The installation and site acceptance tests of the new cryo-electron microscopy cryo-EM instruments at the NHRF are currently being performed, marking a major milestone for the establishment of the institute’s advanced imaging infrastructure.

The Krios G4 microscope has already produced its first high-resolution cryo-EM micrograph of apoferritin, highlighting the successful deployment of the new infrastructure and its readiness to support cutting-edge research in structural biology and nanoscience.

A new research article co-authored by Prof. Panagiotis Kastritis and Dr. Fotis Kyrilis has been published in one of the most prestigious journals of multidisciplinary science: The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study, addresses a long-standing question in biochemistry regarding how water molecules behave around proteins under acidic conditions. Using atomic-level visualization, the researchers observed that increasing acidity leads to the release of hundreds of water molecules, while a structured hydration shell remains partially preserved.

Dr. Fotis Kyrilis, Post Doctoral Associate of ICB and member of the ERA Chair Hot4Cryo project team has been awarded funding through the 4th Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects supporting Postdoctoral Researchers, for the project “Integrative structural investigation of macroH2A nucleosomes and definition of the mechanistic insights that involve them in altering transcription profiles”, with a total budget of €99,437, starting in April 2026.

Dr Theodora Katsila, Senior Researcher and Head of the Biomarker Discovery & Translational Research Laboratory at the ICB/NHRF has been elected Chair of the Marketing and Outreach Committee (MOC) of the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO), the leading global body in Proteomics. This role further enhances opportunities for international collaboration and participation in global research networks of scientific excellence. This appointment recognizes Dr Katsila’s scientific contribution in proteoform-based multi-omics analysis and the repurposing of drugs, advanced materials, and smart systems, as well as the strategic framework developed within the NHRF Centre of Excellence.

A new review article titled “Accessing new dimensions in high-resolution materials exploration by cryo-electron microscopy” by Dr Panagiota Koralli and the ERA Chair Hot4Cryo project team (Dr P. Kastritis, Dr C. Chochos and Dr F. Kyrilis), implemented at the ICB/NHRF, has been published in Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports (Impact Factor 26.8).

The review brings together developments in instrumentation, sample preparation, and analytical methodologies that enable the study of non-biological nanoscale systems. It also discusses emerging approaches such as AI-assisted analysis and open-data practices, which can improve reproducibility and data interpretation in materials science.