Researcher
Marine Biotechnology Department
Tel.: +39 081 5833325
E-mail: sergio.balzano(at)szn.it
Tel.: +39 081 5833325
E-mail: sergio.balzano(at)szn.it
LS8: environmental biology, ecology and evolution
LS9: Biotechnology and microbial engineering
BIO/13: Ecologia
BIO/19: Microbiologia generale
https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=sMORXtMAAAAJ&hl=it
Research Interests
Researcher in marine biotechnologies with a broad research experience in phytoplankton culturing, taxonomy, and physiology as well as marine biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. My current research focuses on the use of microalgae for biotechnological applications. I’m focusing on the diversity and adaptation of microalgae and other microbial eukaryotes to polluted environments and their potential use for bioremediation and water treatment. In the last 5 years we have been (1) investigating specialty compounds and toxic metal uptake potential from the biotech microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica and (2) isolating and culturing several microalgal strains from marine and riverine sediments highly contaminated by toxic metals and hydrocarbons and exploring their potential use in bioremediation and water treatment. In addition, we are currently investigating means to improve aquaculture sustainability using microalgae, for both aquafeed production and wastewater treatment. Microalgae and microbes in general encompass a huge genetic, metabolic, and chemical diversity, they are able to uptake contaminants from polluted environments and synthesise, under selected conditions, biotech-relevant compounds. I´m generally interested in (1) isolating microalgae from polluted environments, for their (2) genetic and biochemical characterisation and (3) to setting novel strategies to combine wastewater treatment with specialty compound production using microalgae.
Biography
I graduated in 2004 from Parthenope University, Naples after a master thesis in phytoplankton taxonomy and morphology. Then I did a PhD in marine biogeochemistry at the university of Southampton where I focused on trace metal cycling in marine aggregates. Finally, I carried out three distinct postdoctoral research projects in Roscoff (France, 2009-2012, phytoplankton diversity and ecology), Adelaide (Australia, 2012-2014, biofouling microbes), and Texel (Netherlands, 2014-2018, biosynthetic pathways of microalgal lipids).
Selected Publications
1) Blasio, M.; Cutignano, A.; Sardo, A.; Schouten, S.; Balzano, S. (2026) Further Insights into Influence of Light Intensities on the Production of Long-Chain Hydroxy Fatty Acids, Fatty Diols and Fatty Alcohols in Nannochloropsis oceanica. Phycology 2026, 6, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/phycology6010011
2) Plakolm L, Balzano S, Nagy M, Heinz P, Gruber D, Schmidt K, Stockhausen M, Hofmann T, Lintner M (2025). Assessment of anthropogenic metal pollution in Bagnoli (Gulf of Naples) through changes in foraminiferal assemblages and shell chemistry. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 44 (2); 343-363
3) Lintner M, Balzano S, Keul N, Heinz P, Maneckie M, Klimek A, Wanek W, Cyran N, Gruber D, Schmidt K, Holzmann M, Golen J, Tyszka J (2025). Biosorption of heavy metals by microalgae: hazardous side effects for marine organisms. Chemosphere 372: 144080.
4) Tedesco P, Balzano S, Coppola D, Palma Esposito F, de Pascale D, Denaro R (2024). Bioremediation for the recovery of oil polluted marine environment, opportunities and challenges approaching the Blue Growth. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 200: 116157
5) Barra L, Sardo A*, Moros M, Smerilli A, Chiaiese P, Percopo I, Cavalletti E, Castro-Hinojosa C, Balzano S (2022). Identification of a Green Algal Strain Collected from the Sarno River Mouth (Gulf of Naples, Italy) and Its Exploitation for Heavy Metal Remediation. Microorganisms: 10 (12): 2445 https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10122445
6) Orefice I, Balzano S, Romano G, Sardo A* (2023). Amphidinium spp. as a Source of Antimicrobial, Antifungal, and Anticancer Compounds. Life 13(11): 2164
7) Santin A, Balzano S, Russo M, Palma Esposito F, Ferrante MI, Blasio M, Cavalletti E, Sardo A* (2022). Microalgae-based PUFAs for food and feed: current applications, future possibilities, and constraints. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10070844
8) Balzano S*, Sardo A., Bioinformatic prediction of putative metallothioneins and phytochelatins in non-ciliate protists (2022). Biology Letters. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0039
9) Blasio M*, Balzano S (2021). Fatty Acids Derivatives From Eukaryotic Microalgae, Pathways and Potential Applications. Frontiers in Microbiology (https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.718933)
10) Balzano S*, Sardo A, Blasio M, Bou Chahine T, Dell’Anno F, Sansone C, Brunet C (2020). Microalgae metallothioneins and phytochelatins and their potential use in bioremediation. Frontiers in Microbiology 11: 517
