RESEARCH INTERESTS

Analytical chemistry, cyanobacteria, isolation, bioactive compounds

ABOUT/BIOGRAPHY

Aikaterina Paraskevopoulou graduated from the School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) (BSc 2016) and received her Master Degree on “Materials Science and Technology” from the same department (NTUA) (MSc 2018). Since October 2018, she has been a PhD candidate in the Laboratory of Photo- Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry at the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN), NCSR “Demokritos” (Primary supervisor: Dr. T. Triantis) and works for the development of methods for the isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria biomass. In the frame of her PhD thesis, see also performed contractual work (2019-2021) supporting the research program entitled: “Bioconversion of CO2 into High-added Value bioproducts through sustainable microalgae cultivation processes – CO2 Bioproducts”. Since June 2021, she has been working as a research associate at the Doping Control Laboratory of Athens (DCLA), of the Institute of Life Sciences & Applications, NCSR "DEMOKRITOS”. Ms. Paraskevopoulou’s research activities include the following areas:

  • Development of methods for the extraction and the isolation of bioactive compounds from cyanobacterial biomass (liquid-solid, liquid-liquid, SPE and HS-SPME extraction) and appropriate protocols for the fractionation of cyanobacterial biomass extracts (normal and reverse phase column chromatography).
  • Development and application of methods for the detection and identification of a wide range of organic compounds (proteins, carotenoids, toxins, amino acids, volatile organic compounds) using modern analytical techniques (TLC, HPLC-PDA, HPLC-MS/MS, HILIC-MS/MS, GC-MS, GC-MS/MS). For the identification of volatile organic compounds, a protocol based on AMDIS software has been also developed.
  • Development of appropriate protocols for the study of the antioxidant activity of cyanobacterial biomass extracts and their bioactivity using appropriate enzyme assays.
  • Analysis of urine, blood and alternative biological samples from athletes for the detection of hormones and prohibited doping substances, using GC-MS/MS and GC-C/IRMS analysis.
  • Method validation of prohibited doping substances using GC-MS/MS and GC-C/IRMS.

To date she has participated in three scientific publications, three international and two Greek scientific conferences.

PUBLICATIONS

Sevasti-Kiriaki Zervou, Kimon Moschandreou, Aikaterina Paraskevopoulou, Christophoros Christophoridis, Elpida Grigoriadou, Triantafyllos Kaloudis, Theodoros M. Triantis, Vasiliki Tsiaoussi and Anastasia Hiskia, Cyanobacterial Toxins and Peptides in Lake Vegoritis, Greece Toxins, MDPI AG, Volume 13, Pages: 394, 2021 [doi]

ANASTASIA HISKIA, Noura Alice Hammoud, Sevasti-Kiriaki Zervou, Triantafyllos Kaloudis, Christophoros Christophoridis, Aikaterina Paraskevopoulou, Theodoros M. Triantis, Kamal Slim, Joanna Szpunar, Ali Fadel, Ryszard Lobinski and Anastasia Hiskia, Investigation of the Occurrence of Cyanotoxins in Lake Karaoun (Lebanon) by Mass Spectrometry, Bioassays and Molecular Methods Toxins, 2021 [doi]

Vergou, Y., Touraki, M., Paraskevopoulou, A., Triantis, T.M., Hiskia, A. and Gkelis, S., ?-?-Methylamino-L-alanine interferes with nitrogen assimilation in the cyanobacterium, non-BMAA producer, Synechococcus sp. TAU-MAC 0499 Toxicon, Volume 185, Pages: 147-155, 2020 [doi]

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