Applying physics and chemistry problems in biological systems
Foivos Perakis was born and raised in Athens, Greece. Already at high school he was attracted to math, physics or computer science. During his studies at the Physics department at the University of Crete, he took the opportunity to study as an ERASMUS student at the University of Amsterdam. Later on, Foivos did his PhD in University of Zurich and a postdoc at Stanford. In 2016 he moved to Sweden as a researcher at Fysikum. He was appointed as an assistant professor in 2019 and a Wallenberg Fellow in 2023. His research group focuses on liquid-liquid transitions and proteins in crowded and cryogenic environments.
"I'm originally born and raised in Athens, Greece, although I lived for a few years in Crete as part of my studies in physics. As a young boy, I saw my dad reading physics books related to "chaos" and "cosmology" which sparked my curiosity."
He also had a good physics high-school teacher that gave very clear lectures. He then realized he wanted to do something related to math, physics or computer science.
His studies took him to several countries before Fysikum
"During my studies in physics at the University of Crete, I joined the ERASMUS program and went to The University of Amsterdam." During this time he studied courses from the master program in theoretical physics. The experience made him confident that he could survive abroad and it helped him improve his English.
"Afterwards I moved to Switzerland at the University of Zurich, where I did my PhD at the Physical Chemical institute. I acquired a fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation that financed my postdoc at Stanford University and SLAC at California, USA. Finally, in 2016 I moved to Sweden and joined Fysikum at the Stockholm University as a researcher."
The research focuses on liquid-liquid transitions and proteins
He was appointed as an assistant professor in 2019 and a Wallenberg Fellow in 2023. His research group is named Structural dynamics of aqueous solutions, SDAQS.
"We are interested in understanding role of water in chemical and biophysical processes from a statistical physics perceptive. We study the structural dynamics of aqueous solutions, including nanoparticles, organic molecules and proteins in supercooled and glassy states. We also study proteins in crowded and cryogenic environments."
Publications include results from experiments performed at large scale X-ray sources and at his research lab.
"Recently, our work published in Nature Communications, demonstrated the capability of measuring antibody dynamics in crowded conditions using XFELs and was highlighted in the European XFEL annual report (2022)."
Wallenberg Academy Fellowship program means funding for 5 years
As part of the program you get the opportunity of meeting excellent scientists selected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences as well as being a part of the mentorship program organized by Wallenberg.
"This is an amazing opportunity and I am delighted to be selected for this honor. As part of the Wallenberg Academy Fellowship program, one gets significant funding for 5 years, with possibility for extension, in order to tackle challenging and exciting basic research questions. My project is related to following the formation of biomolecular condensates which are believed to have contributed to the mechanism behind the origins of life. Understanding these condensates can also help us understand better the fundamental rules in living cells and design better drugs against diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson."
The aim of creating a strong research environment at Fysikum
Foivos current position was initiated by the The Swedish Research Council with an international recruitment grant of Anders Nilsson. The aim was to create a strong research environment at Fysikum and the Stockholm University.
"Part of my current research build on the experiment we did with Anders on supercooled water droplets at X-ray Free Electron Lasers. My idea is to take these methods and apply them to a new area related to biology, as a way to control generate conditions similar as those in living cells."
The vision of applying the tools of physics and chemistry into biological system
"This is an amazing opportunity and I am delighted to be selected for this honor. As part of the Wallenberg Academy Fellowship program, one gets significant funding for 5 years, with possibility for extension, in order to tackle challenging and exciting basic research questions. My project is related to following the formation of biomolecular condensates which are believed to have contributed to the mechanism behind the origins of life. Understanding these condensates can also help us understand better the fundamental rules in living cells and design better drugs against diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson."
Foivos advice for students and young researchers
"One of the most important advice I received during my postdoc years at Stanford was to be strong and believe in my ideas. There will always be people out there that will tell you that "this is impossible" or "that won't work". It is important to trust yourself and not be afraid to stick your neck out and stand up for your vision.
For young researchers I would recommend that you focus on the process itself and enjoy both the creative aspects and its challenges. If you really enjoy the research process, it can lead you to exciting new places, both scientifically and career wise."
More information
Capturing protein dynamics in crowded environments with European XFEL
Eight Wallenberg Academy Fellows to Stockholm University
How do biomolecules behave in the cell’s cramped environment?
Courses and programmes in physics at Fysikum, Stockholm University
Last updated: January 19, 2024
Source: Communications Officer Gunilla Häggström