Professor Anastasios Melis, Ph.D.

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

University of Athens (Greece), School of Physical Sciences and Mathematics: B.Sc. in Biology 

Florida State University (Tallahassee), Dept. of Biological Science: Ph.D. in Biological Sciences 

Emphasis on the Biophysics of Photosynthesis 

Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, The Netherlands, Dept. of Biophysics. EMBO Postdoctoral Training 

Carnegie Institution, Stanford University, California.  Carnegie Postdoctoral Training 

FELLOWSHIPS / AWARDS / HONORS

IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency Fellowship

DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Fellowship

EMBO European Molecular Biology Organization Fellowship

Carnegie Institution Fellowship

Swedish Natural Science Research Council, Invited Professor Fellowship 

       - At University of Lund, Department of Biochemistry

British Science and Engineering Research Council, Invited Professor Fellowship 

      - At University of Leeds, Department of Pure and Applied Biology 

Pacific Rim Faculty Exchange Program Fellowship

   At CSIRO, Plant Industry Division, Canberra, Australia. 

NATO International Scientific Exchange Program Fellowship

   At University of Hamburg, Germany

Japanese Monbusho (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) Research Award 

       At NIBB, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan

Distinguished Teaching Award, UC Berkeley, College of Natural Resources

DaimlerChrysler, University Challenge Award

US DOE, Hydrogen Program Research Achievement Award

Fellow, Election by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Endowed Chair Appointment, The Grace Kase and Harry Y. Tsujimoto Chancellor’s Chair

RECENT PATENTS

13. Melis A, Formighieri C (2020) Fusion constructs as protein overexpression vectors. U.S. 

       Patent No. 10,876,124 (issued December 29, 2020).

14. Melis A, Formighieri C (2021) Production of monoterpene blends by unicellular 

       photosynthetic microorganisms U.S. Patent No. 10,889,835 (issued January 12, 2021.)

15. Melis A, Formighieri C (2022) Fusion constructs as protein overexpression vectors. 

       Australia Patent 2016281666 (issued 8 December 2022).

16. Melis A, Formighieri C (2023) Production of monoterpene blends by unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms. Indian Patent No 462858 (Issued 27 October 2023).

17. Melis A, Formighieri C (2023) Production of monoterpene blends by unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms. Australian Patent # 2017269418 (Issued 04 January 2024).

18. Melis A, Formighieri C (2024) Fusion constructs as protein overexpression vectors. U.S. Patent No. 11,884,927 (issued January 30, 2024). 

19. Melis A, Formighieri C (2024) Fusion constructs as protein over expression vectors. Indian Patent No. 511727 (issued February 16, 2024). 

20. Melis A, Formighieri C (2024) Fusion constructs as protein over-expression vectors. U.S. Patent No. 12,391,950 (issued August 19, 2025). 

MELIS LAB RESEARCH EXPERTISE AND PHILOSOPHY

        We study the photosynthesis of plants, microalgae, cyanobacteria, and non-oxygenic (anaerobic) photosynthetic bacteria. Approaches include biophysics and biochemistry of the process, molecular biology and genetics of the organisms, and scale ups for product generation. 

       The Melis Lab contributed with pioneering efforts to raising the field of photosynthesis from basic research to practice. 

       Our trademark is carbon-negative product generation directly from photosynthesis, bypassing the need to harvest and ferment the respective biomass.