Hard Skills
Animal handling.
Mouse handling, euthanisation and dissection to remove organs, under aseptic conditions.
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Cellular Biology.
Bacterial cell cultures, using various solid and liquid media.
Organisms: Escherichia coli, Thermus thermophilus.
In vivo characterisation of protein functionality (genetic complementation assays).
Eukaryotic cell culture (primary cells, clinical malignant cells-leukemias), One way Mixed Lymphocyte
Reactions, Proliferation assays with 3HTdR.
Isolation of cell populations from mouse spleen, using magnetic beads.
Molecular Biology-Protein Engineering.
Cloning, single-point mutations, incorporation of restriction sites, PCR, domain deletions-swaps.
Transformation of bacterial cells with plasmid vectors carrying engineered genes.
Banking of bacterial strains carrying engineered plasmids.
Processing of proteins and cellular compartments.
Upstream Processing; Heterologous/recombinant Protein expression in E.coli; Bacterial growth (small
scale - large scale, use of fermentors up to 30L); Optimisation of heterologous protein expression.
Downstream processing of proteins; Removal of insoluble material; Solubilisation of inclusion bodies;
Protein refolding; Protein purification using with various liquid chromatography technologies.
Separation and purification of cytoplasmic and outer membrane vesicles from E.coli; Extraction of
proteins from isolated membranes using detergents.
Equipment: Constant systems 1.1 kW TS cell disruptor, Soni-Prep 150 - Sonicator, ÅKTA Purifier 100,
Chromatography Columns GE (Size Exclusion, IMAC, Ion Exchange Chromatography,
Buffer Exchange), BioRad GelDoc EZ.
Membrane Proteins
Expression and solubilisation of membrane proteins and isolation with liquid chromatography.
Antibody technologies.
Small scale, isolation of monoclonal antibodies produced from B-lymphocyte hybridoma (HB-225),
using Protein A Sepharose CL-4B columns.
Use of antibodies against membrane receptors for intact cell ELISA.
Use of antibodies for the detection of secreted cytokines with ELISA.
Immobilisation of IgG on magnetic beads, used to capture cells and proteins from serum.
Monitoring of antibody production (IgM), from immunised B-cells.
Western Blots for detection of proteins.
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Biochemical and Biophysical methods.
Enzymology, Biochemical characterisation of purified proteins (Arrhenious plots, Native PAGE, Protein
chromatography).
Analysis of occupancy, of membrane receptors and deduction of affinities using radio-labelled tracers.
Analysis of protein-small molecule interactions using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry.
In vitro functional reconstitution, of multi-protein systems, on membrane receptors and RNA-ligation.
Use of proteases, to reveal conformational states/dynamics of purified proteins.
Biophysical characterisation of purified proteins (Thermal Shift, Aggregation, Secondary Structure).
Screens to obtain protein crystals.
Equipment: MicroCal Auto-iTC200,Cary Eclipse fluorimeter, Circular Dichroism (Jasco J1500),
Dynamic Light Scattering, Malvern Zetasizer APS, Art Robbins Gryphon nanolitre pipetting
robot, Differential Scanning Fluorimetry, iQ5 Real-Time PCR Detection System, BioRad.
Target based early drug discovery.
Solubility tests of hit compounds generated from High Throughput Screening campaigns.
Validation of inhibitory activity of hits by; a) using ortholog proteins cloned from various human and
animal parasites; b) orthogonal assays for the detection of compound/target interaction.
Computer literacy.
Swiss PDB viewer, Pymol, Graph Pad Prism, Vector-NTI, Image analysis-quantitation software, protein
parameter calculation, protein structure analysis, image manipulation software ACD Canvas, Adobe
Illustrator and Photoshop, databases and internet.
Soft Skills
Team player with effective communication skills.
I have collaborated successfully and resolved communication issues that arose with researchers of different scientific backgrounds and levels of experience, to complete original projects as proven by the published projects I was involved in.
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Adaptive to new working environment and able to take initiative and complete tasks on my own.
During my career in scientific research, I have moved to different laboratories, located at different countries that were working on divergent projects (Mammalian Immunology, Molecular Bacteriology and Protein Biochemistry and Drug Discovery) and in all positions I managed to adapt fast and contribute significantly. I flourish under minimal supervision, I am productive and bring original ideas to projects helping in its materialisation, as proven by my publication record and all the papers that have been accepted for oral and poster presentations at international scientific meetings.
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Empathic and helpful to colleagues.
I always offer my expertise to help junior or senior researchers, even in the absence of any personal gain. I believe that the dissemination of knowledge, whenever there are no Intellectual Property restrictions, is the motive power behind good collaboration.
Supervising Skills
Supervised undergraduate and graduate students.
• Institute of Immunology and Infection, University of Edinburgh, U.K. (2016-present)
• Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium (2014-2015).
• Department of Biology, University of Crete, Greece (2008-2013).
Teaching assistant:
• Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium (2014-2015).
Undergraduate practical exercises in Molecular Bacteriology.
• Department of Biology, University of Crete, Greece (Feb. 2008-May 2008).
Undergraduate laboratory exercises in Methods of Molecular and Cellular Biology.
• Department of Biology, University of Crete, Greece (Sept. 2007-Dec. 2007).
Undergraduate laboratory exercises in Immunology.
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