The Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) is the third oldest university in Greece and offers high-level undergraduate and postgraduate Education and Research in Agricultural Science. It was established by law in 1920 (Law 1844/1920) as an Independent Higher Education Institute with university status under the name of the Highest Agricultural School of Athens (H.A.S.A.). In 1989, the H.A.S.A. was renamed as the Agricultural University of Athens and organized into seven independent academic departments (Presidential Decree 377/1989) and although its Greek title was modified in 1995 (Presidential Decree 226/1995), the English one (AUA) remained unchanged. True to its traditional role of responding to the productive and developmental needs of the Greek economy and society, the AUA intervenes and develops in line with the development and orientation of modern education and science. Moreover, it is in continuous contact with society so as to make proposals and provide solutions to problems that arise within the agri-nutrition sector.
AUA comprises of schools of Agricultural Production, Infrastructure and Environment (which includes the departments of Crop Science, Animal Science and Aquaculture and Natural Resources Management & Agricultural Engineering) and Food, Biotechnology and Development (which includes the departments of Biotechnology, Food Science & Human Nutrition and Agricultural Economics & Rural Development).
The Laboratory General & Agricultural Microbiology (LGAM, Department of Crop Science) is active in research topics related to: Environmental Microbiology, Biodiversity of Microorganisms, Mycology, Biotechnology of Microorganisms, Plant-Microorganism Interactions, Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics of Microorganisms etc. Especially in relation to the subject of this proposal, LGAM staff has extended research experience in the biotransformation and utilization of agro-industrial waste – agricultural residues using white-rot fungi and the optimization of liquid and solid phase fermentation methodologies, as well as the development of systems and technologies for the cultivation of edible mushrooms, the improvement of organoleptic properties and their content of bioactive ingredients. Moreover, it is important to record the fungal diversity of Greece with an emphasis on the study (taxonomic, molecular phylogenetics and ecology) of basidiomycetes. LGAM maintains a large battery of pure collections (more than 400 strains, mainly fungi forming edible mushrooms) as well as a collection of dried samples of basidiocarps and ascocarps (Herbarium ACAM, about 9000 samples).
LGAM has sufficient equipment to carry out a wide range of analyses and experimental work, including PCR, electrophoresis, imaging and digital processing of electrophoresis gels, large chilled centrifuges, fed-batch fermenters of different capacities, systems optical microscopy and sample imaging / processing, elemental analyzer, spectroscopy and chromatography (FT-IR, HPLC, GC), filament flow chambers, incubation chambers of different sizes (including shaker with temperature regulation), large (walk-in) mushroom culture chambers with the possibility of fine adjustment and control of environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, ventilation, illumination), etc.
Project team members:
Georgios Zervakis, Professor
Georgios Bekiaris, research associate (Agronomist, PhD)
Georgios Koutrotsios, research associate (Agronomist, PhD)
Vasiliki Fryssouli, research associate (Agronomist, PhD candidate)