Research lines

Georesources and mineralogical-petrographic applications for the environment and cultural heritage

Prof. Caterina De Vito
Prof. Laura Medeghini
Prof. Silvano Mignardi

The research activity is divided into three main lines:

Immobilization/removal of toxic metals from polluted waters and soils through the application of phosphate amendments produced from food industry waste such as eggshells, mollusc shells, slaughterhouse remains, etc.
Archaeometric characterization of geomaterials used in cultural heritage (natural stone, mortar, brick, ceramics, glass, metals) in order to define the origin of the raw materials and production technologies.
Carbonation of CO₂ through minerosynthesis of hydrated Mg carbonates starting from saline industrial wastewater.

Non-destructive diagnostics for the study of cultural heritage

Prof. Anna Candida Felici

Research and third party activities in the field of non-destructive diagnostics for the study of archaeological and cultural heritage. The main lines of research can be summarized as follows:

study of illuminated manuscripts using non-destructive techniques;
characterization of metal alloy products;
study of easel and mural paintings;
characterization of materials for conservation;
in situ diagnostics to support restoration sites and archaeological excavations.

The group currently participates in the following projects:

“PAGES – Priscian’s Ars Grammatica in European Scriptoria”, ERC Grant 882588
“IMAGO – Multispectral Imaging for Art, Gamification and Holographic reality”, DTC – Intervention TE1 – Center of Excellence composed of the Skills Registry and Regional Innovation Hub, prot. n. 305- 2020-35551 of 05/20/2020, Determination n. G00471 dated 01/21/2020

He also participated in the ADAMO project financed by the Lazio Region within the Cultural Heritage and Activities Technological District - DTC Center of Excellence by carrying out near-infrared shots of an icon preserved in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and multispectral shots of the frescoes of the apse of the church of San Nicola in Carcere.

Community and landscape ecology

Prof. Carlo Ricotta

The group carries out research in the plant ecology field, mainly dealing with fire ecology, landscape ecology and control of exotic species.

Fire ecology
The research is mainly aimed at highlighting the relationships between the passage of fire and the structure, composition and degree of anthropization of the plant landscape. The spatial analysis of the fuel is also supported by the symphenological monitoring of the vegetation using remotely sensed data, used as a complex indicator of the parameters that characterize the bioclimatic conditions most favorable to the passage of fire in Mediterranean and continental Europe.
Landscape ecology and satellite ecology
In the field of landscape ecology, research is mainly dedicated to monitoring the spatial-temporal pattern of the plant landscape in response to anthropogenic alterations and vegetation dynamics and at the use of territorial information systems and remotely sensed images to maximize the efficiency of the census of plant species.
Control of exotic species
The research is mainly dedicated to the study of the impact of exotic species on the floristic diversity of urban ecosystems with a high degree of anthropization. Following recent socioeconomic changes which have strongly favoured the movement of men and goods on a global scale, urban areas have taken on the role of the main gateway for alien species. The conservation of native species and the management of the biodiversity of urban ecosystems therefore represents a requirement of primary importance for effectively containing the spread of exotic species.

Study of plant fossils in natural and anthropic contexts

Prof. Laura Sadori
Dr. Alessia Masi

His main lines of research can be summarized as follows:

Quaternary paleopalinology;
Holocene climate changes and human impact on vegetation;
Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstruction through pollen analysis with particular attention to the relationship with historical events;
Archaeobotany of archaeological and historical sites;
SStudy of plant macrofossils through stable isotope analysis for the reconstruction of the paleoclimate and agricultural practices of ancient populations.

Microclimatology and solar radiometry

Prof. Anna Maria Siani
Dr. Francesca Frasca

The research activity of the research group with expertise in Atmospheric Physics focuses on the following lines of research:

Study of the microclimate aimed at evaluating its impact on monuments, historic buildings and the assets preserved in them. The studies include observational-experimental and modeling-predictive activities of the climatic and environmental conditions of the conservation space to understand and prevent climate-induced damage to historical-cultural buildings and the collections contained therein;
Solar spectrometry for the surveillance of atmospheric constituents and ultraviolet solar irradiance. Spectrophotometric techniques for monitoring trace gases, and studies on the columnar content of ozone and nitrogen dioxide and on UV irradiance. This activity, which began in 1992, continues regularly to this day.

Biotechnological solutions for sustainable crop protection and for the valorisation of agri-food waste biomass

Prof. Giulia De Lorenzo
Prof. Simone Ferrari
Prof. Vincenzo Lionetti
Dr. Daniela Pontiggia
Dr. Riccardo Lorrai

Plant resistance to diseases and its improvement through biotechnological approaches.
1. Study of plant cell wall enzymes and inhibitors involved in plant resistance against microbial pathogens.
  The activity of this research is aimed at the study of enzymes of the pectic component of the plant cell wall and protein inhibitors to understand their role in plant resistance against necrotrophic fungal pathogens. Many of these pathogens cause extensive damage to agricultural production and reduction of food quality due to the production of dangerous mycotoxins that accumulate in edible plant products. In particular, we study the activity of pectin methyl esterase (PME) and protein inhibitors (PMEI) induced during plant infection. Interdisciplinary and innovative approaches of cell biology, glycolic and functional genomics are used on model plants to understand the functional role of these macromolecules. The studies in question are aimed at the identification of biochemical markers of cell walls useful for a selection of cultivars of agronomic interest improved in resistance to pathogens and for the improvement of food quality.
2. Study of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant-pathogen recognition and biotechnological applications in plant defense.
  The research aims to understand how plants recognize "non-self" elements to activate defense mechanisms capable of limiting microbial infections. In particular, the mechanisms of perception, transduction and homeostasis of elicitors deriving from the vegetal wall (oligogalacturonides) and the fungal wall (chitin) are studied, and biotechnological approaches to engineer elicitor receptors capable of conferring increased resistance to diseases, thus reducing the use of pesticides. The long-term effects of elicitors on growth and resistance to pathogens in model plant species and of agronomic interest are also studied.
Valorization of waste biomass for the production of energy and high value-added products from microalgae.
The main objective of the research consists in the identification and development of technologies aimed at the production of biofuels and products with high added value from unicellular algae grown in mixotrophic conditions and fed with sugars coming from waste biomass from agro-industrial production (agricultural waste, industrial waste dairies etc.). In particular, the research aims to identify and improve enzymatic systems from phytopathogenic microorganisms for the saccharification of biomass into simple sugars and study their use in the growth of algae in mixotrophic conditions. In parallel, it is studied how different structural components of the cell wall influence the conversion efficiency of plant biomass into simple sugars and how to intervene on these components, through traditional genetics and through genetic engineering, to improve the use of biomass without negative effects on biomass production.
Green technologies for the valorization of agro-industrial waste.
The research activity is aimed at valorising waste from the agri-food industry (straw, waste from citrus fruit processing and oil production, wastewater from dairy industries) to obtain products with biopesticide/phytoprotectant properties, for use in agriculture . These products can contribute to reducing in an eco-sustainable way the damage caused by crop losses due to phytopathogens. An objective of this research therefore consists in the isolation of organic residue (phenol free) of olive oil waste enriched in plant cell wall polysaccharides to produce fractions enriched in biologically active oligosaccharins with a phytoprotective action. The research activity includes the study of the physiological effect and the molecular mechanism of action of potential oligosaccharins, in control model plants and treated with bacterial and fungal pathogens. The use of agroindustrial waste as substrates for the growth of ligninolytic fungi is also studied, whose culture filtrates can be used as inducers of plant immune responses.

Optimization and application of analytical methods in the environmental and cultural heritage fields

Prof. Federico Marini

The main activity of the group concerns the development and application of chemometric methods (mathematical-statistical tools for the processing of chemical data) to various problems. In this context, particular attention is paid to the possibility of coupling the aforementioned chemometric techniques to spectroscopic analysis methods in order to develop analytical approaches that are as non-invasive, non-destructive, rapid and economical as possible and which do not require any pre-treatment of the matrix in analysis, often resulting also solvent-free. In the specific field of cultural heritage, for some years our research group has been trying to extend the approach described for the rapid and non-destructive characterization of finds of various kinds (for example, bone fragments, pigments, marbles).

Optimization and application of analytical methods in the environmental and cultural heritage fields

Prof. Silvia Canepari
Dr. Maria Luisa Astolfi

Development of new analytical methodologies, sufficiently rapid and economical to be applied to intensive monitoring campaigns, for the determination of selective tracers of particular sources of atmospheric particulate matter;
Study of the space-time evolution of primary and secondary atmospheric pollutants, gaseous and in the particulate phase, in urban, rural, remote and confined areas;
Study of pollution processes in indoor environments;
Evaluation of the relative contribution of different sources to the concentration of particulate material in urban, rural, remote and confined areas, with particular reference to the contribution due to natural sources (marine aerosol, crustal components) and the evaluation of emissions from industrial plants.

Chemical and biotechnological processes for the treatment and valorisation of waste matrices

Prof. Marianna Villano
Dr. Marco Zeppilli

The research activity is aimed at the study and development of chemical and biological processes for environmental protection, in particular for the production of energy and/or chemicals from renewable resources, for the treatment of waste water and waste and for the rehabilitation of contaminated groundwater. In more detail:

Energy production from biomass, waste and wastewater:
- bioelectrochemical processes for the production of biofuels (biomethane and biohydrogen), potential applications for the fixation of carbon dioxide;
- advanced anaerobic digestion processes for biogas production.
Production of biodegradable polymers from biomass, waste and wastewater, through mixed microbial cultures selected using non-stationary biological processes;
Remediation of soils and groundwater using innovative in situ technologies (bioelectrochemical processes, slow release processes).

Nanobiomaterials for the environment and cultural heritage applications

Prof. Cleofe Palocci
Dr. Laura Chronopoulou

The research activity is part of the field of industrial biotechnology whose objectives concern the study and optimization of industrial bioconversion processes for obtaining biologically active molecules or for the bioproduction of biopolymeric materials using innovative biotransformation approaches with methodologies green, as well as the development and application of new microfluidic methodologies for the control of both the dimensions and the morphology of polymeric materials. In more detail:

Use of microfluidic technologies for the nanofabrication of innovative materials for environmental applications and in the field of cultural heritage;
“Green Solvents” (supercritical fluids, ionic liquids) for the selective extraction of bioactive molecules and biopolymers from plant matrices, microbial cells and industrial waste;
Biofabrication of nano- and microstructured peptide hydrogels for biotechnological applications.

Analytical techniques based on high resolution liquid chromatography for the analysis of environmental matrices

Prof. Anna Laura Capriotti

Prof. Capriotti's research activity has always been based on frontier analytical techniques based on liquid chromatography coupled with high and low resolution mass spectrometry for the multianalyte determination of natural and anthropogenic substances in environmental matrices, food, vegetable and organic. Particular attention is paid to omics sciences. Scientific activity can be divided into five main lines of research:

proteomics and peptidomics;
peptidomics of short chain peptides;
lipidomics;
metabolomics;
analysis of small molecules in the food, environmental and biological fields.

Furthermore, in the field of nanobiotechnology, Prof. Capriotti deals with the study of the interactions between nano-materials and biological fluids for applications in the drug/gene delivery sector. In particular, the interactions between plasma proteins and various nanostructured materials have been investigated, such as: biopolymers and biocompatible synthetic polymers for the delivery of biologically active molecules; multifunctional materials; liposomes and lipoplexes.

Environmental Catalysis

Prof. Daniela Pietrogiacomi
Dr. Maria Cristina Campa
Dr. Ida Pettiti
Dr. Simone Morpurgo

The research activities concern the study of polycrystalline solid catalysts applied in heterogeneous solid-gas catalysis processes of interest for the environment. In particular, the activities are aimed at:

catalytic reduction of NOx e N₂O gaseous pollutants and greenhouse gases) in real conditions (presence of oxygen and water vapour) through decomposition or reduction with hydrocarbons;
production of H₂, the energy carrier of the future, from partial oxidation reactions of methane or reforming and oxidative reforming of methane with CO₂.

FTIR spectroscopy has been particularly developed and applied according to two different methodologies:

in situ, also exploiting the adsorption of spy molecules (CO, NO, CO₂, NH₃, pyridine, nitriles), for the characterization of the sites exposed on the activated surfaces;
in operando (in flow of the reactant gaseous mixture as the temperature or contact time varies, and in combination with the Gas Chromatographic analysis of the reactants and products) for the study at steady state or in transient conditions of potential intermediate surface species of reaction.

Study of pathogenic fungi of plants and deterioration of cultural heritage

Prof. Luigi Faino
Dr. Giovanna Gramegna

The research group's activities are divided into two lines:

the study of pathogenic fungi for plants;
the study of microbial communities involved in the deterioration of cultural heritage.

The study of pathogenic fungi involves the identification and characterization of effectors and the characterization of their mechanism of action in order to develop strategies to increase resistance to these pathogens. Furthermore, in order to identify new molecules to be used to replace classic pesticides, we are responsible for characterizing new natural compounds that act as bio stimulants and resistance inducers, stimulating the plant's defence responses to the main pathogens. Many efforts are also aimed at the development of innovative diagnostic methodologies for the detection of pathogenic fungi in plant matrices through molecular biology and bioinformatics approaches. In recent years, the research group has been working to characterize the microbial communities that are involved in the deterioration of cultural heritage. In particular, we are trying to apply non-invasive techniques for the isolation and characterization of microorganisms in order to use "ad hoc" methodologies to control microbial communities in a more targeted way.

Study of the relationship between biodiversity and the functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Prof. Maria Letizia Costantini

In particular, the lines of research concern:

food webs in Mediterranean and polar habitats;
the impact of alien species on natural and anthropogenic ecosystems;
the use of stable isotopes for environmental monitoring.

The role of asymmetric divisions in inter- and intra-specific differences in plant root patterning

Prof. Raffaele Dello Ioio

The line of research uses the root of various model plants as a system and is divided into three main lines:

Identification of the molecular mechanisms that lead to the formation of differences in the root patterning of plants of different species:
Identification of the molecular mechanisms that regulate asymmetric divisions during root development;
Use of the knowledge acquired in the previous points to produce plant species capable of growing on soils degraded due to extreme compactness, salt stress and the presence of heavy metals.