Senior Researcher
Marine Biotechnology Department
Tel. +39 081 5833221
Fax: +39 081 7641355
e-mail chiara.lauritano(at)szn.it
Research Interests
My research interests are in marine biotechnology, functional genomics and plankton ecology. My research activity is mainly focused on bioprospecting for marine organisms, drug discovery and transcriptomic analyses in order to study enzymes involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites with bioactivities useful for human health and/or other enzymes with potential biotechnological applications (e.g. for pharmaceuticals and bioremediation). My interests are also focused on the bioactivity (e.g. antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-diabetes) of various marine organisms, mainly microalgae, in order to isolate biologically active compounds for the treatment of human pathologies. I also study physiological and molecular responses to biotic and abiotic stressors (e.g. ocean acidification, cold, nutrient starvation or enrichment, exposure to microalgal secondary metabolites) in marine organisms.
Selected Publications
1. Jeanine L. Olsen, Pierre Rouzé, Bram Verhelst, Yao-Cheng Lin, Till Bayer, Jonas Collen, Emanuela Dattolo, Emanuele De Paoli, Simon Dittami, Florian Maumus, Gurvan Michel, Anna Kersting, Chiara Lauritano, et al. (2016) The genome of the seagrass Zostera marina reveals angiosperm adaptation to the sea, Nature, 530, 331–335. doi:10.1038/nature16548.
2. Lauritano C.§, Romano G., Roncalli V., Amoresano A., Fontanarosa C., Bastianini M., Braga F., Carotenuto Y., Ianora A. (2016) New oxylipins produced at the end of a diatom bloom and their effects on copepod reproductive success and gene expression levels. Harmful Algae. 55: 221–229. § Corresponding author.
3. Lauritano C. §, Andersen J.H., Hansen E., Albrigtsen M., Escalera L., Esposito F., Helland K., Hanssen K.Ø., Romano G., Ianora A. (2016) Bioactivity screening of microalgae for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-diabetes and antibacterial activities. Frontiers in Marine Science. 3, 68. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2016.00068. § Corresponding author.
4. Lauritano C. §, De Luca D., Ferrarini A., Avanzato C., Minio A., Esposito F., Ianora A. (2017) De novo transcriptome of the cosmopolitan dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae to identify enzymes with biotechnological potential. Scientific Reports. 7, Article number: 11701. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12092-1. § Corresponding author.
5. Lauritano C. §, Martín J., de la Cruz M., Reyes F., Romano G., Ianora A. (2018) First identification of marine diatoms with anti-tuberculosis activity. Scientific Reports. 8:2284 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-20611-x. § Corresponding author.
6. Lauritano C. §, De Luca D., Amoroso M., Benfatto S., Maestri S., Racioppi C., Esposito F., Ianora A. (2019) New molecular insights on the response of green algae to nitrogen starvation. Scientific Reports. 9,3336. § Corresponding author.
7. Martínez K.A.*, Lauritano C.*§, Druka D., Romano G., Grohmann T., Jaspars M., Martín J., Díaz C., Cautain B., de la Cruz M., Ianora A., Reyes F. (2019) Amphidinol 22, a new cytotoxic and antifungal amphidinol from the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae. Marine Drugs. 17(7):385. doi: 10.3390/md17070385. *First author shared. § Corresponding author.
8. Elagoz A. M., Ambrosino L., Lauritano C.§. (2020) De novo transcriptome of the diatom Cylindrotheca closterium identifies genes involved in the metabolism of anti-inflammatory compounds. Scientific Reports. 10:4138 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61007-0. § Corresponding author.
9. Lauritano C. §, Helland K., Riccio G., Andersen J.H., Ianora A., Hansen E.H. (2020) Lysophosphatidylcholines and Chlorophyll-Derived Molecules from the Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium with Anti-Inflammatory Activity. Mar. Drugs 2020, 18, 166; doi:10.3390/md18030166. § Corresponding author.
10. 45. Vingiani G.M., Stalberga D., De Luca P., Ianora A., De Luca D., Lauritano C. §(2020) De novo transcriptome of the non-saxitoxin producing Alexandrium tamutum reveals new insights on harmful dinoflagellates. Marine Drugs. 18, 386; doi:10.3390/md18080386. § Corresponding author.
