Tech Talks Central

Dr. Polycarpos Falaras’ research focuses on using nanotechnology to convert solar energy to electricity; photocatalysis as an advanced oxidation process, to decompose pollutants; and carbon dioxide storage and conversion. He explains how within the photoinduced process they examine the interaction of matter -at the size of a nanometer- with light, for the creation of a new generation of photovoltaics... mentioning windows or walls that will produce electricity. He explains that although the world wide target of using solar energy as a mainstream energy source may be important it can only be realised if we reduce the final cost. In order to achieve this, Dr. Falaras points out the need for further funding when it comes to scaling up processes and materials outside the lab. He continues with his other stem of research interest, photocatalysis and how it can help in the decomposition of emerging pollutants. He analyses how they’re trying to shift from the ultraviolet spectrum (3-5% of solar light) to the broader visible light spectrum, in order to create new materials that will energise new photocatalysis reactors. Interviewed by Venetia Kyritsi for Tech Talks Central.

Dr. Helen Kaberi is a marine chemist and oceanographer and we talk about how humanity can stop the damage we’ve caused to our environment and more specifically about pollution in the marine environment. Some of the current research projects Dr. Kaberi is working on are those concerning marine litter and the marine strategy framework. She gives her point of view on how we can protect fisheries from invasive species; deal with changes and pollution in the marine ecosystem; and how should a good environmental framework be defined. Finally, she highlights the fact that vessel pollution in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea is quite significant mentioning some insights and results from their relevant research. Interviewed by Venetia Kyritsi for Tech Talks Central.

Voula Giouli is a research associate and has been working at ILSP / R.C. "Athena" since 1998 conducting basic and applied research in Computational Linguistics, the focus being on the analysis and modeling of natural language and the development of electronic language resources. We talk about how computational linguistics and natural language processing applications can benefit humans and how we can use the information & audio data derived from these. As Voula Giouli mentions, the challenge is to spot the unstructured information in various channels and mediums and serve this to the right user at the right time. She talks about her recent work on the development of an M2M conceptual dictionary of modern greek. She also shares insights and various commercial applications that could benefit from NLP technologies like consumer ratings and recommendations, authoring autocomplete aid while writing and others. Interviewed by Venetia Kyritsi for Tech Talks Central.

There are numerous human-caused sources of air pollution. Dr. Vasiliki Assimakopoulou gives us an overview of the most important of them along with factors affecting outdoor pollution in big cities and how these manifest and affect indoor pollution. We discuss her current research activities which, between others, include the aggregation and analysis of pollution data and information from several official sources; on the field measurements and research; and providing recommendations on how to reduce pollution and improve the quality of life in cities. The Emission Inventory of Athens is one of the most important and notable recent deliverable of the research group. In the last part of the interview, we talk about the disconnect between state, decision makers and researchers which is impeding the translation of research results and recommendations into regulations. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks Central.

The Institute of Geodynamics at the National Observatory of Athens operates and maintains the national Accelerometric Network, a computerized Seismic Detection network of sensors capturing seismic activity by pulling data from more than 350 stations spread across the entire area of Greece. Dr. Nikolaos Melis discusses how this information is being used in or can be extended to practical applications from precaution and warning systems to construction and restoration projects. Having recently completed the unification of all national seismic data networks, the Institute now works in collaboration with European institutions in order to create a real-time unified pan-European infrastructure network to strengthen the estimation, correlation and prediction capabilities of both earthquakes and tsunamis. We talk about the legacy and history of the Institute of Geodynamics which was founded in 1893, combined with the unique location and strong seismic activity in Greece, making it one of the oldest establishments in the field and a leader in seismological research. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks Central.

Space astrophysics mostly depend on ground based telescopes for observation. However the most important part has to do with observation from outer space using satellites and space-shuttles. By observing space from outside of earth’s atmosphere it is possible to gather much richer information by using techniques that would be ineffective from ground-level, such as measuring x-ray radiation. Dr. Ioannis Georgantopoulos gives us a glimpse into how x-rays allow scientists to have a much richer view of many uncharted territories of space which would otherwise be invisible. We also talk about the current and future space missions that the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing participates in and the expected outcomes. Finally we talk about the involvement and collaboration opportunities for small or medium software and hardware companies in Space programs, how easy is it to get funding and how a company can fill-in any competence gaps. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks Central.

Dr. Paraskevi Karachle is a researcher in the field of Fishery Science, a broad field spanning topics such as fish biology, feeding ecology and ecomorphology. We talk about the implications of what do fish eat, why they eat it and how they adapt. Furthermore, Dr. Karachle’s research is related to the management of aquatic resources and fisheries, feeding ecology and diet, and how fish interact with each other and other aquatic organisms. The applications and the repercussions of the this research spans a wide area from ecosystem preservation and sustainability to commercial applications. We then talk about Maritime Spatial Planning, the regional/geological mapping and planning of the sea, an activity with huge impact on several applications which involve the use of sea ecosystem resources and capabilities - from touristic enterprises and fishing to offshore wind-farms. Finally we discuss Dr. Karachle’s work on stakeholder management and involvement in fishery science and specifically about the “Citizen Scientist” initiative - an activity aiming to outreach to and leverage the involvement of every non-scientist stakeholder in order to rapidly expand the knowledge- and information- base in the field. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks Central.

In this interview with Dr. Marina Sagnou we discussed the use of natural products, some of which are commonly known as superfoods, for the design and synthesis of new organic molecules for medicinal purposes. Dr Sagnou explains how natural products like Curcumin are strong candidates for applications such as the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and the diagnosis and/or therapy of cancer, amongst others. We also talk about Demokritos’ unique expertise and positioning as a producer, banking and processing facility, and provider of Human Bone Allograft and the tremendous cost benefit both to clinicians and the Centre, as well as the development of innovative synthetic and natural allograft for dental and orthopedic applications which carry several physical, mechanical and cost benefits over organic bone tissue. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks Central.

Our talk with Dr. Efstratios Stratikos begins with an overview of the research currently being performed within his research group focused around the study of protein biomolecules and specifically their predominant role in medical diagnosis and in the design of new drugs. Centered around the mechanics of the human immune system Dr Stratikos’ group research applies to the diagnosing, prognosis and curing of a very broad spectrum of diseases including cancer. The second part of our talk is about the difficulties and the challenges that the group is currently facing, despite that profound importance and impact of their work, in fund-raising highlighting amongst others the need for support mechanisms and infrastructure, both at state and private industry levels. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks Central.

“Love what you are doing and get paid for that!” That’s the aphorism that Dr. George Mousdis, a seasoned researcher of 30-plus years, kept for his interview with TTC, when asked to describe the greatest benefit of his job, followed by the declaration “which is not a job - it is more of a hobby you love!” That’s why young researchers-to-be must like it, first of all. Of course, he admits that everyday life for a researcher is not exactly rosy... Research is time consuming, which means limited personal life and less time for your family, as you are usually “married” to science. It is also rather difficult to get money for your research, especially if you live in Greece, during the crisis. Hence, he firmly believes that research must give back something to the society that pays for it by introducing practical or commercial value added results. This belief is depicted in his work, which is focused on low-dimensional materials used in organic electronics, sensors and photovoltaics, as well as applications like the highly accurate and fast virgin olive oil authenticator, crucial for the Greek national product. Interviewed by Yannis Rizopoulos for Tech Talks Central.