Who are BioNature

The merger of medicine and growth mindset.

Bionature E.A. Ltd, established in 2003, is a spin-off of the University of Crete in Greece. The Company's founders are Professors Elias Castanas and Achilleas Gravanis, both of the University of Crete Medical School. Bionature's stakeholders also include the private investment group of Emergo and the University of Crete.

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Crete was established in 1984 and is presently ranked among the best medical schools in Europe. Emergo is a diversified investment group with a long-term vision. Their ownership structure allows them to think outside of the box while respecting the mission and integrity of management and make short-track decisions that are aligned with the long-term strategies of portfolio companies.

Microneurotrophins

Chairman

Alfred Balm

Chairman, the Emergo Group of Companies

Board of Directors

Mike Balm

Director, the Emergo Group of Companies

Elias Castanas

Emeritus Professor of Experimental Endocrinology, Medical School University of Crete

Achilleas Gravanis

Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School University of Crete
Researcher Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation of Research & Technology-Hellas
Affiliated Research Professor Center of Drug Discovery Northeastern University

Nicolaos Chaniotakis

Professor of Chemistry, Dept of Chemistry University of Crete

Scientific Advisory Board

George Chrousos

Ex-Chief of Branch, NICHD, NIH
Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, Medical School University of Athens

Demitrios Vavvas

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Robin J Franklin

Professor of Stem Cell Medicine, Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge University

Alexandros Makriyannis

Director Center Drug Discovery
Professor of Chemical Biology, Bouve School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University

Francis LeBlanc

Professor Emeritus, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary

Research Partners

Theodora Calogeropoulou

Research Director
Institute Chemical Biology , National Hellenic Research Foundation
(design and organic synthesis of microneurotrophins)

Ioannis Charalampopoulos

Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School University of Crete
Researcher Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation of Research & Technology-Hellas
(pharmacology of microneurotrohins in cells and animal models of Alzheimer disease)

Demitrios Tzeranis

Lecturer of Bioengineering, University of Cyprus
(microneurotrophins in bioengineered 3D cultures of human neural stem cells and neurons)

Collaborators

Christina Dalla

Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School University of Athens
(behavioural pharmacology of microneurotrophins)

Nicolaos Pitsikas

Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School University of Thessaly
(behavioural pharmacology of microneurotrophins)

Domna Karagogeos

Professor of Developmental Neurobiology, Medical School University of Crete
(microneurotrophins and demyelination-remyelination)

Kyriaki Thermos

Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School University of Crete
(eye neuropharmacology of microneurotrophins)

Fevronia Angelatou

Professor of Physiology, Dept. of Biology University of Patras
(microneurotrophins in Parkinson disease)

Research & Development

Our research focuses on science related to the neurobiology and neurophysiology of neurodegenerative processes. We implement state of the art technologies, such as reverse genomics, advanced imaging, human disease specific transgenic animals, neural stem cell biology.

Our research process Publications