From Undergraduate students to Doctors
November was a great month for our group, since three of our senior members, Eleni Panagopoulou, Georgios Gkotsis and Ioannis Martakos successfully defended their doctoral dissertations. Eleni, Georgios and Ioannis, are members of our laboratory since they were undergraduate students and their contribution in our lab’s success is multidimensional.
Eleni defended her thesis titled “Study of the influence of pH on the toxicity of xenobiotics in aquatic organisms through toxicokinetics and metabolomics approaches utilizing high resolution mass spectrometric techniques”.
This research focuses on the establishment of a holistic methodology that combines toxicokinetics and metabolomics approaches to assess the effects of xenobiotics on aquatic organisms. The study investigates the effect of the pH values on the toxicity, uptake, and bioaccumulation of ionizable organic compounds in model-organisms, including zebrafish (Danio rerio), Daphnia magna, and Lemna minor. Furthermore, the biotransformation of the pharmaceuticals Ibuprofen and Metoprolol in zebrafish was investigated, utilizing LC-HRMS. The role of biotransformation in the toxicokinetics of ionizable organic compounds for a better interpretation of toxicity was also examined.
Georgios defended his thesis titled “Development of cutting-edge methodologies for the systematic monitoring of emerging contaminants in biota samples using complementary High Resolution Mass Spectrometry techniques”
His research focused on the development of novel analytical methodologies for the comprehensive monitoring of organic pollutants in organisms from various trophic levels using HRMS techniques. In this context, the development of a high-end analytical platform (LC- and GC-HRMS) enabled comprehensive monitoring of legacy, emerging pollutants along with their metabolites and transformation products in apex predators and their prey from key ecosystems across Europe. Moreover, leveraging the capabilities of LC-TIMS-HRMS platform and employing wide-scope targeted and untargeted post-acquisition workflows, which utilized advanced data-processing tools to analyze 4-D data, the PFAS chemical fingerprint in organisms was revealed.
Ioannis defended his thesis titled “Chemical Characterization and Identification of New Bioactive Compounds in Food and Food By-products by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Advanced Chemometrics.”
This study employs advanced 4D lipidomics and chemometric techniques to profile bioactive lipids across various food matrices like pork, chicken, avocados, and marine by-products, by leveraging the technique of HRMS coupled with ion-mobility separation (TIMS-TOF). The research unveils nearly 600 unique lipid compounds, identifying biomarkers for food authenticity, quality, and traceability that could potentially be of use in fraud prevention and sustainability. From analyzing omega-rich marine oils to authenticating the origins of Spanish Hass avocados, this work highlights lipidomics’ transformative role in foodomics. With significant implications for consumer health and industry standards, this thesis is a leap forward in understanding food composition, nutritional profiling, and authenticity verification.
