Marcel grew up in a small village in the Netherlands, located right on the German border. After high school, he enrolled in the Molecular Life Sciences program at Wageningen University, a multidisciplinary curriculum combining biology, chemistry, and physics.
During his Master’s studies, he was drawn to plant developmental biology due to the flexible nature of plant development. It was here that he began building a specialized skillset in advanced fluorescence microscopy. He continued this research during his PhD in Heidelberg, further refining his microscopy techniques while acquiring new expertise in image analysis.
Driven by a keen interest in technology, Marcel joined the Hilbert lab following his PhD. This passion for tech also extends to his personal life, where he enjoys creative web development, building computers, and gaming. You can find some of his extra-curricular creative projects on his online portfolio at www.koalakoka.com. To top it all off, he also occasionally performs as a DJ.