She received her Master of Science in Biology, her PhD in Environmental Sciences: Marine Environment and Resources, and specialization and continuing education courses in Applied Microbiology.
She has been a researcher at CNR since 2011, specializing in marine molecular microbiology and biotechnology. Her research activities are mainly focused on the deep sea environment and marine and terrestrial extreme ecosystems in both temperate and polar climates. Her main interests have been focused in studying microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments, their role in functioning of extreme ecosystems, as well as in isolating of new microbial taxa, genes, novel bioproducts and biomolecules for biotechnological applications. She is author/co-author of over 70 international peer-reviewed publications. She has participated in fourteen scientific oceanographic expeditions in the Eastern Mediterranean (several as Chief Scientist) and in two scientific expedition to Antarctica. She has coordinated of and participated in several national research programs (FIRB, PNRA) and international programs (EC, Horizon 2020 and ESF programs).

RESEARCHER ID S-9890-2017    Scopus - Author ID: 6507507411    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3306-4938    Research Gate: Violetta La Cono

Lanciata la seconda call per l’accesso Trans-Nazionale (TNA) alle facilities di ACTRIS, nell’ambito del progetto europeo ACTRIS IMP.
Ricercatori, dottorandi, studenti e imprese potranno accedere ai servizi innovativi di 11 facility europee dell'infrastruttura di ricerca ACTRIS per condurre ricerche ed esperimenti su aerosol, nubi e gas in traccia e studiare il loro ruolo nei processi climatici.
In ragione delle misure COVID-19 e di possibili vincoli sulla mobilità fisica, sono particolarmente incoraggiati i progetti che prevedono accesso remoto oltre che in presenza. Formulario di candidatura, compilabile online.

Proposal deadline: 15 November 2021

Title: Emergence of virulence and antibiotic-resistance vectors in coastal and deep sea marine environments and analysis of the mechanisms and conditions underlying their spread and evolution
Acronym: PRIN2017 28ZA9
Principal Investigator ISP: Mikhail Iakimov
Research Unit Leader ISP: Violetta La Cono
Leading Institution: Institute of Polar Sciences (CNR-ISP)
Funding: Ministero Università e Ricerca - Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (MUR-PRIN)
Period of activity: 2020 - 2022

Title: Exploring and exploiting the diversity of extremely halophilic prokaryotic communities in food-grade salts and high salt-fermented food stocks
Acronym: EXPLO-HALO
Principal Investigator ISP: Mikhail Iakimov
Research Unit Leader ISP: Violetta La Cono
Leading Institution: Institute of Polar Sciences (CNR-ISP)
Funding: CNR, Unità Relazioni Europee e Internazionali
Period of activity: 2020 - 2022

Was born in Saratov, Russia. In 1990 he received his Doctorate Degree (PhD) from the Russian Academy of Sciences. Since 2001, as a CNR employee, he has experience in marine molecular microbiology and has studied the microbial communities thriving in extreme environments, such as deep-sea hypersaline anoxic lakes, shallow thermal vents, crystallizer ponds of solar salterns, Antarctic sea-ice and Antarctic subglacial lakes. He is an internationally renowned expert in isolation and characterization of taxonomically and physiologically new extremely halophilic anaerobes, including sulfidogenic and polysaccharide-degrading haloarchaea, methylotrophic methanogens and previously uncultured representatives of the candidate phylum Nanohaloarchaea. He was the first to isolate the psychrophilic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium, Oleispira antractica. He is the author of over 180 peer-reviewed publications (Google H index 58, almost 12,000 citation as of October 2021), including articles in Nature, Nature Biotechnology and PNAS. He has co-authored 11 patents. He is editor on board or ad hoc editor of several microbiological journals. Over the past 10 years, he has coordinated four projects and participated in many projects financed by the European Union and other international and national structures, including active Horizon 2020 Project FUTURENZYME (2021-24). He was Chief Scientist during nine Mediterranean oceanographic expeditions and participated in six Italian expeditions in Antarctica. He was co-supervisor of seven PhD Thesis.
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL VALUATION COMMITTEE:
2007-currently: Referee in Peer Review Evaluations of the European Research Council (ERC). EMM Registration Number: EX2006C118906.
2018-currently: Expert in Faculty 1000 Prime Opinions: https://facultyopinions.com/prime.
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:
2012-currently: Italian Society of Agro-Food and Environmental Microbiology (SIMTREA).
2016-currently: Society for General Microbiology, SGM, UK.
2017-currently: The Interregional Russian Microbiological Society, IRMS.

RESEARCHER ID H-1829-2016    Scopus - Author ID: 7005111470    https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1418-363X    Google Scholar

Title: Technologies of the future for low-cost enzymes for environment-friendly products
Acronym: FUTURENZYME
Principal Investigator ISP: Mikhail Iakimov
Research Unit Leader ISP: Violetta La Cono
Leading Institution: Institute of Catalysis, ICP-CSIC, Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain)
Funding: EU Horizon 2020 (H2020)
Period of activity: 2021 - 31 May 2025

Title: Nutrient cycling, Ecosystem functioning and Climate change in Arctic lake ecosystems
Acronym: EcoClimate
Research Unit Leader ISP: Filippo Azzaro
Leading Institution: Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome
Funding: Ministry for University and Research - Artic Research Program (MUR-PRA)
Period of activity: 2022 - 2024

Title: PhySIcal and bioGeochemical traciNg of wATer masses at source areas and export gates in the Ross Sea and impact on the SoUtheRn OcEan
Acronym: SIGNATURE
Research Unit Leader ISP: Maurizio Azzaro
Leading Institution: Marche Polytechnic University of Ancona
Funding: Ministero Università e Ricerca - Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide (MUR-PNRA)
Period of activity: 2021 - 2024

11 Ottobre 2021

Pubblicato su Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety uno studio che analizza l’effetto sul comportamento del lombrico terrestre E. foetida esposto a concentrazioni sub-letali di contaminanti organici nel suolo. In particolare sono stati considerati i pesticidi Clorpirifos, Imidacloprid e il tensioattivo anionico Sodio lauril etere solfato, sia come singoli composti che in miscela in diverse combinazioni (binaria, ternaria). L’applicazione dell’equazione matematica dell’Indice di Combinazione (CI), ha consentito per la prima volta di valutare l’effetto combinato di tali inquinanti sulla capacità del lombrico di evitare la zona di suolo contaminato, distinguendo il loro ruolo sinergico, antagonistico o additivo. I risultati mostrano come il test ecotossicologico basato su un end-point comportamentale, possa rappresentare un valido strumento per rilevare segnali precoci di un possibile rischio ambientale in presenza di contaminazione multipla. DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112861 (Luisa Patrolecco CNR-ISP)

Published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety a study that analyzes the effect on the behavior of the earthworm E. foetida exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of organic contaminants in the soil. In particular, the pesticides Chlorpyrifos, Imidacloprid and the anionic surfactant Sodium lauryl ether sulfate were considered, both as single compounds and in mixtures with different combinations (binary, ternary). The application of the mathematical equation of the Combination Index (CI), made it possible for the first time to evaluate the combined effect of these pollutants on the ability of the earthworm to "avoid" the contaminated soil, distinguishing their synergistic, antagonistic or additive role. The results show how the ecotoxicological test based on a behavioral end-point can represent a valid tool for detecting early signs of a possible environmental risk in the presence of a multiple contamination.

11 Ottobre 2021

Pubblicato su Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety uno studio che analizza l’effetto sul comportamento del lombrico terrestre E. foetida esposto a concentrazioni sub-letali di contaminanti organici nel suolo. In particolare sono stati considerati i pesticidi Clorpirifos, Imidacloprid e il tensioattivo anionico Sodio lauril etere solfato, sia come singoli composti che in miscela in diverse combinazioni (binaria, ternaria). L’applicazione dell’equazione matematica dell’Indice di Combinazione (CI), ha consentito per la prima volta di valutare l’effetto combinato di tali inquinanti sulla capacità del lombrico di evitare la zona di suolo contaminato, distinguendo il loro ruolo sinergico, antagonistico o additivo. I risultati mostrano come il test ecotossicologico basato su un end-point comportamentale, possa rappresentare un valido strumento per rilevare segnali precoci di un possibile rischio ambientale in presenza di contaminazione multipla. DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112861 (Luisa Patrolecco CNR-ISP)

Published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety a study that analyzes the effect on the behavior of the earthworm E. foetida exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of organic contaminants in the soil. In particular, the pesticides Chlorpyrifos, Imidacloprid and the anionic surfactant Sodium lauryl ether sulfate were considered, both as single compounds and in mixtures with different combinations (binary, ternary). The application of the mathematical equation of the Combination Index (CI), made it possible for the first time to evaluate the combined effect of these pollutants on the ability of the earthworm to "avoid" the contaminated soil, distinguishing their synergistic, antagonistic or additive role. The results show how the ecotoxicological test based on a behavioral end-point can represent a valid tool for detecting early signs of a possible environmental risk in the presence of a multiple contamination.