ntensify midi system for mRNA vaccine production in the GMP facility of Afrigen Biologics in Cape Town, South Africa.
US R&D lab & showroom opening
A new nucleic acid R&D laboratory and showroom opened in Andover, Massachusetts, launching Quantoom Biosciences’ operations in North America.
Launch of the Ntensify mano
Quantoom Biosciences announces the extension of the Ntensify™ product line with the launch of Ntensify mano, an mRNA kit containing mixes of reagents for mRNA production and purification for research use.
Our expertise
Our world-class team of 85+ people bring together a depth and breadth of knowledge born from years of practical experience in the seamless scale-up of technology for bioprocessing manufacturing. Drawing from a collective decade-long track record in biomanufacturing, acquired at our parent company Univercells. Our team’s diverse skill set has equipped them to handle a diverse range of challenges and deliver innovative solutions.
Expertise in RNA
To support our mission of removing the barriers to making accessible and affordable mRNA-based vaccines, our international team is composed of experts with competencies ranging from in-silico to in-vivo experimental studies and analytical tools. Our brilliant minds have strong and complementary backgrounds in molecular and structural biology, process development, equipment engineering, qualification and validation, product development, and more.
Expertise in
Bioprocessing
Based on fundamental engineering principles, the idea is to intensify and introduce sequential-staggered production. This significantly reduces the footprint for easy transportation and optimization of cleanroom space. Manual steps are reduced which improves safety and product quality by advancing RNA production technologies, Quantoom Biosciences will drastically reduce production costs and improve the availability of life-saving biologics.
Expertise in
Formulation
Quantoom has built a highly-skilled team of international experts to develop Ncapsulate™, our RNA formulation system. The team can manage the development, screening and optimization of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) and polymer-based formulations for RNA delivery. We can also provide physicochemical, in vitro and in vivo characterization, including biodistribution and immune challenge for prophylactic vaccine application of RNA delivery systems. We provide services for the development of the entire RNA formulation process and manufacturing system.
Our partners
Driving innovation through strategic collaborations
Since its incorporation, Quantoom Biosciences has built strong partnerships with key international organizations and strategic institutions in order to develop truly affordable and accessible production technologies.
In June 2021, Quantoom Biosciences entered into a strategic collaboration with eTheRNA immunotherapies to develop a revolutionary RNA Production System (RPS) aimed at making RNA therapeutics more accessible and affordable globally. By combining their expertise, Quantoom and eTheRNA would pave the way for the widespread availability of essential RNA medicines, transforming the future of personalized healthcare.
The Afrigen partnership paves the way for the development of the first-ever African-owned COVID-19 vaccine. Afrigen hosts the World Health Organization’s Global mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Hub and is working to facilitate the production of mRNA vaccines at over 15 designated manufacturing sites in LMICs across the world. The collaboration focuses on development of a novel mRNA vaccine using intellectual property from the collaboration partners, as well as developing new IP, to supercharge access to the vaccine.
In early 2023, Quantoom Biosciences entered into a public-private partnership with Immunewatch and the University of Antwerp. The collaboration aims to assess if a detailed analysis of the T-cell receptor response can be utilized to inform vaccine design and augment the vaccine development process.
The proposed methodology is expected to significantly reduce both time and costs in the preclinical development of vaccines. To demonstrate its potential, the team has selected a rabies vaccine candidate as a proof-of-concept.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have collectively invested nearly £40 million to support a ‘one health’ approach to improving the health and wellbeing of animals and humans globally. The newly established Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM) will serve as a bridge, connecting research with expertise in process development and manufacturing.
The NucNanoFish project, led by ICRAD, has brought together a consortium of six partners with highly complementary expertise to develop new vaccines aimed at preventing viral diseases in fish to promote sustainable aquaculture. The consortium includes a company specializing in the nanodelivery of antigens and mRNA using lipid nanoparticles (LNP), four groups of fish immunovirologists and vaccinologists, and Quantoom Biosciences who will focus on DNA production.