And

Panagiotis Kalaitzis

Head of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Laboratory at Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania

Panagiotis Kalaitzis holds a PhD from University of Maryland – College Park, USA and the interdisciplinary programme on Molecular & Cell Biology and is currently Studies & Research Coordinator of the Horticultural Genetics & Biotechnology Department at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICH) in Crete, Greece and director of the Laboratory of Molecular biology & biotechnology. MAICH is one of the constituent Institutes of the International Organization CIHEAM (International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies), an Intergovernmental Organization. The research interests focus on the characterization of the physiological significance of genes involved in the biosynthesis of cell wall glycoproteins such prolyl 4 hydroxylases and Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) and particularly on developmental programmes such as fruit ripening, abscission and abiotic stresses such as salinity and waterlogging in olive. He authored and co-authored more than 65 publications and coordinated or participated in more than 35 European and National research and development programs. Moreover, his group has extensive experience on olive oil authentication using DNA-based approaches and plant phenomics using image analysis algorithms in olive, tomato and recently on grape seeds. His laboratory trained more than 140 Master of Science students the last 24 years while more than 50 of them continued for PhD studies and currently work in plant sciences and other fields in various European countries and America. Greek wines and wine tasting might be considered an additional activity.

Panos Kalaitzis will present the greek wines challenges from different point of view (economic, agricultural, cultural, historical,etc.)