The National Research Infrastructures on Integrated Structural Biology, Drug Screening Efforts & Drug target functional characterization. Co-financed by General Secretariat for Research and Technology (Greece) and the EU.

E. Saridakis (contact point), K. Yannakopoulou, I. M. Mavridis

Duration: 3/9/2018 - 30/9/2022. Budget for NCSRD: 220 000 €. Budget for the lab: 55 000 €

INSPIRED is a national distributed research infrastructure unique in the field of Structural Biology that combines studies on bioactive (macro)molecules interactions and biomarkers identification. It offers services mainly in the field of biology, diagnostics and pharmacology, addressing the needs of the health sector with significant impact on agrofood and concerns a large number of organizations (potential users and collaborators). It bridges basic research with the Industry and SMEs supporting innovative actions by either providing services or in the frame of funded programmes. It comprises two complementary infrastructures: INSTRUCT-EL (of which DEMOKRITOS is a node) and UPAT-RISF and is affiliated with the pan-European Research Infrastructure Consortium on «Integrated Structural Biology, Instruct-ERIC».

INSPIRED aims to address the needs of the scientific community which is active in the field of Structural Biology and in the broader field of Biosciences with ultimate aim the identification and studies of new biomolecules and bioactive compounds and their Pharmacological evaluation. ​

Through this, the integration of Structural Biology, combining Molecular Cellular and Genomic approaches, promotes research at regional level, trains new scientists and offers services to users of the South East Mediterranean Area and Cyprus underlining how the geopolitical position of Greece promotes the objectives of the Infrastructure.

The infrastructure is anticipated to contribute to the prevention of “Brain Drain” and in the employment of human potential performing competitive research in Greece. It is anticipated to employ at least 50 young researchers, with significant experience in state-of-the-art techniques and with great capacity in transfer of knowledge from abroad (Europe, USA, etc).