Nektarios Tavernarakis
Νεκτάριος Νικολάου Ταβερναράκης
Nektarios Tavernarakis at the Foundation for Research & Technology in Heraklion Crete, Greece (ca. 2020)
Born (1967-05-02) May 2, 1967
Heraklion, Crete, Greece
NationalityGreek
CitizenshipGreek
EducationBSc: Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1989)
PhD: Molecular Genetics, University of Crete (1995)
Alma materAristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Known forAgeing, Necrosis, Neurodegeneration
AwardsEuropean Research Council (ERC) Advanced Investigator grant award (twice)
European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept grant award
EMBO Young Investigator award
Academy of Athens BioMedical Research Award
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel research award
Galien Scientific Research Award
Helmholtz International Fellow Award
Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) long-term postdoctoral fellowship
Bodossaki Foundation Scientific Prize for Medicine and Biology
Foundation for Research and Technology Research Excellence award
Empeirikeion Foundation Academic Excellence Prize
Scientific career
FieldsBiology, Cell Biology, Ageing, Neurodegeneration, Systems Biology, Metabolism
InstitutionsFoundation for Research & Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB)
University of Crete, Medical School
ThesisThe yeast transcriptional activator Gcn4p: Expression and function (1995)
Websitewww.elegans.gr
Notes
Member of the Academy of Athens, the German National Academy of Sciences-Leopoldina, the European Academy of Sciences, the EMBO, Academia Europaea, & the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Fellow of the AAAS. Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. Chairman of the EIT Governing Board. Vice President of the ERC Scientific Council.

Nektarios N. Tavernarakis (Greek: Νεκτάριος Ν. Ταβερναράκης) is a Greek bioscientist, who studies Ageing, Cell death, and Neurodegeneration.[1][2] He is currently Distinguished Professor of Molecular Systems Biology at the Medical School of the University of Crete, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Foundation for Research and Technology, in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. He is also the founder and first Director of the Graduate Program in Bioinformatics of the University of Crete Medical School, and has served as Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, where he is heading the Neurogenetics and Ageing laboratory. He was elected Vice President of the European Research Council (ERC) in 2020,[3] and Chairman of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board and Executive Committee in 2022.[4]

Early years

Nektarios Tavernarakis was born and grew up in Megali Vrisi,[5] a small village in the municipality of Gortyna, about 30 Km to the south of Heraklion, and graduated with honours from the 1st High School of Heraklion (Kapetanakeio).[6]

Biographical information

Nektarios Tavernarakis completed his undergraduate studies at the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University, in Thessaloniki, Greece (graduated with honours in 1989), and obtained his PhD degree from the Department of Biology of the University of Crete, in Heraklion, Greece, having received the best PhD Thesis Award. He trained as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry of Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA. He has made notable contributions relevant to cell death, neurodegeneration and ageing, documented in the scientific literature.[7][8]

In 2020, Nektarios Tavernarakis was elected Vice President of the European Research Council (ERC),[3] and in 2022, he became Chairman of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board,[4] He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO),[9] the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc),[10] Academia Europaea,[11] the German National Academy of Sciences-Leopoldina[12] and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA).[13] He is also a corresponding member of the Academy of Athens,[14] and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).[15]

His work has received several prominent awards and scientific prizes, including two European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Investigator grant awards (in 2008 and 2016),[16][17] a European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept grant award,[18] the EMBO Young Investigator award, the International Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) long-term postdoctoral fellowship, the BioMedical Research Award of the Academy of Athens, the Valergakis Post-Graduate Award of the Hellenic University Club of New York, the Galien Scientific Research Award,[19] the Helmholtz International Fellow Award,[20] the Bodossaki Foundation Scientific Prize for Medicine and Biology, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel research award, the Research Excellence award of the Foundation for Research and Technology, and the Empeirikeion Foundation Academic Excellence Prize, among others.

Research and scientific achievements

Nektarios Tavernarakis has contributed to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of necrotic cell death and neurodegeneration, the interplay between cellular metabolism and ageing, the mechanisms of sensory transduction and integration by the nervous system.[21][22] He has also contributed towards the development of novel genetic tools for biomedical research, including an RNA interference (RNAi) method that allows efficient knockdown of neuronal genes.[23] His PhD Thesis research focused on the expression and function of key stress response transcriptional activators in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and provided original insights on the regulation of these activators by nutrient limitation, and the role of DNA in determining interactions between transcription factors and co-factors.[24] His laboratory at IMBB was the first to commence Caenorhabditis elegans research in Greece. He has published more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, such as Nature. His work has received more than 55,000 citations.[25] Among the notable discoveries of his team are the sophisticated molecular mechanisms, by which diverse physiological signals are integrated to modulate cellular mitochondrial content,[26] protein synthesis,[27][28] and energy homeostasis during ageing.[29] These studies revealed intricate signaling pathways that coordinate mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis, to determine the number of mitochondria in cells, under stress and during ageing.[30][31][32] Work from his lab implicated autophagy,[33] lysosomal function,[34][35] endocytosis,[36] intracellular calcium homeostasis[37] and specific proteolytic enzymes[38] as major contributors to necrosis and neurodegeneration. His group developed, for the first time, experimental heat stroke models; and identified mechanisms protecting against heat cytotoxicity and other necrotic insults.[39] He has isolated and characterized specific ion channels, involved in proprioception and coordinated locomotion,[40] in dopaminergic signalling and associative learning.[41] His team was the first to delineate the role of autophagy in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and behaviour under nutrient deprivation and stress.[42][43] Work in his laboratory also led to the identification of specific nuclear autophagy mediators and the characterization of their role in ageing and germline immortality.[44][45]

Personal life

Nektarios Tavernarakis is married and the father of two daughters. He is a licensed radio amateur, active mainly in the VHF, UHF and SHF radio bands. His callsign is SV9IOR.[46][47]

Selected awards and distinctions

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ Search Results for author Tavernarakis N on PubMed.
  2. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis - Google Scholar". Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  3. 1 2 Composition of the ERC Scientific Council on the site of ERC: https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/erc-president-and-scientific-council
  4. 1 2 Nektarios Tavernarakis appointed EIT Governing Board Chair: https://eit.europa.eu/news-events/news/nektarios-tavernarakis-appointed-eit-governing-board-chair
  5. ↑ "Megali Vrisi, Towns and villages - Heraklion".
  6. ↑ "1ο Γενικό Λύκειο Ηρακλείου (Καπετανάκειο)".
  7. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis B-9684-2013". ResearcherID.com. 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  8. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis (0000-0002-5253-1466) - ORCID | Connecting Research and Researchers". ORCID. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  9. 1 2 "EMBO members". Embo.org. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  10. 1 2 "Members – European Academy of Sciences".
  11. 1 2 "Academy of Europe: Tavernarakis Nektarios". Ae-info.org. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  12. 1 2 "Prof. Dr. Nektarios Tavernarakis". leopoldina.org.
  13. 1 2 "European Academy of Sciences and Arts members". euro-acad.eu.
  14. 1 2 "Εκλογή του Καθηγητή της Ιατρικής Σχολής του Πανεπιστημίου Κρήτης κ. Νεκτάριου Ταβερναράκη ως αντεπιστέλλοντος μέλους της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών στην Έδρα της Νευροβιολογίας-Βιολογίας της Γήρανσης". academyofathens.gr.
  15. 1 2 "AAAS Announces Leading Scientists Elected as 2020 Fellows". aaas.org.
  16. 1 2 "European Commission : CORDIS : Projects & Results Service : Molecular Basis of Neuronal Ageing". Cordis.europa.eu. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  17. 1 2 "ERC Advanced Grants: €647 million from the EU to 277 senior research leaders" (PDF). erc.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  18. ↑ "ERC Proof of Concept Grants: 45 ERC grantees receive top-up innovation funding" (PDF). erc.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  19. 1 2 "Prix Galien: Galien Scientific Research Award". prixgalien.gr. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  20. 1 2 "Helmholtz International Fellow Award". helmholtz.de.
  21. ↑ pubmeddev. "Tavernarakis N - PubMed - NCBI". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
  22. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis - Google Scholar". scholar.google.com.
  23. ↑ Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Wang, Shi L.; Dorovkov, Maxim; Ryazanov, Alexey; Driscoll, Monica (1 February 2000). "Heritable and inducible genetic interference by double-stranded RNA encoded by transgenes". Nature Genetics. 24 (2): 180–183. doi:10.1038/72850. PMID 10655066. S2CID 24334113.
  24. ↑ "Διατριβή: Ο ΜΕΤΑΓΡΑΦΙΚΟΣ ΕΝΕΡΓΟΠΟΙΗΤΗΣ GCNH: ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΦΡΑΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΜΗΧΑΝΙΣΜΟΥ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ - Κωδικός: 3450". thesis.ekt.gr.
  25. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis Google Scholar". scholar.google.ch.
  26. ↑ Palikaras, K.; Lionaki, E.; Tavernarakis, N. (1 September 2015). "Balancing mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy to maintain energy metabolism homeostasis". Cell Death & Differentiation. 22 (9): 1399–1401. doi:10.1038/cdd.2015.86. PMC 4532782. PMID 26256515.
  27. ↑ Syntichaki, Popi; Troulinaki, Kostoula; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (22 February 2007). "eIF4E function in somatic cells modulates ageing in Caenorhabditis elegans". Nature. 445 (7130): 922–926. Bibcode:2007Natur.445..922S. doi:10.1038/nature05603. PMID 17277769. S2CID 4323753.
  28. ↑ Rieckher M, Markaki M, Princz A, Schumacher B, Tavernarakis N (2018). "Maintenance of proteostasis by P body-mediated regulation of eIF4E availability during ageing in Caenorhabditis elegans". Cell Reports. 25 (1): 199–211. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.009. PMC 6180348. PMID 30282029.
  29. ↑ Artal-Sanz, Marta; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (8 October 2009). "Prohibitin couples diapause signalling to mitochondrial metabolism during ageing in C. elegans". Nature. 461 (7265): 793–797. Bibcode:2009Natur.461..793A. doi:10.1038/nature08466. PMID 19812672. S2CID 4429858.
  30. ↑ Palikaras, Konstantinos; Lionaki, Eirini; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (28 May 2015). "Coordination of mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis during ageing in C. elegans". Nature. 521 (7553): 525–528. Bibcode:2015Natur.521..525P. doi:10.1038/nature14300. PMID 25896323. S2CID 4451530.
  31. ↑ Palikaras K, Lionaki E, Tavernarakis N (2018). "Mechanisms of mitophagy in cellular homeostasis, physiology and pathology". Nature Cell Biology. 20 (9): 1013–1022. doi:10.1038/s41556-018-0176-2. PMID 30154567. S2CID 52113802.
  32. ↑ Lionaki E, Gkikas I, Daskalaki I, Ioannidi MK, Klapa MI, Tavernarakis N (2022). "Mitochondrial protein import determines lifespan through metabolic reprogramming and de novo serine biosynthesis". Nature Communications. 13 (1): 651. Bibcode:2022NatCo..13..651L. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28272-1. PMC 8814026. PMID 35115503.
  33. ↑ Samara, C.; Syntichaki, P.; Tavernarakis, N. (28 September 2007). "Autophagy is required for necrotic cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans". Cell Death & Differentiation. 15 (1): 105–112. doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4402231. PMID 17901876.
  34. ↑ Artal-Sanz, Marta; Samara, Chrysanthi; Syntichaki, Popi; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (24 April 2006). "Lysosomal biogenesis and function is critical for necrotic cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans". J Cell Biol. 173 (2): 231–239. doi:10.1083/jcb.200511103. PMC 2063814. PMID 16636145.
  35. ↑ Syntichaki, Popi; Samara, Chrysanthi; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (12 July 2005). "The Vacuolar H+-ATPase Mediates Intracellular Acidification Required for Neurodegeneration in C. elegans". Current Biology. 15 (13): 1249–1254. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.05.057. PMID 16005300. S2CID 16500500.
  36. ↑ Troulinaki, Kostoula; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (1 February 2012). "Endocytosis and intracellular trafficking contribute to necrotic neurodegeneration in C. elegans". The EMBO Journal. 31 (3): 654–666. doi:10.1038/emboj.2011.447. PMC 3273398. PMID 22157748.
  37. ↑ Xu, Keli; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Driscoll, Monica (27 September 2001). "Necrotic Cell Death in C. elegans Requires the Function of Calreticulin and Regulators of Ca2+ Release from the Endoplasmic Reticulum". Neuron. 31 (6): 957–971. doi:10.1016/S0896-6273(01)00432-9. PMID 11580896. S2CID 14026924.
  38. ↑ Syntichaki, Popi; Xu, Keli; Driscoll, Monica; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (31 October 2002). "Specific aspartyl and calpain proteases are required for neurodegeneration in C. elegans". Nature. 419 (6910): 939–944. Bibcode:2002Natur.419..939S. doi:10.1038/nature01108. PMID 12410314. S2CID 4317198.
  39. ↑ Kourtis, Nikos; Nikoletopoulou, Vassiliki; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (11 October 2012). "Small heat-shock proteins protect from heat-stroke-associated neurodegeneration". Nature. 490 (7419): 213–218. Bibcode:2012Natur.490..213K. doi:10.1038/nature11417. PMID 22972192. S2CID 4404066.
  40. ↑ Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Shreffler, Wayne; Wang, Shiliang; Driscoll, Monica (1 January 1997). "unc-8, a DEG/ENaC Family Member, Encodes a Subunit of a Candidate Mechanically Gated Channel That Modulates C. elegans Locomotion". Neuron. 18 (1): 107–119. doi:10.1016/S0896-6273(01)80050-7. PMID 9010209. S2CID 16667697.
  41. ↑ Voglis, Giannis; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (17 December 2008). "A synaptic DEG/ENaC ion channel mediates learning in C. elegans by facilitating dopamine signalling". The EMBO Journal. 27 (24): 3288–3299. doi:10.1038/emboj.2008.252. PMC 2609744. PMID 19037257.
  42. ↑ Nikoletopoulou V, Sidiropoulou K, Kallergi E, Dalezios Y, Tavernarakis N (2017). "Modulation of autophagy by BDNF underlies synaptic plasticity". Cell Metabolism. 26 (1): 230–42. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.06.005. PMID 28683289.
  43. ↑ Nikoletopoulou V, Tavernarakis N (2018). "Regulation and roles of autophagy at synapses". Trends in Cell Biology. 28 (8): 230–42 646–661. doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2018.03.006. PMID 29731196. S2CID 19206766.
  44. ↑ Papandreou ME, Konstantinidis G, Tavernarakis N (2022). "Nucleophagy delays ageing and preserves germline immortality". Nature Aging. doi:10.1038/s43587-022-00327-4. PMC 10154226.
  45. ↑ Tavernarakis N (2022). "Research Briefing: Nuclear autophagy promotes longevity and germline immortality". Nature Aging. doi:10.1038/s43587-022-00336-3.
  46. ↑ "SV9IOR - Callsign Lookup by QRZ Ham Radio".
  47. ↑ "Station info for SV9IOR".
  48. ↑ "Royal Society of Biology Membership". rsb.org.uk.
  49. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis appointed EIT Governing Board Chair". eit.europa.eu. 29 March 2022.
  50. ↑ "Andrzej Jajszczyk and Nektarios Tavernarakis elected new ERC Vice Presidents". erc.europa.eu.
  51. ↑ "European Commission: 4 members to EIT Governing Board". eit.europa.eu. 2 July 2020.
  52. ↑ "Education Business Award". educationbusinessawards.gr. Archived from the original on 2017-05-16. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  53. ↑ "ERC Scientific council". erc.europa.eu.
  54. ↑ "Fondation Santé". Fondationsante.org. 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  55. ↑ "Ακαδημια Αθηνων". Academyofathens.gr. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  56. ↑ "Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation - Researching the Network". Humboldt-foundation.de. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  57. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis: Faculty Member in Cellular Death & Stress Responses - F1000Prime". F1000.com. 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  58. ↑ "Scientific Awards | Bodossaki Foundation" (in Greek). Bodossaki.gr. Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  59. ↑ "Search the YIP database". 194.94.44.233. Archived from the original on 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  60. ↑ "Awards Archive | Human Frontier Science Program". Hfsp.org. Archived from the original on 2011-02-19. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
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