Education: PhD in Plant Molecular Biotechnology, University of Pavia (Italy)
Languages: Italian, English and German.

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

January 1999 to present University of Ferrara, Dept. of Biology and Evolution
Researcher with Assistant Professor duties and Supervisor at the University of Ferrara. Teaching subjects for undergraduate, master and graduate students: Plant Physiology, Plant Biotechnology, Plant Genetic Engineering and Plant Genome Analysis. Research topics: Plant development, DNA methylation and DNA-methyltransferases, carrot somatic embryogenesis. Research supervisor of undergraduate students and doctorate theses.

May 1997-Dec. 1998 University of Ferrara, Dept. of Biology
Post-doctorate grant at the University of Ferrara. Research topic: DNA-methyltransferases in carrot and study of transgenic plants with an altered level of DNA methylcytosine.

January 1997-April 1997 University of Ferrara, Dept. of Biology
Short-term grant funded by the Italian Ministero per la Ricerca Agricola e Forestale.

1992-1995 University of Pavia, Dept. of Genetics and Microbiology,
Max-Planck-Institut of Cologne, Germany
PhD grant by the ‘Università Cattolica di Milano’. Research work: Molecular characterization of the rehydration process in Craterostigma plantagineum. Supervisor: Prof Rino Cella. Research work also done at the Max-Planck-Institut of Cologne under the supervision of Dr Dorothea Bartels. PhD thesis title: “Molecular characterization of the rehydration process in the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum (Hochst)” discussed on July the 23rd 1996.

1991-1992 Max-Planck-Institut of Cologne, Germany
Junior level post-graduate fellowship by the Commission of the European Communities within the BRIDGE program to work at the Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Cologne (Germany). Research work on the rehydration process in Craterostigma plantagineum, under the supervision of Dr Dorothea Bartels in the Department of Prof. F. Salamini.

1990-1991 University of Pavia, Dept. of Genetics and Microbiology,
Istituto Sperimentale per l’Orticoltura,
Montanaso Lombardo (MI)
One-year grant funded by CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricoltura Tropical, Cali Colombia) to work at the ‘Istituto Sperimentale per l’Orticoltura’ in Montanaso Lombardo (MI) on Phaseolus species genetic transformation via Agrobacterium tumefaciens and biobalistic.

1986-1990 University of Pavia
Bachelor of Science degree (Laurea) discussed on June the 25th 1990. Research work covered the construction of megaclones from Arabidopsis thaliana genomic DNA by means of yeast artificial chromosomes.

Scientific Visits

July 2001: Visiting scientist at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK, Prof. D. Baulcombe, Reserach opic: study of the relationships between DNA methylation and gene silencing in tobacco plants using DNA methyltransferase inhibitors extracted from carrot cella.

October 2004: Visiting Professor at the University of Bordeaux 1, UMR PBV of INRA, Bordeaux, France, Dr. Philippe Gallusci. Seminars on DNA methylation in plants, chromatin remodelling and polycomb proteins. Research work on the role of epigenetic modificationsduring tomato fruit development and ripening.