Principal Investigator
Prof. Emmanouil Flemetakis
Prof. Emmanouil Flemetakis serves as the Vice-Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) and is affiliated with the Laboratory of Molecular Biology within the Department of Biotechnology of AUA. His research encompasses cutting-edge molecular biology, biochemical, and biotechnology methodologies and their applications. This includes expertise in genomic, metagenomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic platforms, as well as proficiency in protein-protein interaction techniques and genetic transformation technologies for plants and microbes. In recent years, Flemetakis’s group has focused on elucidating the genetic, molecular, and biochemical mechanisms that govern the interaction between organisms and their biotic and abiotic environments.
They are actively involved in developing environmentally sustainable biotechnological processes and applications. Their work leverages, N 2 -fixing symbiotic soil bacteria, bacteriophages, marine and freshwater microalgae, and other beneficial microorganisms to enhance the resilience and productivity of plants and animals in response to climate change challenges. He has coordinated or actively participated in more than 25 national and international research projects.
Dr. E. Flemetakis has published more than 120 research papers in refereed journals and 150 abstracts in national and international conferences. He is a member of the editorial board of the Plant Biology and Marine Biotechnology journals, and active reviewer in many high impact scientific journals (Plant Physiology, New Phytology etc)
Host Institution - Agricultural University of Athens
Prof. Constantinos Ehaliotis
Constantinos EHALIOTIS, professor in the field of “Soil Fertility and Biology” at the Agricultural University of Athens. BSc/MSc in Agronomy and Plant Science, Agricultural University of Athens, M.Sc. Conservation of Soil Fertility, Wye College, University of London (in collaboration with the University of Kent), Ph.D. Soil Microbiology – Soil Fertility, Wye College, Univ. of London. He has 28 years of experience in research programs, having participated in 16 national and 10 European research programs.
Member of the NATURE 2000 Committee (central scientific, advisory body of the State for the coordination, monitoring and evaluation of policies and measures for the protection of Greek biodiversity) & of the Technical Advisory Committee on Fertilizers (TEGEL) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Rural Affairs. Research interests: Carbon and nitrogen cycles in soils, biodegradation processes, plant-microbe interactions in soils, microbial ecology of soil and rhizosphere, organic fertilizers, fertility – functions – biodiversity and restoration of soil ecosystems, salinity and drought stresses in natural and agricultural ecosystems, low input ecosystems. 132 conference abstracts/papers and 60 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals.
Citations: 2660 (Scopus); h-index: 32 (Scopus, February 2025).
Dr. Rodica-Catalina Efrose
Rodica Efrose holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi (TUIASI), Romania, obtained through a co-supervision program between TUIASI and the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Greece, as a Marie Curie Fellow (2004). After completing her PhD and postdoctoral studies in Greece, she joined the research teams at the University of Life Sciences, Iasi, and the Institute of Biological Research Iasi, where she has been a senior researcher since 2013. Since 2022, she has also been a research collaborator at the REXDAN Research Center, UDJG. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher at the Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Biotechnology. Her main research interests include: biodiversity studies and molecular taxonomic identification of plants and bacteria; assessment of physiological and molecular traits in Rhizobium-legume interactions; and genomic and biochemical characterization of plant responses to abiotic stresses using advanced omics technologies. She has expanded her research by applying molecular approaches to environmental studies, particularly in aquatic environments, to assess biodiversity and species conservation, document the effects of environmental pollution on species, study their adaptation to environmental changes, and evaluate microbial community structure and dynamics as potential indicators of environmental health. She has participated in over 25 national and international projects as a project director, mentor, or key expert. Her publications include 41 articles in peer-reviewed journals, with 402 citations and an h-index of 12 (Scopus). She has also presented at more than 80 international and national conferences. Additionally, she is a reviewer for national projects and peer-reviewed journals (including PLOS ONE and Plant Biology) and a member of scientific associations.
Dr. Myrto Tsiknia
Dr Myrto Tsiknia is a researcher associate in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Lab at the Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering of Agricultural University of Athens (AUA). She is an agronomist with her first degree from the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology of Agricultural University of Athens and an MSc in Environmental and Sanitary Engineering from the School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete (TUC). She was awarded her PhD on Soil Microbial Ecology from the School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete (TUC). Her research interests are on soil microbial ecology of plant-associated microbial communities and its drivers (biotic and abiotic), with focus on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Her work focusses on Mediterranean ecosystems that are under drought and salinity pressure, as a source of beneficial microorganisms that are co- adapted with their plant hosts in these harsh environments. She is particularly interested on the effects of plant-microbe interactions at the microbial community level (endophytic and/or rhizospheric) and she is an expert user of advanced statistics and bioinformatics for analysis of NGS data from amplicon sequencing of marker-genes. She has participated in fifteen relevant competitive research projects (EU funded or financially supported by the Greek State) as Research Associate. She is an active reviewer relevant SCI journals, and has authored/co-authored 18 papers in international peer-reviewed SCI journals (Citations: 559, h-index 12, Scopus) and she has 48 publications in proceedings of national and international conferences. She is currently national member of the Management Committee of the COST Action CA22142 “Beneficial root-associated microorganisms for sustainable agriculture (ROOT-BENEFIT)”
Msc. Peter Efstathopoulos
Peter Efstathopoulos is an assistant researcher in the Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Lab at the Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering of Agricultural University of Athens (AUA). Ηe holds an excellent Master’s degree in Systems Biology. He has gained significant work experience in various areas of the agricultural industry, including plant and agricultural marketing, product development and promotion, labor supervision, and research in the field of synergistic consortia of beneficial microorganisms. His research focuses on soil microbial ecology, particularly plant-associated microbial communities, and the factors influencing them (both biotic and abiotic), with a primary emphasis on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
He has worked in institutions such as the Agricultural University of Athens, plant nurseries and agricultural service companies, and has experience in e-sales and digital product promotion. In addition, he has participated in numerous seminars and training programs related to agricultural production, bioethics, crop management, and digital marketing.
He is well-versed in the use of statistical packages and data analysis tools, and has experience in laboratory techniques related to the analysis of antioxidant and bioactive properties of plant extracts. She is a native speaker of Greek, has a good command of English and has started learning Russian.
Apart from his professional interests, he is interested in photography and Byzantine music and has completed his military service as a reserve second lieutenant.
University of Thessaly
Dr. Daniela Tsikou
Daniela Tsikou has a first degree in Agriculture from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, an MSc in Plant Biotechnology and a PhD in the molecular plant-microbe interactions both awarded by the Agricultural University of Athens. She subsequently carried on her work as a postdoc at the University of Thessaly (4 years) and Aarhus
University (2 years). She is currently an Assistant Professor in Molecular and Developmental Plant Biology, in the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly. Her main research interests are (i) Symbiotic relationships of plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria, (ii) Legume-AMF-rhizobia tripartite association, (iii) The role of miRNAs in plant-microbe interactions, (iv) Screening of extracts from symbiotic plants for interesting biological activities, (v) Testing toxicity of compounds on the symbiosis of plants with beneficial
microbes. She has authored 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals (citations 955, h-index 15, Scopus) and she has 33 publications in proceedings of national and international conferences. She is editor of the journal Physiologia Plantarum and a regular reviewer of
peer-reviewed journals. She has received funding for research projects from Empeirikeion Foundation (2022) and Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I) (2023).
MSc. Polyxeni Gorgia
Polyxeni Gorgia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) and a Master’s degree in Applications of Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics and Diagnostic Biomarkers from the Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry at the University of Thessaly (UTh), both awarded with Honors. Following her Master’s studies, she joined the Plant & Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory at the same department as a research assistant. Her research lies in the area of plant-microbe interactions, particularly on the symbiotic associations of plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and the ecotoxicological effects of compounds on these symbioses. She has worked on two research projects, authored one publication in a peer-reviewed journal and participated in two conference announcements. She has experience in molecular biology and plant phenotypic techniques, along with limited experience in microbiology. In addition to her laboratory experience, she has a background in bioinformatics related to phylogenetics and sequence analysis, developed through her undergraduate thesis and an Erasmus+ internship at the Bioinformatics Research Laboratory at the University of Cyprus (UCY).
Hellenic Agricultural Organization (ELGO) DIMITRA
Dr. Mariangela Fotelli
Dr. Fotelli is a senior researcher, leading the lab of Forest Ecophysiology of the Forest Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Dimitra. She graduated with distinction from the Dept of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and holds a PhD on tree physiology – forest ecophysiology from Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany for which she has been awarded the Thurn und Taxis Prize from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Dr. Fotelli has performed post-doctoral studies at the Agricultural University of Athens, the Forest Research Institute of Thessaloniki, and the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece and has active collaborations with academic and research institutions and companies in Greece and abroad. She has been involved in 30 national, EU and regional research projects (in 11 as PI and Coordinator) and participates in several international scientific networks (3 Cost Actions, the eLTER network, ICP Forests, EFI, IUFRO).
Dr. Fotelli has authored 43
papers with >2000 citations in international peer-reviewed journals and >80 announcements in national and international conferences.
She is academic Editor and member of the editorial board of peer reviewed journals, evaluator of international projects and is supervisor of 3 PhD and 7 MSc students (4 completed). Her current research interest is focused on the nitrogen, water and carbon balance in forest species under diverse abiotic and biotic stresses.
Dr. Christos Damianidis
Dr. Christos Damianidis has graduated from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and he is a vegetation–flora scientist specializing in vegetation ecology and classification, plant ecology and geography, and their conservation. He has experience in vegetation mapping, vegetation sampling, data analysis and classification methods, as well as plant specimen identification. He has worked on various research projects, mainly focusing on the assessment of conservation status of habitat types, vegetation mapping, and the protection of plant species. Additionally, he has been awarded a research scholarship for the implementation of the project “The future of Greek fir forests under the lens of climate change.”
Dr Ilias Karmiris
Dr Ilias Karmiris is a senior researcher at Forest Research Institute (Thessaloniki, Greece). He received his M.Sc. degree in 2002 and holds a Ph.D. in Rangeland Ecology and Management (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece) since 2006.
He has conducted nine postdoctoral research studies during the period 2006-2016 and he has been involved in 48 national, EU and regional research projects. He has authored more than 80 peer reviewed articles in international scientific journals, scientific annals, national and international conferences, and book chapters with more
than 300 citations. His main research interests are livestock – wildlife interactions, multiple management of grazing lands, behavior of herbivores and plant – animal interactions.
PhD Giorgos Xanthopoulos
Giorgos Xanthopoulos is a research assistant at the Forest Research Institute of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization Dimitra. He graduated with distinction from the Democritus University of Thrace and holds a MSc in Conservation and Restoration of Terrestrial Natural Ecosystems. Since 2022 he is a PhD student in the field of forest ecophysiology, with emphasis on the carbon and water balance of natural Aleppo pine forests. He has worked so far on 6 research projects, authored one publication and participated in 8 announcements in national and international projects. He has experience in a broad range of ecophysiological assessments in forest and rangeland ecosystems and has been trained at the University of Münster, Germany and at INRAE, France in respective methodologies.
Dr Natasa Kiorapostolou
Natasa Kiorapostolou is an associate postdoctoral researcher at the Forest Research Institute of ELGO DIMITRA. She graduated in 2013 from the Department of Forestry and Natural Environment at AUTH. In 2015, she obtained a Master’s degree in Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and in 2020, a PhD in Forest Ecophysiology from the University of Padova in Italy. Additionally, in 2023, she obtained an MBA from the Hellenic Open University. Since 2016, she has collaborated with organizations on the management and implementation of co-financed projects (mostly on environmental and social topics). She has published 9 papers in international peer reviewed scientific journals with a high impact factor and has presented 14 presentations/poster at international and national conferences. Her research focuses on understanding tree growth under different environmental conditions. She has a very strong experience in the implementation and management of funded projects (narrative and financial).
This project is carried out within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU (Implementation body: HFRI).