Dr. Georgia Menounou

Background: PhD (Hons) Department of Biotechnological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy;  MSc. (Hons) “Isolation and Synthesis of Natural Products with Biological Activity”, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Greece (2014);  BSc. Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Greece (2012)

Dr. G. Menounou has 8 years of multidisciplinary research experience in the fields of synthetic, and bioorganic chemistry; specializing in the design and total synthesis of bioactive compounds, chemical biology of nucleic acids/lipids and free radical reactions in biomimetic chemistry. Part of this experience was acquired at the Institute of Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), CNR, Italy, as an early stage researcher in the H2020-MSCA-ITN “ClickGene”. Dr. G. Menounou started her studies by obtaining a BSc in the field of Chemistry at the University of Crete (UoC), Greece graduating in 2012. To ensure a high-level of training (theoretical and experimental) and specialization in the interdisciplinary sector of natural products chemistry, Dr. G. Menounou obtained a MSc degree in the field of “Isolation and Synthesis of Natural Products with Biological Activity”, UoC, Greece in 2014. Dr. G. Menounou graduated the MSc with a mean score of courses, writing and presentation of the master thesis that was graded as “Excellent”. She carried out an original research project under the supervision of Prof. H. Katerinopoulos that included the total syntheses of bioactive natural products. Between 2015-2018, Dr. G. Menounou pursued research at ISOF in the research group of Dr. C. Chatgilialoglu. In her capacity as a PhD candidate at the Department of Biotechnological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy she was awarded the PhD degree graded as “Excellent”. During this time, Dr. G. Menounou developed a novel approach in antitumoral strategies; how a copper-based metallodrug can target both DNA and membrane lipids by inducing irreversible modifications in their structures.

To date, her work was disseminated in publications in renowned chemistry journals such as ACS Publications (Chemical Research in Toxicology, Omega), Diagnostics, Chemistry—A European Journal and at a number of high profile international conferences.

Project title: “Design of Highly specific Gene Knockout Agents”

Project Description: Genome editing and nucleic acid (NA) therapies are expected to play a key role in next-generation personalized medicine by correcting the underlying genetic causes of disease with precision. However, state-of-the-art gene editing technologies including CRISPR-Cas suffer from a number of unresolved issues that preclude their clinical application. My project seeks to extend the boundaries of today`s gene editing technologies through the production of an innovative chemistry-based gene editing methodology and the generation of a unique class of advanced site-selective bio-compatible hybrid materials as gene knockout therapeutics. These hybrids are consisted of a triplex forming oligonucleotide (TFO) loaded with a copper- or zinc-based artificial metallo-nuclease (AMN). The AMN is capable to induce a unique oxidative DNA cleavage mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). To conjugate AMNs to TFOs cutting-edge “click chemistry” methodologies are explored with or without copper catalysis. We seek to establish an efficient, fast and one-pot chemoselective methodology to improve the yield and facilitate scalable generation of AMN-TFO hybrid libraries. Hybrid constructs with optimal sequence discrimination and suitable cellular targeting properties will progress to in vivo analysis. The project has received funding by the SSPC ‘Molecules 3’ Scheme and MSD Carlow.