Research Fellowship
Sede Sicilia, Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn – Sicily Marine Centre
Villa Pace
98167 Messina - Italia
Tel.: +39 3421949141
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Supervisor: Carmen Rizzo
Appointed on project: ALT22TROME_2.51 FEAMP SICILIA
Research Interests
The research activities I’m carrying at the Interdepartmental Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, concern the exploration of hydrothermal areas for the isolation and study of microorganisms with potential in pharmaceutical and biotechnological fileds. Indeed, hydrothermal environments, thanks to their peculiarities, represent very interesting sites for the discovery of extremophilic organisms capable of surviving in such hostile environments, and to produce new active compounds. The activities are mainly focused on the study of their adaptive strategies, useful also for evaluation of short and long-term responses to the acidification and climate change processes. Moreover, many activities are devoted to the study of extremophilic bacteria and archaea potential in the production of bioactive molecules, i.e. antimicrobials, biosurfactants and exopolysaccharides. Such issues are of fundamental importance in ever-expanding areas of research such as those already mentioned.
Publications
S. Mirto, C. Arigò, L. Genovese, A. Pusceddu, C. Gambi, R. Danovaro - Nematode assemblage response to fish-farm impact in vegetated (Posidonia oceanica) and non-vegetated habitats - Aquaculture Environment Interactions - Vol. 5: 17–28, 2014
F. Ape, C. Arigò, M. Gristina, L. Genovese, A. Di Franco, M. Di Lorenzo, P. Baiata, G. Aglieri, G. Milisenda and S. Mirto. - Meiofaunal diversity and nematode assemblages in two submarine caves of a Mediterranean marine protected area - Mediterranean Marine Science – 17 (1), 202- 215, 2016
