Michalis Fragkos

BSc, Genetics, University of Wales; MSc, Human Molecular Genetics, Imperial College; PhD, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine, University of Crete

Dr. Fragkos has been an assistant professor in the Department of Science and Mathematics since September 2021 and Chair of the Department of Science and Mathematics since September 2023. He has a 1st class BSc degree with Honors in Genetics (University of Wales) and an MSc with distinction in Human Molecular Genetics (Imperial College, London). Dr. Fragkos completed his PhD at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in Crete in collaboration with the University of Washington, where he worked on gene therapy of beta-thalassemia. He taught genomic instability and molecular virology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, where he revealed a new role for histone H2AX in the cell-cycle arrest induced by replication stalling, using Adeno-Associated Virus as a tool. He then moved to France and worked as a researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research. His studies revealed that non-coding RNAs play a role in DNA replication and that the microRNA pathway helps prevent genomic instability induced by the inhibition of DNA replication. Dr. Fragkos has published his work in several high-impact factor journals, including a first-author publication in the prestigious journal Nature Reviews.

Selected Publications

• Fragkos M*, Barra V, Egger T, Bordignon B, Lemacon D, Naim V*, and Coquelle A. Dicer prevents genome instability in response to replication stress. Oncotarget. 2019;10(43):4407-23. *co-corresponding author.
• Aze A*, Fragkos M*, Bocquet S, Julien Cau, and Mechali M. RNAs coordinate nuclear envelope assembly and DNA replication through ELYS recruitment to chromatin. Nature Communications. 2017:8(1):2130. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02180-1. *co-first author
• Fragkos M, Ganier O, Coulombe P, and Mechali M. DNA replication origin activation in space and time. Nature Reviews Mol Cell Biol. 2015;16(6):360-74.
• Fragkos M and Beard P. Mitotic catastrophe can occur in the absence of apoptosis in p53-null cells with a defective G1 checkpoint. PLOS One. 2011;6(8):e22946.
• Fragkos M, Jurvansuu J, and Beard P. H2AX is required in cell cycle arrest via the p53/p21 pathway. Mol Cell Biol. 2009;29(10):2828-40.
• Fragkos M, Breuleux M, Clement, N, and Beard P. Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors are deficient in provoking a DNA damage response. J Virol. 2008;82(15):7379-87.