Plant & Environmental
Biotechnology Laboratory

RNAi as a biotechnological tool for crop protection and improvement

Our applied research focuses on the development of RNA-based technologies for sustainable agriculture and next-generation crop protection. We design highly specific dsRNA-based herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and virucides, alongside sensitive analytical methods for their detection and environmental monitoring, contributing to biosafety evaluation and environmental risk assessment.

Beyond eukaryotic RNAi systems, we employ synthetic biology approaches to develop antisense oligonucleotide platforms for targeted gene silencing in RNAi-insensitive prokaryotes, expanding programmable RNA technologies to microbial systems.

Our research combines advanced molecular and multi-omics approaches to dissect RNAi, epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation. We integrate small RNA-seq, RNA-seq and degradome sequencing with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing for 5mC DNA methylation profiling and nanopore sequencing for m6A RNA modification analysis.

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see also sections on: Risk assessment of biopesticides

Personnel

Athanasios Dalakouras
, Research Partner
Kalliope Papadopoulou
, Professor in Plant Biotechnology

Publications

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

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., & Papadopoulou, K. K. (2020). Epigenetic Modifications: An Unexplored Facet of Exogenous RNA Application in Plants. Plants, 9(6), 673. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9060673

Funding


RNA sprays as a tool for crop improvement and protect


HORIZON-CL6-2022-FARM2FORK-01-0, Risk AssessmenT InnOvatioN for low-risk pesticides.

Our successful story

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