Dr. Vassiliki Pletsa , Research Assistant Professor
Address:
National Hellenic Research Foundation
Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology
48, Vassileos Constantinou Ave., Athens 11635, Greece
Tel: +30.210.7273.733
e-mail : vpletsa
Vassiliki Pletsa was born in Athens in Athens in 1962. She was awarded a Bachelor Degree in Biology by the University of Athens, Faculty of Science in 1984. She obtained a Ph. D. Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Athens, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology in 1991. Title of the PhD thesis ''Mutagenesis and activation of the human Ha-ras proto-oncogene by alkylating carcinogens''. In 1991, holding post-doctoral fellowships initially by European Science Foundation and consequently by C.N.R.S., she worked for a year in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institut de Recherches Scientifiques sur le Cancer, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques (C.N.R.S.), Villejuif, France.
Since 1992 until now she has been member of the Chemical Carcinogenesis and Genetic Toxicology Group, initially as a post-doctorate assistant (1992-2003) and subsequently as a research assistant professor. Her research interests focus on the fields of DNA damage and repair and the molecular epidemiology of cancer. In 2004, in the context of a sabbatical leave, she worked for six months on the mechanisms of mutagenesis induced by the Translesion Synthesis polymerases in the Department of Toxicogenetics, Sylvius laboratories, Leiden University Medical Center, Wassenaarseweg72, 2333AL Leiden, The Netherlands.
Since 2000, she has been scientifically in charge of the development of the GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) Detection Unit of the Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, NHRF, where new, sensitive molecular biology-based methods of detection are applied and service to the industry and national authorities is provided. Also the GMO Detection Unit, in collaboration with homologous groups (Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens/ Food Technology Department, Technological Institute of Athens) participates in relevant joint research projects.
She has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals (Nucleic Acids Research, Carcinogenesis, Cancer Detection and Prevention, Cancer Letters) and she the author of the chapter '' The Genetically Modified Organisms Challenge'' in the book ''NUTRITION IN THE 21TH CENTURY: geography of abundance and deprivation'' PAPAZISIS Editions, Athens 2005. She is ''Expert'' of the National Accreditation System (E.SY.D.) and member of the National Advisory Committee on GMO issues. She is also member of the Hellenic Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Society as well as of the European Environmental Mutagen Society (EEMS).
Selected publications
Pletsa ,V., Gentil., A., Margot, A., Armier, J., Kyrtopoulos, S.A. & Sarasin, A., (1992) Mutagenesis by O6 meG residues within codon 12 of the human Ha-ras proto-oncogene in monkey cells. Nucleic Acids Research, 20, 4897-4901.
Pletsa, V., Valavanis, C., van Delft, J.H.M., Steenwinkel, M.J.T. & Kyrtopoulos, S.A. ( 1997 ) DNA damage and mutagenesis induced by procarbazine in lacZ transgenic mice : evidence that bone marrow mutations do not arise primarily through miscoding by O6-methylguanine. Carcinogenesis, 18, 2191-2196.
Pletsa, V., Steenwinkel, M.J.T., van Delft, J.H.M., Baan, R.A. & Kyrtopoulos, S.A. (1999) Induction of somatic mutations but not methylated DNA adducts in lacZ transgenic mice by dichlorvos. Cancer Letters, 149, 1-6.
Pletsa, V., Steenwinkel, M.J.T., Stoikidou, M., van Delft, J.H.M., Baan, R.A., Katsouyanni, K. & Kyrtopoulos, S.A. (2002) Monitoring for DNA damage of humans occupationally exposed to methylbromide. Anticancer Research, 22, 997-1000.
Pletsas, D., Nicolaou, A., Pletsa, V., Kyrtopoulos, S.A., Bibby, M.C. and Wheelhouse, R.T. (2002) Novel functionalized inhibitors of O6-alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase. British Journal of Cancer 86 (Supp I), S106
Batrinou, A,M., Dimitriou, E., Liatsos, D.N. and Pletsa, V. (2005) Genetically modified foods: the effect of information. Nutrition and Food Science, 35 (3), in press.
