The Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics was founded in 1999 (Government Gazette 179, 6/9/1999), is based at the University Campus of Alexandroupolis and, together with the Department of Medicine, forms the School of Health Sciences of the Democritus University of Thrace. It is the only Department in Greece with the subject of Molecular Biology and Genetics and is one of the 5 Departments of the Democritus University of Thrace that were developed in the framework of the Program for the Expansion of Tertiary Education “Education and Initial Vocational Training” (E.P.E.A.E.K.) with funds that came from the European Union and the Greek State. Initially, the Department was hosted in the premises of the Regional University Hospital of Alexandroupolis (2000-2003) and then (2003-2008) in one of the buildings of the Old Hospital of Alexandroupolis in the city center. Since 2008, the MBG Department has been housed in the Fotis Kafatos Building (surface of about 3500 sqm) at the University Campus of Alexandroupolis in the area of Dragana.
The first faculty members were appointed in 2003 and it took about five years for the Department to acquire a critical mass of faculty members (10 faculty members). During this period, the number of faculty members gradually increased, its curriculum was organized and the basic core of its laboratory infrastructure was created. The move to the newly built buildings in 2008, combined with the increasing competitive funding from research programs of the faculty members, led to the development of basic and advanced educational and research infrastructures and helped both in the design of the Department’s research activities and in the maintenance and further development of important collaborations with research laboratories, academic institutions and industry.
The MBG Department became self-sufficient in 2012 and today has 24 faculty members. All faculty members have been trained and worked in Greece and abroad and aim to make the MBG Department a hub of excellence in education and research.
The MBG Department admitted its first undergraduate students in 2000. About 700 Undergraduate students, 93 Postgraduate students and 40 PhD Candidates currently study at the MBG Department, while 1079 degrees have already been awarded to Molecular Biologists – Geneticists, 64 Postgraduate Diplomas and 39 PhD Diplomas.
