Mitraki Anna

office: Biology Building, Γ.224δ
telephone: +30 2810 394095, Lab: +30 2810 394096
e-mail: mitraki@materials.uoc.gr

Research Interests

the proteins as biomaterials; bioinspired materials;
engineering and design of fibrous biomaterials;
self-assembling peptides;
protein folding and assembly;
protein engineering and production
adenovirus proteins

A chemist and biochemist by training, I have been working for more than 30 years on the folding, assembly and structure of natural fibrous proteins, such as phage P22 tailspikes and adenovirus fibers. I subsequently got interested in using them as models for the design of novel fibrous materials. I am particularly interested in translating fundamental structural knowledge from natural fibrous proteins into concrete integration strategies and applications in the area of fibrous bio-nano-materials. I especially focus on the study and use of amyloid-like, self-assembling peptide materials as technological objects and their integration in innovative applications. These efforts rely not only on biochemical and structural methodologies, but also on the fostering of interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues from other disciplines (eg laser science) that develop techniques to manipulate, assemble and position these materials in a controlled manner. I am also continuing to work on adenoviral proteins and their self-assembly with particular focus on their use as transfer vehicles for small molecules, nucleic acids and enzymatic moieties targeted for delivery applications.

Short Curriculum Vitae

BS Chemistry, University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 1981. PhD Biochemistry, Universite de Paris-Sud, Orsay, France, 1986 (work on enzyme folding, assembly and aggregation with Professor Jeannine Yon-Kahn). Post-doctoral associate (1987-1991) and then Research Scientist (1991-1994) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A. (work on folding and assembly of fibrous phage proteins with Professor Jonathan King). Research scientist at the Institut de Biologie Structurale in Grenoble, France (French National Research Center) from 1995 to 2004. Habilitation, Universite Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France, in 2003, for work on structure, folding and assembly of beta-structured fibrous proteins and their self-assembling peptides. Since September 2004, Associate Professor, Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Greece. Affiliated Research Scientist with the Institute for Electronic Structure and Laser, FORTH. Academic Editor, PLoS ONE (2009-2014, www.plosone.org). Editorial Board of the Journal "Biomolecules" (2019-). Since September 2014, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Greece

Selected Publications

Apostolidou CP, Kokotidou C, Platania V, Nikolaou V, Landrou G, Nikoloudakis E, Charalambidis G, Chatzinikolaidou M, Coutsolelos AG and Mitraki A, Antimicrobial Potency of Fmoc-Phe-Phe Dipeptide Hydrogels with Encapsulated Porphyrin Chromophores Is a Promising Alternative in Antimicrobial Resistance, BIOMOLECULES 14 (2), 226 (2024).
Psarrou M, Mitraki A, Vamvakaki M and Kokotidou C, Stimuli-Responsive Polysaccharide Hydrogels and Their Composites for Wound Healing Applications, POLYMERS 15 (4), 986 (2023).
Gessmann R, Garcia-Saez I, Simatos G and Mitraki A, Z-Ala-Ile-OH, a dipeptide building block suitable for the formation of orthorhombic microtubes, ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION C-STRUCTURAL CHEMISTRY 79 277-282 (2023).
Divanach P, Fanouraki E, Mitraki A, Harmandaris V and Rissanou AN, Self-Assembly of Phenylalanine-Leucine, Leucine-Phenylalanine, and Cyclo(-leucine-phenylalanine) Dipeptides through Simulations and Experiments, JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B 127 (19), 4208-4219 (2023).
Dontas, I. A., Lelovas, P., Parara, S. Galanos., A., Agrogiannis, A., Goutas, D., Charalambidis, G., Nikolaou, V., Landrou, G., Kokotidou, C., Apostolidou, C. P., Mitraki, A., Coutsolelos A.G. Delivery of porphyrins through self-assembling peptide hydrogels for accelerated healing of experimental skin defects in vivo, Cureus 15 (5), (2023).
Divanach P, Fanouraki E, Mitraki A, Harmandaris V and Rissanou AN, Investigating the complexation propensity of self-assembling dipeptides with the anticancer peptide-drug Bortezomib: a computational study, SOFT MATTER 19 (45), 8684-8697 (2023).
Glymenaki E, Kandyli M, Apostolidou CP, Kokotidou C, Charalambidis G, Nikoloudakis E, Panagiotakis S, Koutserinaki E, Klontza V, Michail P, Charisiadis A, Yannakopoulou K, Mitraki A and Coutsolelos AG, Design and Synthesis of Porphyrin-Nitrilotriacetic Acid Dyads with Potential Applications in Peptide Labeling through Metallochelate Coupling, ACS OMEGA 7 (2), 1803-1818 (2022).
Kokotidou C, Tsitouroudi F, Nistikakis G, Vasila M, Papanikolopoulou K, Kretsovali A and Mitraki A, Adenovirus Fibers as Ultra-Stable Vehicles for Intracellular Nanoparticle and Protein Delivery, BIOMOLECULES 12 (2), 308 (2022).
Nikoloudakis E, Pigiaki M, Polychronaki MN, Margaritopoulou A, Charalambidis G, Serpetzoglou E, Mitraki A, Loukakos PA and Coutsolelos AG, Self-Assembly of Porphyrin Dipeptide Conjugates toward Hydrogen Production, ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 9 (23), 7781-7791 (2021).
Kokotidou C, Jonnalagadda SVR, Orr AA, Vrentzos G, Kretsovali A, Tamamis P and Mitraki A, Designer Amyloid Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Potential Use as Gene Transfer Vehicles, BIOMOLECULES 10 (1), 7 (2020).
Rissanou AN, Simatos G, Siachouli P, Harmandaris V and Mitraki A, Self-assembly of Alanine-Isoleucine and Isoleucine-Isoleucine Dipeptides through Atomistic Simulations and Experiments, JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B 124 (33), 7102-7114 (2020).
Chang R., Nikoloudakis E., Zou Q, Mitraki, A., Coutsolelos, AG and Yan, X. Supramolecular nanodrugs constructed by self-assembly of peptide nucleic acid photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy, ACS Applied Biomaterials 3 (1), 2-9 (2020).
Nikoloudakis E, Orphanos E, Agapaki E, Nikolaou V, Charisiadis A, Charalambidis G, Mitraki A and Coutsolelos T, Molecular self-assembly of porphyrin and BODIPY chromophores connected with diphenylalanine moieties, JOURNAL OF PORPHYRINS AND PHTHALOCYANINES 24 (5-7), 775-785 (2020).
Nikoloudakis E, Mitropoulou K, Landrou G, Charalambidis G, Nikolaou V, Mitraki A and Coutsolelos AG, Self-assembly of aliphatic dipeptides coupled with porphyrin and BODIPY chromophores, CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS 55 (94), 14103-14106 (2019).
Nikoloudakis E, Karikis K, Han JJ, Kokotidou C, Charisiadis A, Folias F, Douvas AM, Mitraki A, Charalambidis G, Yan XH, Coutsolelos AG. A self-assembly study of PNA-porphyrin and PNA-BODIPY hybrids in mixed solvent systems. NANOSCALE 11: 3557-3566, 2019.
Jonnalagadda SVR, Kokotidou C, Orr AA, Fotopoulou E, Henderson KJ, Choi CH, Lim WT, Choi SJ, Jeong HK, Mitraki A, Tamamis P. Computational Design of Functional Amyloid Materials with Cesium Binding, Deposition, and Capture Properties. JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B 122: 7555-7568, 2018.
Karikis, K, Butkiewicz, A, Folias, F, Charalambidis, G, Kokotidou, C, Charisiadis, A, Nikolaou, V, Nikoloudakis, E, Frelek, J, Mitraki, A, Coutsolelos, AG. "Self-assembly of (boron-dipyrromethane)-diphenylalanine conjugates forming chiral supramolecular materials", NANOSCALE 10, 1735-1741 (2018).
Nikoloudakis, E, Karikis, K, Laurans, M, Kokotidou, C, Sole-Daura, A, Carbo, JJ, Charisiadis, A, Charalambidis, G, Izzet, G, Mitraki, A, Douvas, AM, Poblet, JM, Proust, A, Coutsolelos, AG. "Self-assembly study of nanometric spheres from polyoxometalate-phenylalanine hybrids, an experimental and theoretical approach", DALTON TRANSACTIONS 47, 6304-6313 (2018).
Kokotidou C, Jonnalagadda SVR, Orr AA, Seoane-Blanco M, Apostolidou CP, van Raaij MJ, Kotzabasaki M, Chatzoudis A, Jakubowski JM, Mossou E, Forsyth VT, Mitchell EP, Bowler MW, Llamas-Saiz AL, Tamamis P , Mitraki A. "A novel amyloid designable scaffold and potential inhibitor inspired by GAIIG of amyloid beta and the HIV-1 V3 loop". FEBS letters 592(11), 1777-1788 (2018).
Prigipaki, A, Papanikolopoulou, K, Mossou, E, Mitchell, EP, Forsyth, V, Selimis, A, Ranella, A, Mitraki, A. "Laser processing of protein films as a method for accomplishment of cell patterning at the microscale", BIOFABRICATION 9, 045004 (2017).
Jonnalagadda, SVR, Ornithopoulou, E, Orr, AA, Mossou, E, Forsyth, VT, Mitchell, EP, Bowler, MW, Mitraki, A, Tamamis, P. "Computational design of amyloid self-assembling peptides bearing aromatic residues and the cell adhesive motif Arg-Gly-Asp", MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING 2, 321-335 (2017).
Deidda, G, Jonnalagadda, SVR, Spies, JW, Ranella, A, Mossou, E, Forsyth, VT, Mitchell, EP, Bowler, MW, Tamamis, P, Mitraki, A. "Self-Assembled Amyloid Peptides with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) Motifs As Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering", ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 3, 1404-1416 (2017).
Georgilis, E, Gessmann, R, Mitraki, A, Petratos, K. "Diphenylalanine in tetrahydrofuran: a highly potent candidate for the development of novel nanomaterials", ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION C-STRUCTURAL CHEMISTRY 73, 447-450 (2017).
Charalambidis, G, Georgilis, E, Panda, MK, Anson, CE, Powell, AK, Doyle, S, Moss, D, Jochum, T, Horton, PN, Coles, SJ, Linares, M, Beljonne, D, Naubron, JV, Conradt, J, Kalt, H, Mitraki, A, Coutsolelos, AG, Balaban, TS. "A switchable self-assembling and disassembling chiral system based on a porphyrin-substituted phenylalanine-phenylalanine motif", NATURE COMMUNICATIONS 7, 12657 (2016).
Karikis, K, Georgilis, E, Charalambidis, G, Petrou, A, Vakuliuk, O, Chatziioannou, T, Raptaki, I, Tsovola, S, Papakyriacou, I, Mitraki, A, Gryko, DT, Coutsolelos, AG. "Corrole and Porphyrin Amino Acid Conjugates: Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties", CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL 22, 11245-11252 (2016).
Loo, Y, Goktas, M, Tekinay, AB, Guler, MO, Hauser, CAE, Mitraki, A. "Self-Assembled Proteins and Peptides as Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration", ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS 4, 2557-2586 (2015).
Terzaki K, Kalloudi E, Mossou E, Mitchell EP, Forsyth VT, Rosseeva E, Simon P, Vamvakaki M, Chatzinikolaidou M, Mitraki A, Farsari M. "Mineralized self-assembled peptides on 3D laser-made scaffolds: a new route toward 'scaffold on scaffold' hard tissue engineering" Biofabrication 5(4), 045002, (2013).
Rissanou, AN, Georgilis, E, Kasotakis, E, Mitraki, A, Harmandaris, V. "Effect of Solvent on the Self-Assembly of Dialanine and Diphenylalanine Peptides", JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B 117, 3962-3975 (2013).
Kasotakis, E, Mitraki, A. "Silica biotemplating by self-assembling peptides via serine residues activated by the peptide amino terminal group", BIOPOLYMERS 98, 501-509 (2012).
Charalambidis, G, Kasotakis, E, Lazarides, T, Mitraki, A, Coutsolelos, AG. "Self-Assembly Into Spheres of a Hybrid Diphenylalanine-Porphyrin: Increased Fluorescence Lifetime and Conserved Electronic Properties", CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL 17, 7213-7219 (2011).
Mitraki, A. "PROTEIN AGGREGATION: FROM INCLUSION BODIES TO AMYLOID AND BIOMATERIALS", ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY, VOL 79 79, 89-125 (2010).
Kasotakis, E, Mossou, E, Adler-Abramovich, L, Mitchell, EP, Forsyth, VT, Gazit, E, Mitraki, A. "Design of Metal-Binding Sites Onto Self-Assembled Peptide Fibrils", BIOPOLYMERS 92, 164-172 (2009).
Dinca, V, Kasotakis, E, Catherine, J, Mourka, A, Ranella, A, Ovsianikov, A, Chichkov, BN, Farsari, M, Mitraki, A, Fotakis, C. "Directed three-dimensional patterning of self-assembled peptide fibrils", NANO LETTERS 8, 538-543 (2008).
van Raaij, M.J., Mitraki, A., Lavigne, G. Cusack, S. "A triple beta-spiral in the adenovirus fibre shaft reveals a new structural motif for a fibrous protein", NATURE 401, 935-938 (1999).
Mitraki, A., Fane, B., Haase-Pettingell, C., Sturtevant, J., King, J., "Global suppression of protein folding defects and inclusion body formation", SCIENCE 253, 54-58 (1991).

Book

"Plenty of Room for Biology at the Bottom: An Introduction to Bionanotechnology", 2nd Edition (2013), by Ehud Gazit and Anna Mitraki, ISBN: 978-1-84816-930-2, Imperial College Press (World Scientific Publishing). Shortlisted in the Postgraduate Textbook category of the Society of Biology Book Awards 2014.

Jonathan King’s 80th birthday Festschrift

"Protein Folding and Aggregation, Mentoring, and a Molecular Food Recipe" (with permission from the MIT Faculty Newsletter)

Department of Materials Science and Technology