Plant & Environmental
Biotechnology Laboratory

Athanasios Dalakouras

Research Partner

Athanasios Dalakouras is a plant molecular biologist and biotechnologist specializing in RNA interference (RNAi), epigenetics, and RNA-based technologies for crop improvement and plant protection. He obtained his PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from Heidelberg University (Germany) and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at RLP AgroScience GmbH and the University of Thessaly as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow. His research focuses on the role of small RNAs in gene regulation, plant-pathogen interactions, RNA-directed DNA methylation, and the development of RNA-based biopesticides and sustainable crop protection strategies. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications in leading international journals, served as corresponding author on numerous studies, and is co-inventor of a European patent related to epigenetic modification in plants. He has coordinated and participated in several national and European research projects, including Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, COST Actions, and Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) programs. His work bridges fundamental plant molecular biology with innovative agricultural applications, particularly in RNA-based pest control, epigenetic breeding and crop resilience.

Projects

RNAi as a biotechnological tool for crop protection and improvement
RNAi as a mediator of cross-kingdom molecular interactions
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PhD Theses

Antonia Argyri: Deciphering the epi-omic landscape of a beneficial funcal endophyte with plant growth and health promoting capacity (ongoing)

Loukia Kellari: Plant epigenome plasticity as response to its colonization by a beneficial fungal endophyte (2026)

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Publications

Kellari, L. M., Papadopoulou, K. K., & Dalakouras, A. (2026). Cross-kingdom RNAi: A universal mechanism of inter-organismal communication with many unknowns. Journal of Experimental Botany, 77(6), 1582–1597. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf543

Zisis, V., Arts Gertie, H. P., Athanasios, D., Georgios, F., Belén, G., Emmanouil, K., Dimitrios, K., Urania, M., Nikolaos, P. E., Papadopoulou Kalliope, K., José, P. M., Bastian, P., Luis, A. J., Anne, S., Sofia, T., & Aggeliki, T. (2026). Fit‐for‐purpose risk assessment for low‐concern active substances and uses. EFSA Supporting Publications, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2026.EN-9791

Koidou, V., Tamvakologou, E., Kim, M., Karpouzas, D. G., Papadopoulou, K. Κ., & Dalakouras, A. (2026). RT-qPCR detection of dsRNA pesticides: Optimization, limitations, and formulation effects. iScience, 29(7), 116428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.116428

Kellari, L.M., Dalakouras, A., Tsiouri, O., Vletsos, P., Katsaouni, A., Uslu, V.V. and Papadopoulou, K.K. (2025), Cross-kingdom RNAi induced by a beneficial endophytic fungus to its host requires transitivity and amplification of silencing signals. Plant Biol J, 27: 504-514. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70026

Dalakouras, A., Koidou, V., & Papadopoulou, K. (2024). DsRNA-based pesticides: Considerations for efficiency and risk assessment. Chemosphere, 352, 141530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141530

Dalakouras, A., Katsaouni, A., Avramidou, M., Dadami, E., Tsiouri, O., Vasileiadis, S., Makris, A., Georgopoulou, M. E., & Papadopoulou, K. K. (2023). A beneficial fungal root endophyte triggers systemic RNA silencing and DNA methylation of a host reporter gene. RNA Biology, 20(1), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2022.2159158

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