With a major success for the Cypriot research community, the Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING) has secured €500,000 in funding from the Research and Innovation Foundation. The funding will support the acquisition of a cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics analysis platform, which enables the study of gene expression within the natural context of biological tissue—placing Cyprus at the forefront of global scientific advancement.
The project OPEN INFRA/0625/0079 is implemented under the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan “Cyprus Tomorrow”, funded by the EU’s NextGenerationEU through the Research and Innovation Foundation.
The new platform enables:
- Comprehensive spatial analysis of the transcriptome within the native tissue environment
- Simultaneous detection of thousands of genes in each tissue section
- Co-detection of proteins, paving the way for advanced multimodal studies
The installation of this system marks a decisive step forward for research in Cyprus, strengthening the country’s cancer genetics research capacity and advancing the development of precision medicine.
This achievement is the outcome of close scientific collaboration between Dr Bekris and colleagues Dr Andreas Hadjisavvas, Dr Sotiris Kyriacou, and Dr Aikaterini Cheimona, along with Dr George M. Spyrou, Director of the Department of Bioinformatics, and Dr Kyriaki Michailidou, Head of the Biostatistics Unit.
The new platform is not merely a technological upgrade — it represents a strategic investment in knowledge and innovation, expected to bring direct benefits to patients by enabling more targeted, personalised therapies and driving new discoveries in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Through this initiative, Cyprus strengthens its position within the global scientific community and promotes the health and well-being of its citizens.
Source: The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics | News & Events | Media (https://tinyurl.com/2yx4nkr8)