Democritus University of Thrace

Greece

The Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics (MBG-DUTH) (www.mbg.duth.gr) of Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) was established in 1999 in Alexandroupolis, Greece with a vision to become a Leader Institution in Education and Research.  MBG is the only University Department in Greece dedicated to providing a curriculum in Molecular Biology and Genetics, two fast growing scientific disciplines that lie in the heart of Innovation in Health, Food, Environment and Agriculture. Most research efforts at MBG aim to create exploitable knowledge with impact in three main areas:  (i) Biomedicine, in particular research for the benefit of Human health, (ii) Biotechnology, with emphasis in Applied Microbiology and the study of Natural Products and (iii) Molecular Agrobiology. The team members are interested in studying natural bioactive compounds and food bio-actives (probiotics) with the aim of bringing together the results of fundamental and applied research towards the development of novel chemo-preventive agents, cosmeceuticals as well as novel functional foods with health promoting properties.

Main tasks: MBG-DU is responsible for the (1) determination of the anti-cancer and (2) anti-mutagenic potential of selected surfactants based on the required characteristics set by the end-users.

Website: http://www.duth.gr

 

Profile of staff engaged in the Project:

Dr. Aglaia Pappa

Aglaia Pappa, PhD (F) is an Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology. She received her PhD degree in Biological pappaChemistry/Pharmacology from the University of Ioannina, Greece. She performed her postdoctoral training in the fields of Molecular Toxicology/Pharmacology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, CO and Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Her current research interests include the study of the cellular and molecular responses to endogenous or exogenous stress and their implication in human physiology and disease pathogenesis as well as the use of antioxidants/natural products in the intervention of aberrant cell stress responses tightly linked to many common human diseases, such as cancer. Dr Pappa has  over ten  years  of  experience as Principle Investigator in  leading and successfully administering  a number of EU-funded  and/or co-funded  research  in the areas of molecular toxicology, biochemical nutrition and disease pathogenesis.

Dr. Alexis Galanis

galanisAlexis Galanis, PhD (M) is an Assistant Professor in Molecular Biology. He received his PhD in Biochemistry & Genetics from the Department of Biochemistry & Genetics at the University of Newcastle, UK, and performed his postdoctoral research training at University of Manchester, UK. His research interests focus on gene expression and signal transduction. He is involved in a number of EU- co-funded research projects in the areas of molecular microbiology, biochemical nutrition and cellular mechanisms of disease.