The university that often achieves the impossible

Athanasia, Marilena and Adamantia leaned carefully over the laboratory equipment. They were completing the final experiments before closing the envelope for the competition. From there, the three students and the rest of the team would travel to Paris and the iGEM international synthetic biology competition to present their groundbreaking idea: Can certain probiotics cure depression? Their idea finally bagged them a Silver Medal.

The second iGEM Thrace team (the first was founded in 2019) is just one of dozens of examples that demonstrate the dynamism, innovation, and high-level research and education taking place at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Democritus University of Thrace in Alexandroupoli.

Starting with obstacles

Why was the only Greek department of molecular biology and genetics (in other cities the departments...