Drainas

CONSTANTIN DRAINAS

Professor

Tel. +3026510-98372 - 93011

Fax +3026510-47832 - 44112

Address: Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, 45110 Ioannina

POSITIONS:

Post doctoral Research Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 1977-81, Post doctoral Research Fellow, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, U.K. 1981-82. Lecturer, University of Ioannina, 1982-85, Assistant Professor, University of Ioannina, 1985-89, Associate Professor, University of Ioannina, 1989-1997, Visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley, 1992-93, Professor, University of Ioannina, 1997-today

FUNDED PROJECTS:

General Secretariat of Research & Technology GR, PAET 1984, General Secretariat of Research & Technology GR , PROPE1986, General Secretariat of Research & Technology, GR, PENED 1989, University of Ioannina, Research Committee, 1989, ΕC, DGXII, BEP 1984 (GBI-3-098-GR), ΕC, DGXII, BAP 1986 (BAP-0153-GR), KFA, JULICH, GERMANY, 1991, ΕC, DGXII, BRIDGE 1991 Concertation Action STRIDE-HELLAS 33, EC, DGXII, BIOTECH 1993 (BIO2-CT93-0274), Gen. Secret. of Research & Technology GR ΕPΕΤ ΙΙ (no. 323) General Secretariat of Research & Technology GR, PENED 1994, EC, DGXII, BIOTECH 1996 (BIO4-CT96-0488), General Secretariat of Research & Technology GR, PENED 1996, General Secretariat of Research & Technology GR, PLATON 1996, Gen. Secret. of Research & Technology GR ΕPΕΤ ΙΙ (no. 793). Gen. Secret. Of Reserch & Technology, PENED 1999 and PENED 2001, 2003 and 2005, Gen. Secret. Research & Technology, Greek-Romanian Collaboration 2003

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics of Microorganisms with industrial and
environmental interest. Research topics include studies on the mechanism of plasmid mobilization in bacterial conjugation, studies on regulation of gene expression and development of gene reporter systems, glucose and salt tolerance in bacteria, isolation and taxonomic characterization of soil biodegradive and halophilic bacteria, isolation and taxonomic characterization of wine yeast, biochemical and molecular basis of bacterial ice nucleation, genetic tools for industrial and environmental bacteria.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Organiser of EEC-BAP Meeting, Ioannina 1987, Evaluator of research projects EEC-
BRIDGE-Biotransformations, Brussels 1990, Evaluator of research projects EEC-BRIDGE-
Risk assessment, Brussels 1990, Research advisor, ΕC-DGXI 1991-92, Evaluator of research projects EEC-BRIDGE-microbial Metabolism of microbes, essential physiological traits, Brussels 1990 Evaluator of training fellowships, EC-BIOTECH 1993-96 National Representative of the Greek Government, EEC, DGXII - CRN Biotechnology, 1994-1998 Organiser of EC Workshop Advance Course on Plasmid Stability) EC-BIOTECH (ΒΙΟ4-CT97-4807), Ioannina 1-12 July 1996 Teaching to FEBS Advance Courses, Thessaloniki, September 2003, September 2004 Member of National Advisory Committee of Research, General Secretariat of Research and Technology, January 1999-2002 Hellenic Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 1995,1996 Gen. Secretary, 1996,1997 Treasurer, 2004,2005 President, 2006, 2007 Vise President. Reviewer to Applied Environmental Microbiology (ASM), Journal of Bacteriology (ASM), Current Microbuiology, Evaluator to INTAS Proposals, EU. 2005,2006

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

Undergraduate: Biochemistry-Molecular Biology-Biotechnology classes at the Department of Chemistry, 1982 today. Biochemistry, Basic genetics, Molecular Genetics at the Program of Studies Biochemistry of the University of Ioannina, 2000, 2001. Basic Genetics, Applied Genetics, Department of Biological Applications and Technologies 2002-2004., Evolutionary Biology 2004-2006, Biochemistry 2005-2006. Over 20 degree thesis in Themes of Biochemistry-Molecular Biology-Biotechnology, Dept. of Chemistry. Director of Program of Studies for Biochemistry 1998-today

Postgraduate: Biotechnology of Microorganisms and biotechnological products, at the Masters program in Biotechnology, University of Ioannina, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, Molecular Biology of Nucleic Acids and Protein-DNA interactions, at the Masters Program in Bioinorganic Chemistry, and Masters Program of Dept. Chemistry in Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 1999,2000, 2001,2002,2003,2004. Supervision of 6 Masters Students (finished their studies) and 17 Ph.D. students (11 have finished their studies)

ADMINISTRATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Full member of the Sanate of University of Ioannina 1984-86. Director of the Sector of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dept. of Chemistry 1990-92 και 2001-02. Full member of the Research Committee of University of Ioannina 2000-02. Committee of The Cender of hydro-biological stusies (ΚΥΒΕ) 1994-2005. Deputy Chairman of the Department of Chemistry 2001-02. Deputy Chairman of the Dept. of Biological Applications and technologies 2000-2005.

REVIEWING EXPERIENCE

Applied Environmental Microbiology, Journal of Bacteriology, Current Microbiology,
Plasmid

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS IN PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS

1. Vargas, C., Tegos, G., Drainas, C., Ventosa, A. and Nieto, J.J. (1999) Analysis of the replication region of the cryptic plasmid pHE1 from the moderate halophile Halomonas elongata. Molecular and General Genetics, 261: 851-861

2. Douka, E., Koukkou, A.I., Vartholomatos, G., Frillingos, S., Papamichael, E. and Drainas, C. (1999) Studies of a Zymomonas mobilis mutant with delayed growth on high glucose concentrations. Journal of Bacteriology, 181: 4598-4604.

3. Vargas, C., Tegos, G., Vartholomatos, G., Drainas, C. Ventosa, A.and Nieto, J.J. (1999) Genetic organization of the mobilization region of the plasmid pHE1 from Halomonas elongata. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 22:520-529

4. Frillingos, S., Linden, A., Niehaus, F., Vargas, C., Nieto, J.J., Ventosa, A., Antranikian, G. and Drainas, C. (2000) Cloning and expression of α-amylase from the hyperthermophilic archeon Pyrococcus woesei in the moderately halophilic bacterium Halomonas elongata. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 88: 495-503

5. Coronado, M-J., Vargas, C., Mellado, E., Tegos, G., Drainas, C., Nieto, J.J. and Ventosa, A. (2000) Cloning and molecular characterization of the α-amylase gene from the moderate halophile Halomonas meridiana. Microbiology-UK, 146: 861-868.

6. Malandrinos, G., Louloudi, M., Koukkou, A.I., Sovago, I., Drainas, C. and Hadjiiliadis, N. (2000) Zn(II) and Cd (II) metal complexes of thiamin pyrophospate and 2-(alpha-hidroxy-ethyl)thiamin pyrophosphate: models for activation of pyruvate decarboxylase. Journal of Biological Inorganic Biochemistry, 5: 218-226.

7. Arvanitis, N., Pappas, K. M., Kolios, G., Afendra, A., Typas, M.A. and Drainas, C. (2000) Characterization and replication properties of the Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 10988 plasmids pZMO1 and pZMO2. Plasmid, 44: 127-137

8. Tegos, G., Vargas, C., Perysinakis, A., Koukkou, A.I., Christogianni, Nieto, J.J., Ventosa, A. and Drainas, C. (2000) Release of cell-free ice nuclei from Halomonas elongata expressing the ice nucleation gene inaZ of Pseudomonas syringae. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 89: 785-792

9. Savides, A.L., Kallimanis, A., Varsaki, A., Koukkou, A.I., Drainas, C., Typas, M.A. and Karagouni, A.D. (2000) Simultaneous ethanol and bacterial ice nuclei production from sugar beet molasses by a Zymomonas mobilis CP4 mutant expressing the inaZ gene of Pseudomonas syringae in continuous culture. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 89: 1002-1008

10. Douka, E., Koukkou, A.-I., Drainas, C., Grosdemange-Billiard, C. and Rohmer, M. (2001) Structural diversity of the triterpenic hydrocarbons from the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis : the signature of defective squalene cyclization by the squalene/hopane cyclase. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 199: 247-251

11. Douka, E., Christoyianni, A., Koukkou, A.-I., Afendra, A,-S. and Drainas, C. (2001) Use of a green fluorescens protein gene as a reporter in Zymomonas mobilis and Halomonas elongata. FEMS Microbiology Letters 201: 221-227

12. Afendra, A.S., Yiannaki, E.E., Palaiomylitou, A.A., Kyriakidis, D.A. and Drainas, C. (2002) Co-production of ice nuclei and xanthan gum by transformed Xanthomonas campestris grown in sugar beet molasses. Biotechnology Letters 24: 579-583

13. Varsaki, A., Lucas, M., Afendra, A.S., Drainas, C. and de la Cruz, F. (2003). Genetic and biochemical characterization of MbeA, the relaxase involved in plasmid ColE1 conjugative mobilization. Molecular Microbiology, 48: 481-493

14. Francia, M.V., Varsaki, A., Garcillan-Barcia, M.P., Latorre, A., Drainas, C. and de la Cruz, F. (2004) A classification schemefor mobilization regions of bacterial plasmids. FEMS Microbiology Reviews 28: 79-100

15. Zhang, H., Kallimanis, A., Koukkou, A.I. and Drainas, C. (2004) Isolation and characterization of novel bacteria degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from polluted Greek soils. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 65: 124-131

16. Αnastasia Christogianni, Eugenia Douka, Anna I. Koukkou, Efstathios Hatziloukas and Constantin Drainas (2005) Transcriptional Analysis of a Gene Cluster Involved in Glucose Tolerance in Zymomonas mobilis. Evidence for an Osmoregulated Promoter. Journal of Bacteriology. Journal of Bacteriology, 187: 5179-5188

17. Carmen Vargas, Aris Kallimanis, Anna I. Koukkou, Marïa Isabel Calderon, David Canovas, Fernando Iglesias-Guerra, Constantin Drainas, Antonio Ventosa and Joaquín J. Nieto. (2005) Contribution of chemical changes in membrane lipids to the osmoadaptation of the halophilic bacterium Chromohalobacter salexigens. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 28: 571-581

INTERNATIONAL BOOKS

Afendra, A.S., Vargas, C., Nieto, J.J. and Drainas C. (2004) Gene transfer and expression of recombinant proteins in moderately halophilic bacteria. Recombinant gene expression Reviews and Protocols (P. Balbas, A. Lorence, eds) Methods in Molecular Biology, Humana Press, 267: 209-223

Drainas C. (2004) Reporter gene systems for halophilic microorganisms. Halophilic Microorganisms, A. Ventosa (ed.) Springer, 18: 263-274

Department

of Chemistry

University of Ioannina