Projects and Grants

  1. Projects funded through competitive research grants

    HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) Projects

    1. Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation: ''Male urogenital cancer and its relationship to HPV infection'', £73.950 (years 2004-2008).
    2. United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS): ''Male urogenital cancer and its relationship to HPV infection'', $36.100 (years 2003-2004).
    3. United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS): ''Type and Frequency of Human Papilloma Virus Infection in Cyprus'', $50.000 (years 2002-2003).

      4. DNA bank from genetic cancer families

    4. Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC): ''Establishment of DNA and Serum Banks for Jordanian Familial Cancer Patients and Relatives'', $30.000 (years 2001-2003).
    5. Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC): ''Characterization of the mutational spectrum in BRCA genes in individuals at high risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer from Cyprus and Jordan'', $30.000 (years 2001-2003).

      6. Breast cancer marker MUC1 and its isoforms

    6. Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC): ''Serum levels of the tumour marker MUC1 isoforms for breast cancer diagnosis in Cypriot families and in non-familial patients'', $30.000 (years 2000-2002).
    7. Cyprus Foundation for Research Promotion - Program of Empowerment of Young Cypriot Researchers: ''Changes in Gene Expression Elicited by Activation of the Breast Cancer Associated MUC1/Y Receptor Protein'' £7.000 (years 2000-2001).
    8. Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC): ''Changes in Gene Expression Elicited by Activation of the Breast Cancer Associated MUC1/Y Receptor Protein'', $18.000 (years 1999-2001).
    9. Cyprus Foundation for Research Promotion: ''Discovery of a Vaccine for Diabetes Prevention in Cyprus'', £30.000 (years 1999-2001).
    10. American National Multiple Sclerosis Society: '' Identification of Novel Autoantigens Recognised by T-cells from MS patients'', $25.000 (years 1999-2001).

  2. Other projects

    1. Genographic: Population structure of the Mediterranean

      We possess a DNA bank from about 1000 consented residents of Cyprus, including several hundred Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots. We participate in collaborative studies tracking human migration and the relationships between human populations in Eastern Mediterranean.

    2. Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis

      We have developed a novel method for prenatal diagnosis using a blood sample from the pregnant woman in the first trimester of pregnancy (weeks 5-12). We have used our method for prenatal detection of embryo sex and for the non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of thalassaemia.

  3. Summer Projects

    Every summer the Mendel Center for Biomedical Sciences takes up a number of high-caliber pupils and students, who conduct research projects. All projects encompass a strong molecular biology component. The tremendous recent progress of the Human Genome Project has led to great advances in the field of bioinformatics (computer handling and analysis of DNA sequences). It has been truly said that the future biologist should be skilled in 'wet biology' (experimental laboratory science) as well as in bioinformatics. Accordingly, the Educational Research Programs offered to summer students at the Mendel Center have a strong bioinformatics as well as a strong wet molecular biology component.