Dr. Antreas Vorkas

• B.Sc. in Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Greece
• M.Sc. in Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Antreas Vorkas specializes in membrane protein biophysics, protein–lipid interactions, and the regulation of ion channels by external stimuli. His academic background integrates classical chemistry with advanced biochemistry and structural biology, giving him a comprehensive understanding of how molecular structure, dynamics, and environment shape complex biological systems.

During his Bachelor studies in chemistry, Antreas built a fundamental knowledge in organic, inorganic, food, and industrial chemistry, and specialized in bioinorganic and quantum chemistry. He completed his Bachelor thesis on the development of organometallic silver complexes with structural similarity to hormones, exploring their potential use in hormone-dependent cancer treatment.

For his early research projects and Master’s work, he focused on advanced chemical methods and the study of amino-terminal copper (ATCUN) motifs. In his Master’s thesis, he investigated how the structure and sequence of natural and unnatural amino acids in ATCUN motifs influence reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in low-pH tissue environments, using techniques such as Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS), UV/Vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), and a range of analytical methods.

For his doctoral research, Antreas investigated how external stimuli regulate ion channel activation, combining membrane protein biochemistry, biophysics, and structural approaches. Working from gene design and recombinant expression (including E. coli, P. pastoris, and insect cells such as Sf9 and Hi5) through purification, reconstitution, and functional assays, he developed and optimized workflows for producing challenging membrane proteins in defined lipid environments. He applied techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy, fluorescence-based assays, mass photometry, UV/Vis spectroscopy and electrophysiology readouts to link structural states to functional outputs under defined physical and chemical stimuli.