The Department for Arctic and Antarctic Research is made up of scientific researchers specialising in life sciences, concerned with understanding the evolution and diversity of life in Antarctica and the Arctic area, and who are available and prepared to participate in a research expedition in a cold and isolated environment.
Moreover, they have to fulfil other additional conditions imposed by our partner, KOPRI, regarding their expertise in the scientific field, but also the standard of health of the team.
The ROICE Team 2015, presented below, is coordinate by Dr. Manuela Elisabeta Sidoroff – General Manager of INCDSB and Vice President of CNCA within the Romanian Academy, together with Acad. Octavian Popescu – IBB Director and Scientific Coordinator for Life Sciences of CNCA within the Romanian Academy.
Dr. Cristina Purcărea – Expedition Leader

Senior Research Scientist Grade I, employed at INCDSB through the scientific research project PN 0936109. PhD in Enzymology 1995 – University Paris Sud, France.
She is specialized in extremophile microorganisms, microbial diversity, ecology and evolution, in genetic diversity and population dynamics of bacteria and archaea in glacial environments, in molecular adaptation mechanisms to extreme temperature environment, and in human archaeal microbiota. Also, she is specialized in nanotechnologies and medical applications of extremophiles and extremozymes.
“What if Research, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Research… perhaps… means a little bit more!” (Paraphrase of Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!)
Dr. Cristian Coman – Logistic coordinator of the expedition

Senior Research Scientist Grade III at the National Institute of Research – Development of Biological Sciences, (Institute of Biological Research – ICB Cluj-Napoca). Head of the Algology group at the Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, Member in the Advisory Board at the Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca. Member in the Scientific Council at the National Institute for Research and Development in Biological Sciences Bucharest (NIRDBS).
His researches are focused on algological and ambient molecular microbiology, on geomicrobiology and metagenomics. He is particularly interested in studies on the biodiversity and functionality of the microbial ecosystems associated with extreme environments such as geothermal springs, alkaline lakes, polar habitats, etc.
“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.” (Louis Pasteur)
DhD. Corina Ițcuș – Expedition team member

Research Assistant employed at INCDSB through the scientific research project PN 0936109.
She is specialised in glacial environment research, which aims to understand the interactions of microorganism communities, as well as the correlation between their structure and their chronological distribution. She also specialises in microbial diversity and the ecology of glacial environments, the impact of climate change on the structure and function of the microcosm in glacial environments, as well as microbial molecular biology, environmental microbiology and extremophile microorganisms.
“If Antarctica were music it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature, and it would be Shakespeare. And yet it is something even greater; the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame it.” (Andrew Denton)