Mikrobiokosmos Fellowships

Mikrobiokosmos grants scholarships for transfer and short-term research collaboration in a laboratory abroad.

Year 2024

  • Drainas Scholarship:  PhD candidate of the Greek Academy of Sciences, Stamatia Vitsou-Anastasiou, has been selected, who will be awarded the Draina scholarship for a transfer and short-term research collaboration in a laboratory abroad.
  • FEMS Grants: Three members of Mikrobiokosmos have received a scholarship from FEMS to carry out research in a laboratory abroad: Makryniotis Konstantinos (NTUA), Papazlatani Christina (UTH) and Zachariadou Alexandra (NKUA).

Testimonials

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Hellenic Scientific Society MIKROBIOKOSMOS for their invaluable support in facilitating my two-month research visit at the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGE), in Belgrade, Serbia, through the scholarship “Kostas Drainas”. This opportunity allowed me to enhance my PhD research focusing on the development of a biorefinery converting plastic waste to biodegradable polymers and biopigments. During this period, I had the privilege of working alongside leading experts, gaining hands-on experience with advanced molecular and microbial techniques, and expanding my scientific perspective on sustainable biotechnological solutions for plastic waste management. This experience has been instrumental in enriching both my research and professional development, and I am truly grateful for the trust and support of MIKROBIOKOSMOS in fostering international scientific collaboration.

Konstantinos Makryniotis, PhD student, NTUA

Thanks to the FEMS Research and Training Grant that I was awarded through MBK, I had the opportunity to visit another lab and be trained in new, innovative methods that will be useful and necessary for the next steps of my research. In addition to acquiring expertise, I have also been fortunate to interact with scientists from different academic institutions and disciplines, which has undoubtedly contributed to broadening my scientific thinking and maturing. These interactions and new skills have not only enhanced my current research but also positioned me to approach upcoming challenges with a more interdisciplinary perspective.

Alexandra Zachariadou, PhD student, NKUA

In 2018, I was awarded a FEMS Research and Training Grant to visit the Helmholtz Research Center for two months as a visiting PhD student from NKUA. Until then, my work had been primarily focused on wet lab research, but this short visit allowed me to expand my knowledge in comparative microbiome analysis—a skill that I still use and continue to develop in my research. Furthermore, my time there gave me the chance to make new friends and create wonderful memories that I will always cherish. Of course, none of this would have been possible if I hadn’t been a member of the Greek Society of Mikrobiokosmos, to which I owe my gratitude for this opportunity and the support they provided me.

Anastasia Galanopoulou, Post-doctoral researcher at Biosensors Lab, IMBB-FORTH

I am deeply grateful to Hellenic Scientific Society MIKROBIOKOSMOS for helping me secure the FEMS Early Career Scientist meeting attendance grant. This opportunity allowed me to participate in the international conference miCROPe 2024, in which I presented my research findings and became acquainted with experts performing innovative and state-of-the-art work. I’m truly appreciative of the society’s effort to support scholars and early career scientists and for FEMS for providing the funding.

Christina Papazlatani, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW)