Research projects

Tracciabilità delle cultivar di castagno mediante tecnologia KASP per il rilievo delle impronte genetiche (KasTrack)

Traceability of chestnut cultivars using KASP technology for the detection of genetic fingerprints (KasTrack)

The project aims to encourage the adoption of a rapid and economic system of chestnut varietal recognition through the release of IT tools and appropriate protocols. To this end, a publicly accessible database will be built in which genetic fingerprints will be stored.

Start: February 12th 2024 

Duration: 17 months (deadline: June 30th 2025) 

Funding Authority: PSR CAMPANIA 2014/2020. TIPOLOGIA DI INTERVENTO 16.1.2 - "Sostegno ai GO del PEI per l'attuazione di progetti di diffusione delle innovazioni nell'ambito del rafforzamento dell'AKIS campano"

Role: WP leader

A gene expression atlas on the role of polyphenol oxidases in Triticum adaptation to environmental change (NEXTPLORA)

The main objectives of this project are to gain insight into the modulation/regulation of polyphenol oxidases (PPO) genes in different plant tissues (flag leaves, roots, and immature grains) during the growth of hexaploid and tetraploid wheats subjected to water shortage. We would also like to study PPO gene expressions under water shortage in the presence of plant growth promoting bacteria, to evaluate their role in mitigating drought stress.

Start: November 30th 2023

Duration: 2 years

Funding Authority: PRIN - PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE – Bando 2022 PNRR

Role: WP leader

National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies (Agritech). Spoke1: Plant, animal and microbial genetic resources and adaptation to climatic changes

Start:  September 1st 2022

Duration: 3 years

Funding Authority: European Union Next-GenerationEU (PIANO NAZIONALE DI RIPRESA E RESILIENZA (PNRR) – MISSIONE 4 COMPONENTE 2, INVESTIMENTO 1.4 – D.D. 1032 17/06/2022, CN00000022

Role: Participant

Dissection of the TOMato‐ORobanchaceae interplay: a step towards the development of Resistant Varieties through new plant breeding techniques (TOMORRoV)

Within this project proposal, we will i) explore the available S. pennellii introgression lines for broomrape resistance traits; ii) approach host-broomrape transcriptomics by dual RNA-Seq; iii) set up a reliable and highly efficient hairy root transformation protocol for enabling functional genomics studies. 

Start:  February 15th 2022

Duration: 2 years (extended to May 14th 2024)

Grant: Programma STARPLUS 2020 Finanziamento della Ricerca di Ateneo Linea A.

Funding Authority: University of Naples Federico II

Role: Principal investigator

Genome editing to improve the nutritional and technological quality of tomato fruits (GE4TQ)

Within this project proposal, we would like to exploit the great potential of the genome editing techniques to accelerate breeding programs with the aim of improving the organoleptic, nutritional (increase in ascorbic acid content) and technological (decrease in allergenicity) quality of tomato fruits.

Start: April 15th 2021

Duration: 2 years (extended to October 15th 2023)

Grant: Finanziamento della Ricerca di Ateneo Linea B - bando 2020.

Funding Authority: University of Naples Federico II

Role: Principal investigator

Assessment of Genetic Diversity across Indigenous Populations of Ancient Olive (Olea europaea L.) Trees from Jordan

The main goal of this study is to assess the genetic diversity of Jordan olive germplasm by using molecular markers and morphological traits. Molecular markers will be generated using the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technique.

Start:  March 2021

Duration: 2 years (extended to December 31st 2023)

Grant: Accordo di cooperazione scientifica CNR/Higher Council for Science and Technology / National Centre for Research and Development (HCST/NCRD), Giordania – Bando per la selezione di Progetti comuni di ricerca – periodo di attività: biennio 2021-2022

Funding Authority: Italian National Research Council

Role: Participant