EDUCATION

2019: PhD in Structural Biology and Protein Biomaterials (UoC, IMBB-FORTH - Greece)

2012: M.Sc. in Protein Biotechnology (UoC-Greece)

2009: Diploma Degree in Biology (UoC-Greece)

 

WORKING EXPERIENCE

Oct 2019 – Now: Post-Doctoral Researcher at I.M.B.B.-F.O.R.TH, Greece
                                (Laboratory of Structural Biology)

Sep 2020 – Now: Autonomous teaching and exam organizing of the under-graduate courses
                                "Enzymatic Biotechnology" and “Protein Engineering” at the Dept. of
                                 Biology of the Uni. of Crete

2014 – 2020:  Experienced scientist position at I.M.B.B.-F.O.R.TH, Greece (InnovCrete project /FP7-Regpot  program) and at University of Crete

Oct. 2010 –Jan. 2011: Laboratory Teaching Assistant of Microbiology Teaching Lab

                                        at the Dept. of Biology, Uni. of Crete

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

*Kefala K., Kotsifaki D., Providaki M., Kapetaniou E., Rahme L. and Kokkinidis M. Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the C-terminal fragment of the MvfR protein of  Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (2012). Acta. Cryst F, 68, 695-697

*Kefala A., Kotsifaki D., Providaki M., Amprazi M. and Kokkinidis M. Expression, purification and crystallization of a protein resulting from the inversion of the aminoacid sequence of a helical bundle. (2017). ). Acta. Cryst F, 73, 51-53

 Dimovasili C., Fadouloglou V.E.,  Kefala A.,  Providaki M., Kotsifaki D,  Sarrou I.,  Plaitakis A.,  Zaganas I. and Kokkinidis M. Crystal structure of glutamate dehydrogenase 2, a positively selected novel human enzyme involved in brain biology and cancer pathophysiology. Journal of Neurochemistry (accepted) 

 

RESEARCH PROFILE

Being in a Structural Biology group since 2011, Dr. Kefala A. has studied deeply the protein folding problem, elucidating the relation between amino acid sequence and structural properties of α-helical bundles. The knowledge obtained was used for protein design leading to bio-derived materials for bio-medical applications and basic research through structural studies of protein folding through reverse sequences.

Notable achievements include: 

The elucidation of the protein folding of mutants of the α-helical protein Rop that is used as a canonical paradigm of this structural motif.

Protein design of novel protein-based biomaterials with specific engineered properties.

 

"Michael Kokkinidis (ΜΚ): Professor of Structural Biology (Department of Biology/ University of Crete) and member of the FORTH/ IMBB faculty, heading the Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory/ Structural Biology Division. Research interests: neurotransmitters, antibiotic peptides, mathematical modeling of neural networks, the protein folding problem, enzymatic mechanisms, protein-DNA interactions and bacterial pathogenesis. He has published over 110 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals (Nature Structural Biology, EMBO J., PNAS, JACS, mBio etc., invited speaker in approx. 100 national and international conferences and workshops, co-organizer of approximately 50 conferences, workshops and international summer schools. He has successfully applied for national and international research funding (>10 M €) and has coordinated a large number of national, EU and UNIDO research consortia. A significant part of these funds has been dedicated to the development of protein research and computational facilities of IMBB and UoC, for the benefit of all research groups. MK has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, National Representative/ESFRI Program (EU), the ESUO User Committee, CalipsoPlus Program. He has also served as National Coordinator of the XFEL Project, Focal Point Coordinator at ICGEB/ Trieste, EU representative at the Human Frontier Science Program Organization and as member of the EU-China Protein Engineering Committee. Member of the Government Committee (ΤΕΣ) for Biosciences and the ELIDEK committee. MK served as Deputy Director of the “Protein Biotechnology” Graduate Programme of UoC. He has supervised a large number of Diploma, Master's and PhD theses at Greek and other European Universities. "

EDUCATION

2019: International Diploma in Business Administration (ELKEDIM. Lifelong LC, Greece)

2012: PhD in Structural Biology and Protein Biomaterials (UoC, IMBB-FORTH - Greece)

2007: M.Sc. in Protein Biotechnology (UoC-Greece)

2005: Diploma Degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology (UoT-Greece)

 

WORKING EXPERIENCE

May 2016 – Now: Post-Doctoral Researcher at I.M.B.B.-F.O.R.TH, Greece
                                (Laboratory of Structural Biology)

Nov. 2012 – Apr. 2016:  Experienced scientist position at I.M.B.B.-F.O.R.TH, Greece

                                          (InnovCrete project /FP7-Regpot program)

Sept 2019 – Now: Autonomous teaching and exam organizing of the under-graduate courses
                                "Enzymatic Biotechnology" and “Protein Engineering” at the Dept. of
                                 Biology of the Uni. of Crete
Oct. 2006 –Jan. 2007: Laboratory Teaching Assistant of Microbiology Teaching Lab

                                        at the Dept. of Biology, Uni. of Crete

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Mermigka G, Amprazi M, Mentzelopoulou A, Amartolou A, Sarris PF (2020) Plant and Animal Innate Immunity Complexes: Fighting Different Enemies with Similar Weapons. Trends Plant Sci. 2020 Jan;25(1):80-91

Kefala K., Kotsifaki D., Providaki M., Amprazi M. and Kokkinidis M. (2017) Expression, purification and crystallization of a protein resulting from the  inversion of the amino-acid sequence of a helical bundle. Acta. Cryst F, 73(1), 51-53

Amprazi M., Kotsifaki D., Providaki M.,  Kapetaniou EG., Fellas G., Kyriazidis I.,Perez J.and Kokkinidis M. (2014) Structural plasticity of 4-α-helical bundles exemplified by the puzzle-like molecular assembly of the Rop protein. PNAS. 111(30): 11049-54

Ambrazi M., Fellas G., Kapetaniou EG., Kotsifaki D., Providaki M. and Kokkinidis M. (2008) Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a variant of the ColE1 Rop protein. Acta Cryst. F 64: 432–434

 

SCΗOLARSHIPS, AWARDS and GRANTS

Grant "Support for Researchers, with Emphasis on Young Researchers" of the Ministry of Education's Education and Lifelong Learning Program (40.600 euro) (2018)

Short-Term Fellowship by FEBS (2.000 euro) (2012) and Short-Term Fellowship by EMBO (9.000 euro)(2011)

Scholarship “HRAKLEITOS II” for perusing a PhD of the Hellenic Ministry of Education, co-funded by (ESF) & National Source (45.000 euro) (2009-2012)

 

RESEARCH PROFILE

Being in a Structural Biology group since 2006, Maria Amprazi has studied deeply the protein folding problem, elucidating the relation between amino acid sequence and structural properties of α-helical bundles. The knowledge obtained was used for protein design leading to bio-derived materials for bio-medical applications.

Notable achievements include: 

The elucidation of the protein folding pathway of the α-helical protein Rop that is used as a canonical paradigm of this structural motif.

Protein design of novel protein-based biomaterials with specific engineered properties.

Design and production of protein scaffolds that lead to restriction enzymes with new specificities, finding great application in gene therapy.