Unibo researchers

Full Professor at the University of Bologna since 2019, I carry out my research in the field of economics and agricultural policy. My research interests is aimed at deepening the impact of policies for the agro-food sector, risk management and the study of innovation transfer. I coordinated a Mipaaf project on the implementation of a mutual fund for the fisheries sector and I'm responsible for a Task in the Horizon2020 PerformFish.

Senior Assistant Professor and Researcher at the Laboratory of Biotechnology, Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna. Most relevant research interest is the study of complex bacterial ecosystems, in terms of composition, dynamics and functionality, in different fields (environment and animals).

Associate Professor at the University of Bologna since 2005, where I carry on my research on nutrition and feeding of aquatic animals with particular reference to new protein sources and the development of sustainable and circular feed formulations for sea bream and sea bass. I am also project coordinator or principal investigator for the University of Bologna of European research projects on aquaculture under the Horizon2020 program.

Full Professor in Fermentation Biotechnology at the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy. I'm the coordinator of the collaborative EU project Controlling mIcRobiomes CircuLations for bEtter food Systems (CIRCLES), H2020-SFS-2018-1. I'm PI of the “Unit of Holobiont Microbiome and Microbiome Engineering (HolobioME)” with research activities focused on microbiomes ecology and evolution and microbiomes biotechnologies. I'm vice-coordinator of the international PhD program “Innovative technologies and sustainable use of Mediterranean Sea fishery and biological resources”, University of Bologna. I'm scientific founder and member of the SpinOff company Wellmicro S.r.l. My research activity is documented by more than 100 publications on peer-reviewed journals. 

Associate Professor at the Marine Science Group, BIGEA UniBo, where I study the effects of seawater warming and acidification on Mediterranean coral morphology, growth, reproduction, population dynamics, skeletal properties and associated microbial communities. My research applies interdisciplinary techniques to study aspects of coral growth and population dynamics.

Full Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry. My research activities are mainly addressed in the following subjects: (i) the study of the crystalline structure using x-ray crystallography of biological macromolecules, proteins-metals adducts and biologically relevant minerals (biominerals); (ii) the molecular recognition at the inorganic organic interface in the biomineralization processes (i.e. the formation by organisms of mineralized tissues); (iii) the design and preparation of innovative surfaces of biomineralization inspiration for the crystallization of biological macromolecules.

Associate Professor, my research activity focuses on the physiology of marine animals, particularly on molecular mechanisms behind physiological plasticity and stress response in corals and bivalve mollusks. I also work at the evaluation of the physiological effects of emerging contaminants in marine organisms, in particular residues of pharmaceuticals and microplastic.

Associate professor, I am a Zoologist and I study evolution at the molecular and genomic level using a comparative approach. I am mainly interested in the characterization of genomes and transcriptomes of molluscs focusing on topics such as: genome architecture and organization, gene content (expansion and contraction of gene families, molecular evolution of coding sequences), structure and variability of tRNAs and rRNAs, characterization of transposable elements and repeats.

Associate Professor of Ecology and coordinator of PhD Programme in Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Use of Mediterranean Sea Fishery and Biological Resources (FishMed-PhD). I collaborate with leaders in different fields (chemistry, physics, and photobiology), developing multidisciplinary methodologies. I study marine biomineralization in relation to environmental parameters, with special reference to the effects of climate change on corals and coral reefs. With Zvy Dubinsky (Bar-Ilan University, Israel) and Giuseppe Falini (UNIBO), I conceived the ERC project "www.CoralWarm.eu". My traditional interests: population dynamics, reproductive biology, and environmental monitoring (Citizen Science).

Associate Professor of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, my research activity focuses on molecular phylogenetics, comparative genomics and evolution of animal genomes. In particular, the attention is mainly on insects and crustaceans. I got my MSc degree in Biological Sciences,  in 2002, and my PhD in Biodiversity and Evolution, in 2007, at the University of Bologna.

Full Professor and group leader of the Ancient DNA Laboratory (aDNA Lab) of the Department of Cultural Heritage in the Ravenna Campus. My research fields are molecular anthropology, archaeogenetics and paleogenomics. In particular, my latest interests are focused on the analysis of the human biodiversity and the genetic variability of modern human populations in relation to different selective pressures, such as diet and environmental conditions. My research activities also focus on the analysis of ancient human and non-human DNA samples and of the human epigenetic variability in response to environmental stresses.

Post-doc at the Marine Science Group of the University of Bologna. My researches focus on the ecology and biology of Mediterranean calcifying organisms, such as corals and molluscs. The aims of my studies are to investigate skeletal characteristics, biometry, mechanical properties and calcification in relation to changing environmental conditions and especially in face of ocean warming and acidification.

Post-doc at the Marine Science Group, BIGEA UniBo, where I study the reproductive biology (morphological and quantitative aspects of gametogenesis and ontogenesis) of Mediterranean corals in relation to environmental parameters and climate change. I also deal with environmental monitoring in the Mediterranean Sea through Citizen Science and Environmental Education activities in different geographical areas.

Post-doc at the "Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology” (https://site.unibo.it/microbiome-science-biotechnology-unit/en), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology. In general, my research activity is focused on the study of microbial communities associated with marine holobionts and their role in relation to host physiology. In particular, my studies have focused on the effect of human impact on microbial communities associated with marine holobionts in terms of potential acclimatization and adaptive responses.

Associate professor at the University of Bologna since 2014, where I conduct my researches in Zoology and Evolutionary Biology. My research interests are directed in particular to mitochondria in animal models, their structure, inheritance, biogenesis and role in the evolution of eukaryotic life, but I also worked on other Evolutionary Biology fields. I collaborate with many Universities in the United States, Canada, Japan, etc. I am author of more than 60 scientific publications on international journals.

Senior assistant professor in General Botany at the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences and a member of the Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research of the University of Bologna. My research is focused on microalgae and covers various aspects, such as growth and toxicity, algal bloom dynamics, production of toxins and allelopathic compounds, the use of algal cultures for phytodepuration, the optimization of their cultivation to obtain bioactive compounds for industrial applications.

Associate Professor of General Botany at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna where leads the laboratory of Algal Biology (ALGOLAB); I'm the Coordinator of the Master Degree in Marine Biology and of the Phycological group of the Italian Botany Society. I'm involved in research on cultured microalgae with a focus on both environmental problems and biotechnological applications and I'm active in industrial research operating within the regional Technopole.

My research focuses primarily on the ecology and biology of calcifying marine organisms, and in particular on biometry, mechanical properties, skeletal characteristics, isotopic composition, growth rates and population dynamics in temperate and subtropical corals along anthropogenic and natural pH and temperature gradients to predict their response to climate change, in particular to ocean warming and acidification.

Junior Assistant Professor in Fermentation Biotechnology at the Microbiome Science and Biotechnology Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy (https://site.unibo.it/microbiome-science-biotechnology-unit/en). My research activities are focused on microbiome ecology and microbiome biotechnology and evolution. In particular, I am PI of metagenomics and bioinformatics for microbiome data. 

Junior Assistant Professor in Ecology at the Marine Science Group (BIGEA – UniBo). I am a Molecular Biologist and my research activity primarily focuses on the molecular response of marine organisms to environmental stressors, in terms of regulation of gene expression, epigenetics and eco-physiology. I also study population genetics and the mechanisms behind the adaptation of marine organisms along environmental gradients. Currently, I study the interactions between climate change, emerging contaminants, and their effects on marine biodiversity, in particular on benthic calcifying organisms in the Mediterranen Sea, along natural pH gradients. Previously, my research activity focused on the study of the molecular and physiological response of seagrasses to multiple stressors (related to both climate change and local anthropogenic impacts), the mechanisms responsible for local adaptation along natural gradients, population genetics and epigenetics (DNA methylation).

PhD student at the Dept. of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (UNIBO). I work at the Algal Biology Laboratory, where I carry out my research in the field of toxic cyanobacteria in drinking water. My PhD project is focused on 1) Distribution and molecular characterization of cyanobacteria in Emilia-Romagna drinking water reservoirs; 2) Efficiency of water treatments for the removal of cyanotoxins; 3) Biotechnological applications of isolated cyanobacteria.

Associate Professor, my research activity lies at the interface between paleontology and sedimentary geology, with particular focus on paleoecology, taphonomy, biodiversity and stratigraphy. Data are mainly collected over Neogene sedimentary successions of the Mediterranean Basin. The key themes include: Paleoenvironmental reconstructions by means of macro-invertebrates (mainly mollusks) of Neogene sedimentary successions. Taphonomy: Research focuses on the quality of the fossil record with emphasis on long-term biases, time-averaging and temporal resolution. Stratigraphic Paleobiology: The joint consideration of stratigraphic and paleontological patterns (“Stratigraphic Paleobiology”) yields diverse biological and geological insights. For example, Quaternary mollusk assemblages archive quantifiable high-resolution environmental signatures (e.g., bathymetry) that can augment stratigraphic interpretations

Post-doc at the "Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology” (https://site.unibo.it/microbiome-science-biotechnology-unit/en), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology. In general, my research activity is focused on the study of microbial communities associated with marine holobionts and marine ecosystems. In particular, my studies focus on the effect of different feeds and diets, supplemented with natural products or waste products, on microbial communities associated to marine holobionts in the aquaculture sector. The aim of my research is the optimization of their production and the reduction of their environmental impact, together with the assessment of the possible cascade effect of these production practices on the marine ecosystems.

My research interests are focused in particular to nano-microscopic investigation methodologies, application of minerals, biominerals, derived materials and mineralogical diagnostic methodologies applied to various biological, geological and environmental fields. Currently, I am also addressing my research to the topic of primary and secondary "Raw Materials" and the development of new diagnostic methods in Electron Microscopy and correlated methodologies

Associate Professor in Chemistry and Biotechnology of Fermentation. My research activities are related to Environmental and Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, in relation to the development and optimization of bioremediation processes for environmental matrices contaminated with organic pollutants, the enzymatic degradation and the development of enzymatic processes for the recycling and upcycling of biopolymers, the treatment and valorisation of agro-food by-products and surplus into biobased chemicals.