Georgia Kythreoti
Georgia was born in 1979 in Nicosia, Cyprus. She graduated with first class honours, BSc in Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry, from the Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, UK.
She acquired her Doctor of Philosophy title from the University of Manchester, in Molecular Biology. Her work was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK, and the Department of Chemistry of the University of Manchester.
Her PhD thesis was focused on the development of green routes to the synthesis of cephalosporins, specifically involving, studies on the enzyme carbamoyl transferase of the cephamycin C biosynthetic pathway. The enzymatic preparation of a novel cephalosporin intermediate was investigated for a semi-synthetic route towards cephalosporin antibiotic production. This work involved the cloning of the gene encoding carbamoyl transferase into different expression vectors, both with fusion protein attached and high-level E.coli expression systems. A number of different assays were also investigated in order to characterise the enzyme towards an unnatural substrate. Efficient high-pressure liquid chromatography, UV and mass spectrum systems were developed to screen for conversion of parental cephalosporin to product cephalosporin intermediate. G. Kythreoti was also involved in the synthesis of the cephalosporin analogues needed for the screening of the enzymatic reactions performed. Her exceptional productivity and efficiency at Prof. Sutherlands’ research lab is exemplified by the outcome of her research work, which will be included in an ongoing patent. Due to the confidential nature of this work no publications are currently available. During that time she was also trained and has put in practice, aspects of Professional Research Skills, Teaching and Student Demonstrating, gaining knowledge on how to manage a laboratory and train students to work in a chemistry lab.
During 2004-2005 she was the Quality Assurance Senior Administrator and Officer for Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals LTD, Nicosia. Her responsibilities extended from, assisting in the day-to-day operation and organisation of the company’s quality system, in order to ensure that medicinal products are manufactured by the company in accordance with the Marketing Authorisations and in compliance with the regulatory guidelines, and that principles and guidelines of “Good Manufacturing Practice” (GMP) and “Good Laboratory Practice” (GLP) have been followed. These duties included the monitoring and administration of planned or unplanned changes of the company’s control systems, as well as the system for recording, investigating and responding to customer complaints. Training of all employees to operate in accordance with the principles of GMP for medicinal products for human use, became operational under Dr. Kythreotis’ supervision. Self-inspections and internal audits of all the company’s departments were designed and performed by Dr. Kythreoti as well as approving master documentation.
From September 2005 to January 2007 she was a full time faculty member of the Department of Life and Health Sciences of Intercollege, Nicosia, as a Senior Lecturer. Her research work was focusing on the isolation and identification of biologically active natural products and more specifically, on the isolation and determination of biologically active ingredients in trunk juice from F. Sycomorus. Special interest was focused in identifying active agents against psoriasis. Through this project she has developed academic collaborations within the college and with distinguished academicians and researchers from Cyprus and Greece. She had the leadership of collaborations between the department with others, the Laboratory of Molecular Analysis of the National Hellenic Research Foundation and the Pharmacy Department of the University of Athens. This work was funded by the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus.
In parallel, Dr Kythreoti was a member of the Bioethics committee and a Lecturer for Cosmetic Science, Organic and Biological Chemistry and Organic Chemistry at Intercollege with 20 students on average attending each course. She had the opportunity to develop entirely the material taught for those courses, as well as designing and supervising the laboratory sessions, tutoring, evaluating and grading the students’ understanding and progress during the academic year.
Research in the Chemical Biology laboratory, NCSR “Demokritos”, where Dr. Kythreoti is currently engaged in, is concerned with exploiting evolutionary methods for the discovery of new biologically active compounds targeting RNA. The developing of new methods for the creation and screening of chemical and biological diversity is an aspect of this work. The monitoring of experimental progress through co-crystallisation with the RNA-target is also an area of concentration.
She is also involved in the development of green routes to important pharmaceutical intermediates and products.
