Research 

Our research interests cover a variety of topics within photosynthetic microorganisms’ diversity, ecotoxicology and evolution. Currently our research focus is on understanding the processes underlying bloom formation, secondary metabolites production and biogeography in cyanobacteria. My approach is to study these processes by investigating genetic diversity, population structure, dispersal, and local adaptation by classic and metagenomics research.

Together with my research group and collaborators we are currently focusing on:

I. Exploring the biodiversity (morphological, genetic) of photosynthetic organisms; mapping their diversity by classic and metagenomics research. Diversity and ecology of algal blooms.

II.  Prokaryotic and eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms’ phylogeny.

III.  Diversity of bioactive compounds (peptides, alkaloids) in cyanobacteria strains and natural populations, and in aquatic animals’ tissues. Effects in plants and cell cultures.

IV. Biodiversity informatics. Biodiversity databases. 

Projects 

Pilot cultivation of locally isolated Dunaliella strains for the production of β-carotene (PILOUS)

Cyanolab is happy to announce that the project PILOUS «Pilot cultivation of locally isolated Dunaliella strains for the production of β-carotene» is almost ready to launch. The project is founded by the GSRT in the context of the national action: «Special Actions "Aquaculture" - "Industrial Materials" - "Open Innovation in Culture"» of the Operational Program "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (EPAnEK).

Subject and Objectives of the Project

In the context of blue growth in Greece, the PILOUS project aims to implement an innovative, sustainable and holistic model of actions in the sectors of applied research and technological development towards the production of high added-value biotechnological products derived from the biomass of local species of the microalgae Dunaliella. The genus Dunaliella presents a cosmopolitan distribution, colonizing environments of high salinity, including the salt works of Greece. The flagellated cells of Dunaliella salina are the richest natural source of the beta-carotene, a substance that presents a growing commercial demand at a global level and a wide range of applications. In addition, β-carotene isolated from the biomass of Dunaliella strains, is one of the few microalgae-based ingredients that has been authorized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as a food ingredient.

Bioconversion of CO₂ into high-added value bioproducts through sustainable microalgae cultivation processes

Anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG), of which carbon dioxide (CO₂) accounts for up to 68% of total emissions, are responsible for global climate change. Microalgae and cyanobacteria can grow much faster than terrestrial plants, and their CO₂-fixation efficiency is about 10-50 times better. Microalgal-CO₂ fixation is environmentally sustainable when combined with other environmental-protecting processes, such as wastewater treatment or heavy metal removal.

CO₂-BioProducts is a cross-disciplinary and multi-partner project, as six research and academic institutes and two industries; Greece’s largest power plant and a Spirulina farm, join alliances in order to cohere heavy metal removal and production of high-added value compounds.

CyanoLab AUTH is also on of the main partners of this project, with Phd students Urania Lortou and Manthos Panou testing and characterisng strains from the TAU-MAC culture collection for CO₂ tollerance, under the supervision and co-ordination of Spyros Gkelis.

This research is co-financed by the Operational Program "Competitiveness, Internship, Innovation"
co‐financed by the European Union and Greek national funds.

New bioactive compounds with anticancer/antioxidant potential from sponge-associated cyanobacteria

Marine cyanobacteria are considered a rich source of bioactive natural products with promising anticancer and antioxidant activities. A significant number of compounds derived from cyanobacteria have been found to induce cytotoxicity in several cancer cell lines and currently, some of them are in different phases of clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. In the current project, we aim, for the first time, to investigate the potential of cytotoxicity of sponge-associated cyanobacteria extracts to several cancer cell lines, as well their antioxidant potential.

The project is implemented by Dr. Eleni Mavrogonatou, Dr. Kiraki-Sevasti Zervou and PhD student Despoina Konstantinou under the co-ordination of Spyros Gkelis.

This research is co-financed by the Operational Program "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning" and  by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national funds.

Cyanobacteria-sponges symbiosis: diversity, co-evolution, secondary metabolites

 Strain TAU-MAC 1315, a possible new species and genus within Schizothrichaceae, isolated from the sponge Aplysina aerophoba. [images from Konstantinou et al. 2018 Plos One]Sponge associated microbes have determined key roles in the evolutionary history and ecological success of sponges. Cyanobacterial symbionts live in association with more than 100 sponge species. 

Volatile and odorous cyanobacteria metabolites

 Some T&O compound identified in cyanobacteria strains of the TAU-MAC collection. [image from Kaloudis et al. 2018, SETAC Europe 28th, Rome, Italy]