Leondios G. Kostrikis | |
---|---|
Nationality | Cypriot |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Biochemistry |
Institutions | University of Cyprus |
Leondios G. Kostrikis (born 1964) is a Cypriot biochemist from Cyprus and a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus. In 2022, he attracted media attention with the news of having found a "deltacron" Coronavirus variant. This was subsequently debunked as a possible lab error.
Kostrikis was born in Cyprus. [1] He received his scientific education in biochemistry from New York University. In 1987, he received his B.Sc. degree, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship. In 1993, he received his Ph.D. [1]
He moved to Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC) to do HIV research. In 1999, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Rockefeller University. [1] In 2003, he returned to Cyprus. He became Head of Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology and Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus. [1]
Following the emergence of COVID-19 Omicron variant, Kostrikis announced in January 2022 in local TV [2] that his Cypriot health research team in Nicosia had found a new COVID-19 variant dubbing it "Deltacron". [3] Unfortunately, indiscriminate news of the COVID-19 hybrid variant dubbed "Deltacron" spread quickly in mainstream media. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Maria Van Kerkhove (head of W.H.O.'s COVID-19 Technical Leader), Richard Neher (head of Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology and associate professor of University of Basel), and other scientists, challenged this announcement, saying a lab mistake was a more probable explanation for Cyprus lab's finding. [8]Most experts believe it was likely due to the result of a lab error, which is possible lab contamination involving Omicron fragments in a Delta specimen. Since then, many virologists have argued that it is most likely the result of a lab contamination, which purportedly shares specific properties with two different strains. [9] [10]
Leondios G. Kostrikis | |
---|---|
Nationality | Cypriot |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Biochemistry |
Institutions | University of Cyprus |
Leondios G. Kostrikis (born 1964) is a Cypriot biochemist from Cyprus and a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus. In 2022, he attracted media attention with the news of having found a "deltacron" Coronavirus variant. This was subsequently debunked as a possible lab error.
Kostrikis was born in Cyprus. [1] He received his scientific education in biochemistry from New York University. In 1987, he received his B.Sc. degree, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship. In 1993, he received his Ph.D. [1]
He moved to Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC) to do HIV research. In 1999, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Rockefeller University. [1] In 2003, he returned to Cyprus. He became Head of Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology and Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus. [1]
Following the emergence of COVID-19 Omicron variant, Kostrikis announced in January 2022 in local TV [2] that his Cypriot health research team in Nicosia had found a new COVID-19 variant dubbing it "Deltacron". [3] Unfortunately, indiscriminate news of the COVID-19 hybrid variant dubbed "Deltacron" spread quickly in mainstream media. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Maria Van Kerkhove (head of W.H.O.'s COVID-19 Technical Leader), Richard Neher (head of Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology and associate professor of University of Basel), and other scientists, challenged this announcement, saying a lab mistake was a more probable explanation for Cyprus lab's finding. [8]Most experts believe it was likely due to the result of a lab error, which is possible lab contamination involving Omicron fragments in a Delta specimen. Since then, many virologists have argued that it is most likely the result of a lab contamination, which purportedly shares specific properties with two different strains. [9] [10]