English_content

Thematic Area 5 - BIOSCIENCES

The Biosciences thematic area deals with the study of the biosphere in polar areas at different levels of biological complexity, from molecules to ecosystems and up to biomes. In particular, the attention is focused on the description and quantification of the biodiversity of the organisms that inhabit polar environments, to evaluate their structural and functional complexity. In this regard, scenarios of population shifts, changes in biodiversity and biogeochemical processes deriving from climate change and human impact are evaluated. The main interest is focused on the interactions between biological and ecological aspects, together with abiotic processes and effects on the carbon cycle and energy flows in the polar regions. Further fields of investigation concern the research of biomolecules of microbial origin, the ability of polar microorganisms to degrade organic contaminants and astrobiological aspects linked to life in extreme environments.
The central themes of the research carried out within the Biosciences Thematic Area are (1) structural and functional organization of polar ecosystems and dynamics of populations and communities; (2) response of individuals, populations and communities to external influences of climatic and anthropogenic origin (including loss and fragmentation of habitat, withdrawal, extraction, pollution, etc.); (3) biotechnological implications deriving from adaptation to low temperatures and/or other physical-chemical factors.
Research objectives include:
• the study of structural and functional diversity and the ecophysiology of polar organisms, to shed light on the limits of adaptation, also in relation to climate change and human impacts;
• the study of biogeochemistry and ecology in marine and terrestrial habitats at the Poles, including the environmental factors controlling biological interactions;
• the estimation of the biotechnological potential of organisms adapted to life at low temperatures and/or other physical-chemical factors;
• the exploration of behavior and evolution of polar ecosystems, through spatial-temporal analyses of ecological processes;
• the management and conservation of polar marine resources;
• comparison between trends observed in polar areas and middle latitudes. The Thematic Area Biosciences is organized into the 4 sections, i.e. Biodiversity and adaptation, Biogeochemistry, Biotechnology and Astrobiology.

Main ERC Panels:
• LS8 - Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
• LS9 - Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
• PE10 - Earth System Science

Referents: Angelina Lo Giudice, Mario La Mesa, Cairns Warren Raymond Lee

Contact: info-biosciences AT isp.cnr.it

Sub-themes

Biodiversity and adaptations

Polar biological communities are generally subjected to the influence of various factors concomitant with low temperatures, such as dehydration, ice cover, low nutrient availability, exposure to harmful solar radiation (e.g. UV-B radiation), highly variable light periods and, in specific cases, high salinity and osmotic stress. Biodiversity guarantees the functioning of all ecosystems, so studying the properties and temporal evolution of polar ecosystems is a tool of fundamental importance for improving our knowledge on their current state and for making future predictions in relation to climatic change. The analysis and monitoring of the biodiversity of biological communities and their ecological dynamics constitute the focal point of this research topic. Of particular interest is the study of morphological-functional adaptation mechanisms adopted by polar organisms for survival in extreme conditions. Temporal processes and spatial patterns of greening are also considered through remote sensing technologies, especially as a response to the deepening of the active layer of the Arctic permafrost.
The growing human footprint in the polar regions, already made vulnerable by ongoing climate change, can have negative effects through pollution, habitat destruction, introduction and proliferation of invasive/alien species and overexploitation of resources. The study of the levels of contamination and of the potential for bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the food web makes it possible to provide integrated information on the ecosystem by identifying the hotspots in which species may be more vulnerable and sensitive to climate variability. Of interest is also the study of the colonization processes of plastic polymers, with structural and functional analysis of microbial biofilms (plastisphere) and their response to anthropic/natural forces.

Main ERC Panels:
• LS8_1 - Ecosystem and community ecology, macroecology
• LS8_2 - Biodiversity
• LS8_5 - Biological aspects of environmental change, including climate change
• LS8_12 - Microbial ecology and evolution
• LS8_13 - Marine biology and ecology
• PE10-1 - Atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric composition, air pollution
• PE10_17 - Hydrology, hydrogeology, engineering and environmental geology, water and soil pollution

Biogeochemistry

The research activities concern the study of marine and terrestrial biological processes that modulate and influence the chemical characteristics of polar environments and the related cycles of matter and energy, and changes in their relationships driven by climate. Particular attention is paid to the evaluation of the role of microorganisms in the global carbon cycle and in the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus) of marine and limnological environments (lakes and rivers), through the study of both productive and degradative processes. Among these, the activities involved in the production, decomposition and mineralization of organic polymers, through estimation of microbial activity rates (enzymatic and respiratory). Analyses are also carried out on bacterial strains isolated from environmental matrices or associated with organisms, to characterize their biochemical profiles and potential in decomposition and mineralization processes of organic matter. The data obtained constitute an indispensable tool for understanding the response of microbial communities to environmental variations and potential impacts on the functioning of the polar ecosystem. The biogeochemical processes mediated by the microbial component are also being studied in the cryosphere to understand the ecological significance of microbes in snow and the permafrost, and their ability to maintain an active metabolism under extreme living conditions.

Main ERC Panels:
• LS8_10 - Ecology and evolution of species interactions
• LS8_12 - Microbial ecology and evolution
• PE10_9 - Biogeochemistry, biogeochemical cycles, environmental chemistry

Biotechnologies

Increased understanding of biological processes and recent advances in biotechnology enable the natural world to be used to drive advances in various industries, such as the development of drugs and food additives. In general, the term bioprospecting is used to indicate the exploration of living things and biological materials to search for biomolecules that may be useful for humankind. In this context, poorly known and poorly described genetic resources have a high potential for the discovery of new and valuable natural products. Therefore, polar organisms, given their peculiar metabolic capacities and physiological adaptations to extreme environmental conditions, are well suited to this purpose.
Furthermore, the development of new biotechnologies capable of carrying out bioremediation and bio-mitigation works on environmental matrices impacted by different types of pollutants (organic and inorganic) directly in-situ is not overlooked. This is done by stimulating the indigenous microbial communities, (aerobic, microaerophilic or anaerobic), including fungi and algae, to develop new bioremediation strategies (e.g. bioaugmentation, biostimulation, phytoremediation).
Psychrophilic bacteria, as a biological element, are used for the development of new biosensors for real-time monitoring, operating at low temperatures. Biosensors based on bacterial cells offer the advantage of having a high specificity towards the substrate and an immediate response mechanism, becoming a valid early-warning system to the presence (bioavailability) of a pollutant and its effect on living systems.

Main ERC Panels:
• LS9_4 - Microbial biotechnology and bioengineering
• PE10_17 - Hydrology, hydrogeology, engineering and environmental geology, water and soil pollution

Astrobiology

Extreme environments can be exploited as terrestrial analogues for the search for answers related to the origin, evolution, and distribution of life forms in the universe. Their geological and environmental parameters do not fully replicate, but certainly mimic those found for example on Mars and Venus, and the moons of Jupiter (for example Europa) and Saturn (Titan and Enceladus). In this context, to establish whether the physical/chemical conditions of a given celestial body can support life as we know it on Earth, some polar habitats are the object of investigations into galactic habitability. In fact, recent scientific evidence has shown that Antarctic hyper-saline lakes, sub-glacial lakes and even sub-glacial volcanoes have very strong similarities with possible life hot spots in extra-terrestrial contexts such as the Martian poles and the thick blankets of ice and the underlying oceans of Europa and Enceladus. These environments are suitable for testing methodologies, protocols, and technologies, for the search for possible traces of life in future space missions., For establishing the physical and chemical processes or the survival mechanisms and adaptation strategies of organisms to these extreme conditions. The information obtained through these studies are essential to improving our understanding of the metabolic capacities of polyextremophile organisms, in view of their possible use for biotechnological bioprospecting, and to broaden our knowledge on the environmental limits to which life is/was able to adapt, both in the present and in the geological past. Current frontier themes are the production of food and/or energy by microorganisms. These studies in the coming decades will be the basis for the next challenges in conquering new worlds.

Main ERC Panels:
• PE9_4 - Astrobiology

Fioretti Anna Maria

Fioretti Anna Maria Anna Maria Fioretti graduated in Geology at the University of Padua (Italy) in 1983 and in 2007 she obtained a Master in Science Communication. Since 1985 she has been working for the National Research Council (CNR) at the Center for the Study of the Eastern Alps that afterwards became part of the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources. Her scientific activity focused on the genesis and evolution of magmas and extraterrestrial rocks (meteorites). She took part in three expeditions in Antarctica within the Italian National Antarctic Research Program.
She was member of the Polar Research Committee of the CNR (CRP) and of the National Scientific Committee for Antarctica (CSNA). In 2017-2021 she was appointed as Science Attaché at the Embassy of Italy in Australia. Back to Italy, she was seconded at General Directorate for Global Affairs of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) as an expert on Antarctic matters.
After retiring, she is now continuing her cooperation with the MAECI, on a voluntary basis, and she represents the CNR in the Strategic Board of the Ice-Memory Foundation.

Spagnesi Azzurra

Spagnesi Azzurra BSc Degree in Geology at the University of Pisa in April 2016, with a thesis on the acquisition of new dendrochronological curves for the implementation of the existing dataset of Larix decidua Miller in Alta Val di Sole. In October 2017 she pursued a MSc Degree in Geological Sciences and Technologies at the University of Pisa, with a dissertation on new surface exposure ages (3He) of deposits and surfaces of glacial erosion in Northern Victoria Land for the reconstruction of Pleistocene variations of the East-Antarctica sheet. Postgraduate trainee at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Center (SUERC) in Glasgow (UK) from January to April 2018, and UniPi fellow (August-September 2018). PhD (2018-2022) in Science and Management of Climate Change (Ca' Foscari University of Venice) with a project focused on the development of a new Continuous Flow Analysis system (CFA) for the determination of biomass burning tracers, trace elements and insoluble dust particles in Alpine ice cores, with palaeoclimatological reconstructions of the Grand Combin (Switzerland) and Weißseespitze (Austria) glaciers. Currently research fellow at the CNR Institute of Polar Sciences (CNR-ISP) in Venice Mestre, for the FISR-Ice Memory-An International Salvage Program project. Her project focuses on the implementation of hardware/software systems for the development of innovative analytical techniques for the analysis of ice cores through CFA systems.

Maffezzoli Niccolò

Maffezzoli Niccolò He received his master degree in nuclear and particle physics from Milano-Bicocca University in 2014. His background ranges from applied particle physics to environmental radioactivity and high-energy physics. His work at the nuclear fission reactor in Pavia (Italy) introduced him to the ice core science field. He did his PhD (2014-2017) at the Niels Bohr Institute (Copenhagen, Denmark), working on ice core continuous flow analysis systems and past sea ice reconstructions. He continued his research on climate reconstructions at the Niels Bohr Institute, at the Italian National Research Council and at the University of Venice in 2018 and 2019. Between 2020 and 2022 he was Marie Curie fellow at the University of Venice with a project on computer vision and Artificial Intelligence techniques applied to ice core analyses. Since September 2022 he works on glacier modeling via deep neural networks in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine. He is particularly interested in exploring AI and Machine Learning approaches to Earth System Science problems.

Traversa Giacomo

Traversa Giacomo Master’s degree in Natural Sciences (University of Milano), PhD Candidate in Environmental, Geological and Polar Sciences and Technologies (University of Siena) co-financed by the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA). Current position: research fellow at the Institute of Polar Sciences of the CNR (CNR-ISP) in Milano.
Currently the research concerns the use of satellite images for the estimation of optical and thermal properties of glaciers at the margins of the Antarctic Ice Sheet as a part of the PNRA18 Project Bio-Geo Albedo feedback at Antarctic Ice-Sheet margins. Previously the research concerned the analysis by remote sensing of ablation areas in Antarctica, i.e., wind crust and blue ice, with particular attention to the snow megadune fields on the Antarctic plateau. He attended two PhD courses at The University Centre in Svalbard (NO), with which took part in a campaign in Nordaustlandet Island. As a visiting PhD student, he spent a period at the Finnish Meteorological Institute of Helsinki (FIN) and taught as a tutor for master’s and bachelor laboratories of Cartography and Geographic Information System at the University of Milan. Author of seven scientific publications in international journals.

Lagorio Serena

Lagorio Serena Marine biologist and oceanographer, Serena got three degrees from different universities: the undergraduate in Biological Sciences at the University of Genova, the master in marine biology at the University Politecnica delle Marche in Ancona, another master in 'Applied Physical Oceanography' at the University of Malta. She studied in detail the algae reproduction as well as the anchovies reproduction, while her specialisation as a marine biologist was about the study of the Sperm whales' acoustic. She wanted to protect the oceans and who lives in them, therefore in Malta she specialised into the study of the plastic pollution, with the use of a drone, deriving from an oceanic input as well as from humans, as a definition of a non education about the environment. Furthermore, her desire to know more in detail about other cetaceans species brought her for different summer seasons to Husavik, Iceland, working as a whale watching guide. From the humpback whales and the blue whales to the curiosity of knowing more about the ice, while looking at the glaciers in Iceland. Since then, she became a PhD student at the University of Ca' Foscari of Venice, in collaboration with the University of Milan-Bicocca, where she is studying the RICE ice core, in particular the fossils that she is finding into the core and the reason why they are there.

Battaglia Francesca Giovanna

Battaglia Francesca Master's degree in Exploration Geology (University of Rome "La Sapienza"), PhD in Science and Management of Climate Change (Cà Foscari University of Venice, OGS Trieste and University of Otago, New Zealand) funded by the Italian National Research Program in Antarctica (PNRA). Current position: research fellow at the Institute of Polar Sciences of the CNR (CNR-ISP) in Bologna. Previously assistant researcher at the geochemistry laboratory of the University of Otago in New Zealand.
Currently the research concerns the study and characterization of the terrestrial organic carbon along the Adriatic margin through stable carbon isotopes and organic markers as part of the PRIN-PASS 2017 Project.

Frangipani Claudia

Frangipani Claudia Bachelor's and Master's degree in Chemistry at Università degli studi di Perugia, with both thesis projects focused on the analysis of data from an environmental monitoring station. The study on atmospheric Black Carbon continued at the same university for a few months after graduation.
From November 2021 she is a PhD student at Università G. D'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, with a project revolving around the study of radiation budget and cloud cover in Antarctica and carried out at the CNR-ISP in Bologna.

Nogarotto Alessio

Nogarotto Alessio B. Sc. in Geological Sciences (University of Bologna, 2015) and M. Sc. in Geology and Land Management (University of Bologna, 2018).
He starts his research activity in 2018 at ISMAR-CNR in Bologna with an internship and then a fellowship, working on geochemical and biogeochemical analyses on marine sediment cores from the Adriatic Sea.
Currently employed as CTER at ISP-CNR in Bologna, he deals with biogeochemical analyses and the management of the organic geochemistry laboratory.
In September 2019 he started a PhD project in Polar Sciences at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. His project focuses on biogeochemical and sedimentological analyses of marine sediment cores from the Arctic and Subarctic region, to study the environmental variability, the carbon cycle and the glacial-interglacial cycles during the Late Quaternary.

ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8034-6049

Zanotto Emanuela

Zanotto Emanuela Degree in Education Science specialization in Expert in Training Processes. She has acquired a solid foundation of basic computer skills through courses such as the professional training course Multimedia Applications and Web solutions development 800-hour and the specialization course for Administrative neo-boards of cooperative enterprises 500-hour. From 2005, after a year of European Voluntary Service abroad in Belgium, she started working as an administrative assistant at the Municipality of Jesolo. From 1.12.2021 she works in the administrative office of the CNR-ISP Venice.

More...

Celli Giuditta

Celli Giuditta Polar Science PhD candidate at the Ca’Foscari University of Venice since 2021, she holds a master’s degree with honours in Chemistry from the University of Venice. The overwintering working experience in Antarctica in 2019 allowed the deepening into polar and snow chemistry and field expertise.

For her PhD thesis she works on the photochemistry of halogens and mercury in superficial snow and Antarctic ice cores.

Artoni Claudio

Artoni Claudio Snow scientist and technical manager of the EuroCold Lab laboratory system of the Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences (DISAT) of the University of Milan-Bicocca. He gained a PhD in Polar Sciences at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice with a thesis on the optical properties of mineral dust in snow and has a background in geology and Earth sciences. He has participated in many missions in Arctic, Antarctica and the Alps both as a scientific leader and as field risk manager. For some years he has been a national instructor of the Italian Avalanche Service and a professional member of the American Avalanche Association.

Marzaro Jessica

Marzaro Jessica Graduated in Communication Strategies at the University of Padua, during her studies she could experimented different formats of scientific communication, being part of the Planet Book photobook project (Contrasto editor) and participating several times at the public presentations of the book. She wrote as a volunteer for the CICAP online magazine, Query, deepening the theme of the relations between science, pseudoscience and society.
She graduated at the Master’s in Science Communication “Franco Prattico” at SISSA (Scuola Internazionale di Studi Superiori Avanzati) in Trieste. During the Master experience, she had the opportunity to test her skills trying different medium and formats for scientific communication and to learn the theorical basis. During her traineeship, she carried out support activities for the institutional communication of the Institute of Polar Sciences of CNR, managing and creating the contents and the strategy for the social media channels.
Currently, she is handling the presence of the Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice Core project on social media and she is also involved on outreach and disseminations activities related to the project. She is also taking care of the development of Beyond EPICA communications strategy with partners and the relations with them.

Marturano Laura

Marturano Laura Graduated in Experimental and Applied Biology, Environmental Biology and Biodiversity curriculum at the University of Pavia with the thesis Biodegradation of polyethylene (PET ) and polylactic acid (PLA) using Fusarium sp. and evaluation of enzymatic activity. During the bachelor degree, she carried out a short period of study and research at the Marine Research and High Education (MaRHE) center, on the island of Magoodhoo, in the Maldivian Archipelago, where she focused on marine ecology and safeguard of biological systems, related to the coral reef. During the master degree, she took part in the monitoring of alien species project, in the Marine Protection Area of the Porto Venere Regional Park at ENEA, implementing the previous knowledge and techniques of sampling, treatment, and analysis of marine samples. Thanks to internships in microbiology and mycology, experienced during bachelor and master career respectively, she was able to learn techniques of microbiological analysis associated with recalcitrant materials, deepening associated with plastics. Currently, she caries out research activities for the identification and characterization of antibiotic resistant and virulent environmental vectors in coastal marine areas and deep environments at the Institute of Polar Sciences (CNR-ISP) of Messina.

Start
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next
End

Page 4 of 14

Ministero dell'Universita e Ricerca
Programma Ricerche Artico
Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide

Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
L'Italia e l’Artico
L’Italia e l’Antartide

   CNR-ISP
   National Research Council
   Institute of Polar Sciences
   c/o Scientific Campus - Ca' Foscari University Venice - Via Torino, 155 - 30172 VENEZIA MESTRE (VE)
   Phone: +39 041 2348547 - E-mail: protocollo.isp AT pec.cnr.it
   Fax: +39 041 2348 549 - Codice Fiscale: 80054330586 - P.I.:02118311006

Unless otherwise indicated, the content of this site is licensed : Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)