Work by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) in Greece, whose results are published today in the journal Science, reveals that the repeated parts of animal bodies – for example the vertebrae in our spine – are generated by a similar mechanism not only among vertebrates (fish, birds, mammals, etc.) but also in our more distant relatives, the insects.

Research carried out at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology-FORTH and published today in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences USA reveals that proteins involved in Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) activate the expression of key growth factors during postnatal development.

Article by Irini Veniou published in VIMA Science (in Greek).

Article by Irini Veniou published in VIMA Science (in Greek) regarding the Ambient Intelligence Programme of ICS-FORTH. Ambient Intelligence: how can it change our way of living and thinking? Intelligent patient room. Smart office. Interactive screens made of .... paper. Touch screen made of ... plexiglass. (in greek)

Research carried out at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, published today in the international scientific periodical EMBO Journal, reveals a novel molecular mechanism required for the degeneration of nerve cells.

The paper entitled "An image analysis framework for the early assessment of hypertensive retinopathy signs", presented by Dr. Vangelis Sakkalis, researcher at the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), received the Best Paper Award at the IEEE International Conference on e-Health and Bioengineering 2011 (EHB 2011, Iasi, Romania, 24-26 November 2011).

In the December issue of Optics and Photonics News, the Optical Society of America highlighted exciting and significant research findings that characterized the year 2011 in Optics and Photonics. Among these annual highlights (see video), the work of the FORTH-IESL, research group of Dr Stavros Pissadakis, focused on the development of Magnetofluidically Tunable Microstructured Optical Fiber Grating Devices was included.

Prof. Nikos Pelekanos, Collaborating Faculty Member in IESL-FORTH, is one of the recipients of "Solar-Innovation 2010" for his proposal "III-V nanowires for next generation photovoltaics". The prize is awarded by the French Atomic Energy Commission (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique), after an Open Call and selection among dozens of proposals, and includes funding and technical support to carry out the proposed research for three years.

The Caryatids are being treated with a novel laser cleaning methodology that has already been successfully applied on many of the Athens Acropolis Sculptures (including the Parthenon West Frieze, the Frieze of Athena Nike's Temple, the Metopes and sculptural compositions from the pediments of the Parthenon).

Dr. Spyros Pandis, Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, and collaborating faculty member and Deputy Director of the Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes of the Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT) has recently been awarded the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Investigator Grant for his research proposal entitled "Atmospheric Organic Particulate Matter, Air Quality and Climate Change Studies (ATMOPACS)".

Work in the Computational Biology Laboratory of IMBB-FORTH, which is headed by Dr. Panayiota Poirazi, has used computational models to show that a single neuronal cell in the brain is capable of detecting spatiotemporal differences of incoming signals and encoding them into its response pattern.