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+39 0323 518363 (Telephone)
National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA)
Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania Pallanza, Italy

Broad research topics: diversity of aquatic fungi using cultivation and taxonomy; detection of fungal bioactive molecules using metabolomic analysis and bioactivity screenings

Research interests: My previous research focused on the isolation of fungi associated with marine organisms including echinoderms from Mediterranean Sea and cnidaria from deep Atlantic Ocean. I performed taxonomy procedures using markers sequencing and morphological observation to species-identify fungi isolated from the marine environment. I also investigated the biosynthesis of bioactive fungal molecules with a combination of metabolomics and bioactivity screening using high throughput methods.

Projects: At MEG, I work as a postdoc in the projects FUNACTION and MoSTFun, investigating the diversity of aquatic fungi in Europe using molecular methods. Through this research we aim to detect locations with extraordinary aquatic fungal diversity in Europe and advice policymakers working at the design of new protected areas falling under the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Along this line, we will investigate some of the functions that aquatic fungi exerts in continental water and develop monitoring tools to evaluate their occurrence over time.

 

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