ProfessorIoly Kotta-Loizou

I am a molecular microbiologist, focusing on viruses, bacteria and fungi.

I explore the possibilities of and lay the knowledge foundations for utilizing mycoviruses from plant, insect, and human pathogenic fungi to protect crops and trees, control agricultural insect pests and insect vectors, and combat diseases such as malaria and pulmonary aspergillosis. According to ExpertScape (an algorithm providing objective rankings of expertise; https://expertscape.com), I am currently among the top 3 mycovirology experts worldwide and the top one in Europe.

I endeavour to realise the enormous potential of mycoviruses for the directed manipulation of fungi in remediation and biotechnology, ultimately through their genetic modification to confer desired phenotypes and serve as therapeutic or research vectors (similar to e.g., human, animal, plant, and bacterial viruses), while establishing mycovirology as a leading and mainstream research area, not a niche topic in virology.

I am open to collaborations with other fields of research and dedicated to training the next generation of mycovirologists.