PhD Student
Integrative Marine Ecology Department

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Italia.

Curriculum Vitae

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Director of Studies: Dott.ssa Raffaella Casotti
Internal Supervisor: Dr. Mauro Celussi
External Supervisor: Dr. Josep M. Gasol
Program: SZN-Open University, XXIV ciclo

Research Interests

Plastics have rapidly become ubiquitous in nearly every aspect of modern life. Due to excessive production and improper waste disposal, this contaminant is now present in practically all habitat types. We know that the marine environment constitutes their ultimate repository, and that any new available surface plastic debris provides a substrate where microorganisms can grow. This zone, known as the "plastisphere," has been described as a distinctive hotspot for autotrophic and heterotrophic activity. My research focuses on these communities. The scope of the project includes estimating their metabolic and enzymatic potential at various coastal sites in the Gulf of Naples and the Northern Adriatic Sea.

Selected Publications

Galarza–Verkovitch, D., Turak, O., Wiese, J., Rahn, T., Hentschel, U., & Borchert, E. (2023). Bioprospecting for polyesterase activity relevant for PET degradation in marine Enterobacterales isolates. AIMS Microbiology, 9(3), 518-539. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3934/microbiol.2023027

Poster

Galarza–Verkovitch, D, Slaby, B, Hentschel, U, & Borchert, E. 11th International Sponge Symposium. Leiden, The Netherlands (2022) Poster presentation: “Assessing the potential of marine sponge microbiomes for microplastic degradation”. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28864.81928