Further expansion of the alien seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla (Sonder) Verlaque, Huisman & Procacini (Ulvophyceae, Bryopsidales) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

We are grateful to Andreas Antoniou (Dep. of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development & Environment, Cyprus) for his assistance in the preparation of the illustrations. We would also like to thank Dr. Sotiris Orfanidis (NAGREF – Fisheries Research Institute, Kavala, Greece) for his valuable advice and both the DFMR and HSR / HCMR Rhodes crew and George Hatiris for their help in samplings. Special thanks are due to Dinos Leonidou (SeaQuest Divers Cyprus) for accompanying the deep dive for sampling Caulerpa at Cavo Greco. We are grateful to the Total Foundation (Paris) for its funding support to this study within the framework of the project “Brown algal ecology and biodiversity in the eastern Mediterranean Sea” and to the MASTS pooling initiative (Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland, funded by the Scottish Funding Council and contributing institutions; grant reference HR09011).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Seaweeds of the Greek coasts. I. Phaeophyceae

An updated checklist of the brown seaweeds (Phaeophyceae) of Greece is provided, based on both literature records and new collections. The total number of species and infraspecific taxa currently accepted is 107. The occurrence of each taxon in the North Aegean, South Aegean and Ionian Seas is given. In addition, 17 taxa pending confirmation of their presence, 11 excludenda and 8 inquirenda are briefly discussed

Seaweeds of the Greek coasts. II. Ulvophyceae

An updated checklist of the green seaweeds (Ulvophyceae) of the Greek coasts is provided, based on both literature records and new collections. The total number of species and infraspecific taxa currently accepted is 95. The occurrence of each taxon in the North Aegean, South Aegean and Ionian Seas is given. In addition, 12 taxa pending confirmation of their presence, 9 excludenda and 14 inquirenda are briefly discussed

Updated records and range expansion of alien marine macrophytes in Greece (2009)

In the present study the list of alien marine macrophytes already recorded on Greek coasts has been revised in the light of recent studies and new observations. In comparison  to 2008, the total number consists of 32 taxa, and the classification as established, casual and debatable species has been modified, with a total of 14, 5 and 13 species respectively. An interesting increase in established species from 9 taxa in 2008 to 14 taxa in 2009 is noted. With 23 taxa listed, Rhodobionta is the best represented group, followed by Chlorobionta (4 taxa) and Chromobionta (4 taxa), while seagrasses (Streptobionta) are represented by only one species. Several new records, one new entry and two putative additions are considered here, while two other taxa previously assumed introduced are excluded from the list of aliens

New records and observations of macroalgae and associated pathogens from the Falkland Islands, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego

Subantarctic and Antarctic regions remain little explored with regards to their seaweed diversity. This study is based upon collections in the early 1970s and 2007–2013. It is supported by sequencing COI (mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I) and reports new records for four species of brown algae Hincksia granulosa, Hincksia sandriana, Myriotrichia clavaeformis, Syringoderma australe), four red algae (Erythrotrichia carnea, Paraglossum salicifolium, Phycodrys antarctica, Plumariopsis eatonii), one green alga (Chaetomorpha aerea) and of the oomycete Anisolpidium ectocarpii. A further four brown algae are reported at genus level and discussed (Cladostephus sp., Colpomenia sp., Dictyota sp., Punctaria sp.). Observations of the biology of three brown algal taxa (Cladothele decaisnei, Geminocarpus geminatus, Halopteris obovata) from the region are also reported here

European primary datasets of alien bacteria and viruses

Bacteria and viruses are a natural component of Earth biodiversity and play an essential role in biochemical and geological cycles. They may also pose problems outside their native range, where they can negatively impact on natural resources, wildlife, and human health. To address these challenges and develop sustainable conservation strategies, a thorough understanding of their invasion related- factors is needed: origin, country and year of introduction, and pathways dynamics. Yet, alien bacteria and viruses are underrepresented in invasion ecology studies, which limits our ability to quantify their impacts and address future introductions. This study provides primary datasets of alien bacteria and viruses of plants and animals present in the European environment. The datasets contain expert-revised data on 446 taxa and their invasion related- factors across terrestrial and aquatic environments. Taxa information are complemented with spatial occurrences. The datasets provide a basis for collaborative initiatives to improve the collection of alien bacteria and viruses' data, and a starting point for data-driven conservation practices

Establishment of computational biology in Greece and Cyprus: Past, present, and future.

We review the establishment of computational biology in Greece and Cyprus from its inception to date and issue recommendations for future development. We compare output to other countries of similar geography, economy, and size—based on publication counts recorded in the literature—and predict future growth based on those counts as well as national priority areas. Our analysis may be pertinent to wider national or regional communities with challenges and opportunities emerging from the rapid expansion of the field and related industries. Our recommendations suggest a 2-fold growth margin for the 2 countries, as a realistic expectation for further expansion of the field and the development of a credible roadmap of national priorities, both in terms of research and infrastructure funding

New criteria for selecting the origin of DNA replication in Wolbachia and closely related bacteria

© 2007 Ioannidis et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The definitive version was published in BMC Genomics 8 (2007): 182, doi:10.1186/1471-2164-8-182.Background: The annotated genomes of two closely related strains of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis have been reported without the identifications of the putative origin of replication (ori). Identifying the ori of these bacteria and related alpha-Proteobacteria as well as their patterns of sequence evolution will aid studies of cell replication and cell density, as well as the potential genetic manipulation of these widespread intracellular bacteria. Results: Using features that have been previously experimentally verified in the alpha-Proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the origin of DNA replication (ori) regions were identified in silico for Wolbachia strains and eleven other related bacteria belonging to Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia genera. These features include DnaA-, CtrA- and IHF-binding sites as well as the flanking genes in C. crescentus. The Wolbachia ori boundary genes were found to be hemE and COG1253 protein (CBS domain protein). Comparisons of the putative ori region among related Wolbachia strains showed higher conservation of bases within binding sites. Conclusion: The sequences of the ori regions described here are only similar among closely related bacteria while fundamental characteristics like presence of DnaA and IHF binding sites as well as the boundary genes are more widely conserved. The relative paucity of CtrA binding sites in the ori regions, as well as the absence of key enzymes associated with DNA replication in the respective genomes, suggest that several of these obligate intracellular bacteria may have altered replication mechanisms. Based on these analyses, criteria are set forth for identifying the ori region in genome sequencing projects.PI, PS, SS, GT and KB acknowledge support of their work from intramural funding from the University of Ioannina. SB, JDH, LB and JW acknowledge support of their work from the U.S. National Science Foundation grant EF-0328363. SB also acknowledges the support from the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NNA04CC04A

Cyclopia: from Greek antiquity to medical genetics

Cyclops are among the best-known monsters of Greek mythology, also mentioned in art and literature. According to the most recent scientific knowledge, the malformations caused by defective development of the anterior brain and midline mesodermal structures include cyclopia (synophthalmos), ethmocephaly, cebocephaly and arrhinencephaly. These severe forebrain lesions often are accompanied by severe systemic malformations, and affected infants rarely survive. Neither true cyclopia nor synophthalmos are compatible with life because an anomalous development of the brain is involved. Thus, it is difficult to assume that ancient Greeks drew their inspiration from an adult patient suffering from cyclopia. Cyclops appear for the first time in literature in Homer’s Odyssey (8th-7th century BC) and one of them, Polyphemus, is blinded by the hero of the epic poem. The description of the creature is identical with patients suffering from cyclopia; eyes are fused and above the median eye there is a proboscis, which is the result of an abnormal development of the surface ectodermal structures covering the brain. The next literature appearance of Cyclops is at the end of 7th century BC in “Theogonia”, written by Hesiodus. Another interesting description is made by Euripides in his satyr play entitled ‘Cyclops’ (5th century BC). In conclusion, though it is not certain whether Homer’s description of Cyclops was based on his personal experience or the narration of his ancestors, there is no doubt that the ophthalmological disease, cyclopia, was named after this mythical creature