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Diploma of technical-tourist maturity. 1992-1998: research support activities at the Ca' Foscari University, Department of Environmental Sciences, with freelance work contracts. 1998-2011: permanent position, as technician, at the Ca' Foscari University, Department of Environmental Sciences.
She was assigned, by convention, to the Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes of the CNR (IDPA), formerly Centre of Study on Chemistry and Technologies for the Environment. From 1 November 2011 employee CNR (following mobility between entities) at the Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes (IDPA), profile C.T.E.R. - VI level. From 2004 to 2019 she assumed the role of Administrative Secretary of IDPA. In June 2019 she moved to the Institute of Polar Sciences (ISP) where she serves as Administrative Secretary.
In the first years of activity Valentina Cester has taken care of the logistic part of the expeditions in Antarctica relatively to the activities of the researchers of IDPA and of the group of Environmental Analytical Chemistry of the University Ca' Foscari. She has also played an active part in the organization of the National Conferences of the Environmental Contamination-PNRA Sector.
I'm an analytical chemist specialised in trace elemental analysis, and trace element speciation studies. My goals include determining the role, fate and toxic effects of heavy metals in the environment and their impact on humanity. Recently I have been concentrating on mercury, it's atmospheric concentrations and presence in snow, ice and ground water, with particular emphasis on deposition phenomena. I have participated in 2 Antarctic Expeditions to Concordia Station and am the Italian National Expert on the POPs and Mercury Expert Groups of AMAP, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program as well as on the Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP).
I have co-authored over 64 publications and I am a writer for the Atomic Spectrometry Updates Environmental Analysis review of the Royal Society of Chemistry. I obtained my degree in Environmental Chemistry from the University of East Anglia, followed by an M.Sc in Analytical Chemistry, I obtained my Ph.D from the University of Plymouth in 1996.
Scopus - Author ID: 7003572964 Research Gate: Warren Cairns
She took her degree in Physics at the University of Padua in 1999 and her PhD in Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage at the University of Florence in 2007.
She joined the National Research Council of Italy in 2002 where she won a permanent position as a researcher in 2011. From 2002 to 2019 she worked at the Institute of Atmospheric Science and Climate (ISAC), Padua, then she moved to the Institute of Polar Sciences (ISP), Venice, where she is currently researcher.
Her research interests are in the fields of Atmospheric physics, Climatology and Microclimatology, Environmental Sciences.
At ISAC, she started working in microclimatology applied to the preventive conservation of cultural heritage assets, indoor environmental quality and energy saving, developing a large experience in multidisciplinary research projects. Then her research activity was more and more focused on climatology. Currently, her interest is on one side in climatic change research through the recovery, correction and analysis of proxy and instrumental series of climatic data; on the other in the study of atmospheric physical parameters and processes to investigate the energy balance and the polar climatic system. She was member of the coordination team of many FP5, FP7and H2020 European projects, and investigator in international and national projects. She was contract professor for masters and specialized course, tutor of PhD, BSc and MSc thesis.
Scopus - Author ID: 55370745600 
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8408-0102 WoS Researcher ID: AAD-8969-2020 Research Gate: Francesca Becherini
He has obtained two degrees (Biological Sciences; Natural Sciences) and a PhD in Marine Sciences and Engineering.
His research activities are mainly focused on the study of the functioning of polar ecosystems with an interdisciplinary approach dedicated to various topics ranging from microbial ecology and the study of the microbial food web, to the study of biodiversity and the functioning of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
During his career he has addressed issues related to the development of new technologies in polar areas (areas marginal to marine glaciers), the effects of pollution (heavy metals, oil, plastics, etc.) and global changes on marine and terrestrial microbial communities. Attention was also paid to the conservation and protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems with particular reference to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
He in thirty years of research has carried out a fervent field activity in a wide spectrum of marine and terrestrial environments: permafrost, sea ice, lakes (temperate and frozen), fjords, transitional areas, coastal areas, pelagic areas (Epi-, meso- and bati-pelago), marginal seas and polar areas. Overall, it has participated in national and international research projects (> 50), in over 60 scientific expeditions in Arctic, Antarctica (in 3 scientific coordinator of the expedition), China, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea (in 7 as Head of Mission).
During his career he has published more than 100 publications in national and international journals. Since 2019 he is responsible for the section of the Institute of Polar Sciences of Messina.
Scopus - Author ID: 6602752439
His scientific activity has been devoted to the control of chemico-physical and biological parameters of sea-water, with particular regard to the nutrient evaluation, both by traditional techniques and by means of instruments on line analysis (mobile station, oceanographic buoy) and to the evaluation of trophic parameters (chlorophyll a, ATP).
From 1990 he is responsible of the laboratory of chemical oceanography. He participated in several oceanographic cruises of national and international programs. Mission chief of several oceanographic cruises in the Mediterranean Sea. From 1989 has participated national program for the research in Antarctica.
He participated in the following Italian scientific expeditions to Antarctica: X Italian-Belgian-U.S. within ROSSMIZE (1994/95), XIX VLT (2003/04), XX ABIOCLEAR (2004/05), XXXI CEFA (2015-2016) e XXXII P.ROSE e CELEBER (2016-2017) programme. He produced about 100 scientific publications.
Scopus - Author ID: 8516485200
Graduated in Biological Sciences, Specialist in Applied Microbiology, she has been a CNR researcher since 1994.
Her scientific interests focus on marine microbial ecology and the role of microorganisms in the decomposition processes of organic matter in Mediterranean and polar environments through enzymatic activity measures (aminopeptidase, glucosidase, phosphatase); the search for pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Vibrio spp.) by means of fluorescent antibody method and enzymatic assays; changes in physiological parameters (digestive enzymes, non-specific immunity) of marine Teleosts in response to stressors. Recent studies in extreme environments have explored the abundance and activity of the free-living heterotrophic bacterial community (UVASS, Svalbard, Arctic Project), present in permafrost or brines (National Antarctic Research Program projects-PNRA 2013/AZ1.05), of microbial biofilms over plastic substrates (PNRA16_00105), acting also as vectors of antibiotic resistance (PNRA 14_00090).
Member of the PhD School for Applied Hygiene - Univ. Messina (2006-2011) and of the Plankton (2000-2001; 2002-2003; 2010-2012; 2013-2015) and Aquaculture Committees (2004-2006; 2016-2018; 2019-2021) of the Italian Society of Marine Biology. Qualified as Full Professor of Ecology (2012-2020). P.I. and member of several research projects (PNRA, EU FP 7 PERSEUS, Marine Strategy, VECTOR, MIUR Cluster-Advanced Monitoring Systems), she has collaborated with the Institute of Hydrobiology-Wuhan (China), Univ. du Sud Toulon-France, CENPAT- Puerto Madryn (Argentina), CERTE-Soliman (Tunisia).
Co-author of over 350 scientific papers, she has a H index 19 (Scopus). Refeee (Publons) and member of Editorial Boards of OA international journals (J. Mar. Sci. Engin.-JMSE, MDPI; J. Coastal Life Medicine, Hainan Univ.; J. Clinical Microbiol. Biochem. Technol.- PEERTECHZ; The Open Fish Sci. J., The Open Mar. Biol. J., BENTHAM; J. Oceanogr. Mar. Res., LONGDOM; J. Ecosyst. Ecogr. OMICS).
Scopus - Author ID: 7102219836 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3819-5486 Scholar
Degree in Biological Sciences (1983), and Ph.D. in Environmental sciences: Marine environment and resources (1989), and CNR researcher in marine ecology (1994).
The scientific work is summarized in several Technical Reports of oceanographic cruises (as scientific head) and more than 100 publications on national and international journals in the following lines of research:
(i) ecological and physiological role of phytoplankton size-fraction in marine food webs of coastal and off-shore zone in the Mediterranean Sea, Ross Sea (Antarctica) and the Straits of Magellan;
(ii) study of the trophic conditions in the brackish lagoon ecosystems exposed to chemical pollution and eutrophication phenomena (Habs);
(iii) development of automatic monitoring of physico-chemical, optics and biological parameters (phytoplankton) in coastal marine environments through in situ (buoy and ship) and remote sensing (MIVIS, SeaWiFS).
He has participated in several national programs (ROSSMIZE, PRISMA, CLUSTER10, SNOW Artide) and projects of CNR and the Mi.P.A. and international (EU VFP: Strategy; EU FP6: SPICOSA WT 10.3 leader ; INTERACT EU: Sponge).
Scopus - Author ID: 6603331973
She is Graduated in Biological Sciences and specialized in Applied Microbiology.
Since 1982 she has carried out research activity at the CNR, Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico of Messina, now part of the ISP-CNR. Since 2001 she is Senior Researcher.
From the beginning she has been involved in research in the field of microbial ecology. She studies the interactions among environmental factors and marine microbial communities; in particular the effects of climate change on biogeochemical cycles, through the study of the decomposition rates of organic matter (measurements of enzymatic activity such as peptidases, glucosidases and phosphatases).
Other research interests are: -testing the antimicrobial activity of essential oils and new polymers; -evaluation of the health risk in coastal waters (by experimentation of the immunofluorescence technique for the direct count of Escherichia coli, Vibrio spp, Photobacterium). P.I. of National (PRISMA 1, Marine Ecosystems/SINAPSI; MIPAF IV triennial plan N.C16; PON-RSF 2000-2006 N.12745; VECTOR L.4–5.2) and regional projects. Author of over 130 scientific papers published in international and national journals.
Recently she has collaborated on PNRA projects: 2014-2015 PNRA Project: Coastal Ecosystem Functioning in a changing Antarctic ocean (CEFA). P.I. Prof. L. Guglielmo, UO 7, dr. R. La Ferla.
2016-2017 PNRA16 proposal: Biodiversity and functioning of the planktonic ecosystems of the Ross Sea in the changing Southern Ocean (P-ROSE), P.I. dr. O. Mangoni, UO 7, dr. R. La Ferla Microbial biogeochemical rates.
2016-2017 PNRA16: 00207 - A3 - CELEBeR (CDW Effects on glaciaL mElting and on Bulk of Fe in the Western Ross sea (CELEBeR). P.I. dr. P. Rivaro, U.O. dr. Maurizio Azzaro.
2020-2021 PNRA18-0041-B2, Screening of antibiotic-resistance phenomena in bacterial strains isolated from water, sediment and intestine of Antarctic teleosts. P.I. Dr. M. Mancuso.
Scopus - Author ID: 6701823549 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0151-9416
He participated as scientific coordinator and/or collaborator in the following Research Projects: SOS-BASS-PRIN; ELENO-PONANT within ARICE; VECNA; MARE-ERASMUS+ PLNRDA 2017-2019; MSFD, Dir. 2008/56/EC; SySTeMiC-University of the South Pacific; BYCATCH VII-MIPAAF; CAIMAR JOINT LABORATORY; IRSES-RECOMPRA; Environmental monitoring CNR-AMP Isole Pelagie; “EMSO-MedIT”; BIOforIU; REMOTO-PO FESR; PESCATEC- PON; RITMARE-MIUR; TESEO-PON; CALYPSO- Italy-Malta; ICT for the Excellence of the Territories; STROAM- Italy-Russia. He participated in numerous national and international scientific expeditions at sea as mission leader and/or member of the scientific staff. Member of scientific expeditions in the Arctic for the collection of acoustic data and at the geographic North Pole. Responsible for the Laboratory of Acoustic Biodiversity and Marine Ecology (BioSoundEcology Lab) at CNR-ISP, Messina; Responsible for Agreements between CNR and Universities; he carried out teaching activities at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Messina; evaluator of project proposals ARTA, MIUR, PO FEP, POR FESR; he took part as president and/or member in about 50 competition commissions for different positions in the research profiles; he participated as a speaker in more than 30 National/International Conferences; he held the position of Responsible for personnel with Research Grant, Scholarship, Thesis and Internship pre- and post-graduate. He is co-author of more than 40 international publications on ISI scientific journals and more than 80 publications among national scientific journals, proceedings, books, project reports, technical reports and patents filed.
Scopus - Author ID: 36058746700 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9418-0414
She got her Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences at the University of Messina in 2006. Actually, she is member of the Committee for the Collection and Management of Antarctic samples of the PNRA-MIUR, and of the Executive Committee of the CUR for the study of Extreme Environments and Extremophiles Francesco Maria Faranda (University of Messina).
She collaborated with the University of Messina for the scientific management of the Italian Collection of Antarctic Bacteria of the National Antarctic Museum (CIBAN-MNA).
She participated to sampling campaigns in Antarctic and Arctic areas, as well as to oceanographic cruises in the Mediterranean. She is actively involved in national and international research projects in the fields of microbial ecology (diversity and function of prokaryotes) of polar environments, biotechnology of cold-adapted bacteria (e.g.,. search for xenobiotic degraders and biomolecule producers) and bacterial interactions. She is particularly interested in the bacterial association with benthic filter-feeders, and in the relationships between prokaryotes and chemical contamination.
She is author or co-author of more than 70 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, among which Physics of Life Reviews, Scientific Reports, Biotechnology Advances, Science of the Total Environment, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, PLOS One, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, and several book chapters. She is peer-reviewer for international journals on ecology and microbiology, and scientific reviewer for project proposals for international polar agencies. She is member of the open-access journals Microorganisms (Section Microbial Biotechnology) and Diversity (Section Microbial Diversity), and Review Editor for “Frontiers in Marine Sciences: Marine Biotechnology”.
Scopus - Author ID: 57202031230 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8842-083X Research Gate: Angelina Lo Giudice
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He is currently a fixed-term Technical Collaborator (VI level) (from July 2023) within the PNRR EMBRC project Unlocking the Potential for Health and Food from the seas - EMBRC-UP. Since 2021 he has also been a PhD student in Polar Sciences at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice. In 2014 he obtained a degree in Biology and Ecology of the Coastal Marine Environment at the University of Messina, with the thesis entitled Tolerance to heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls in Arctic bacteria (Continental Norway). During the preparation of his degree thesis he spent 4 months at the University of Valencia (Spain) to acquire new laboratory techniques. He has participated in several sampling activities in the Arctic, Antarctica and the Mediterranean for the collection and processing of samples for microbiological studies. In particular, the research interest is aimed at the study of microbial populations in aquatic environments (sea, freshwater and hyperhaline brine), sediments and permafrost. Among the techniques used: estimation of prokaryotic biomass by counting and morphometric and morphological analysis, through the application of microscopic techniques in epifluorescence and image analysis; analysis of the prokaryotic community using CARD-FISH and next generation sequencing; estimation of physiological profiles of prokaryotes at community level using BIOLOG Ecoplate; quantification of viable cells through the use of biomarkers (LIVE/DEAD and CTC); screening of bacteria for the ability to degrade polluting organic compounds. He is the author or co-author of approximately 25 articles in international journals.
Born in Messina, she obtained her Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences at the University of Messina (2016) presenting the thesis PCB-oxidising bacteria from Arctic and Antarctic environments. She is a member of the eLTER H2020 Starting Communities project group and of the Association of Polar Early Career scientists APECS group.
Currently, she is coordinating the PNRA18_00194 Microbial response to human Pollutants in polAr lakeS-MicroPolArS project and the INTERACT Mercury concentration and tolerant microorganisms in Arctic SNOW: new Bioremediation chALLenges – SNOW BALL project. She actively participates in national and international research projects on topics related to microbial ecology and biotechnology in polar environments. Particular interest is directed to the use of molecular tools for the study of biodiversity and the functionality of microbial communities, with attention to the ability to degrade polluting compounds. As part of projects focused on microbiology in polar environments, she has participated in sampling campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as oceanographic cruises in the Mediterranean.
She specializes in: the treatment of microbiological samples of various origins; the use of molecular tools for bacterial biodiversity and DNA/RNA probe hybridization; analysis of microbial communities (metagenomics) by next-generation sequencing; differential expression and statistical validation of RNA-seq data; estimation of microbial biomass; screening of bacteria for the production of molecules of biotechnological interest and for the ability to degrade polluting compounds. She has had the opportunity to perfect her bioinformatics and laboratory skills also thanks to numerous stays in foreign institutes including Sequentia biotech (Barcelona, Spain), the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland), and the University of Valencia (Spain). She is the author or co-author of numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Scientific Reports, Science of the Total Environment, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, PLOS One, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, and more than 30 communications at national and international conferences.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6013-4436 Research Gate
CTER IV livello – IT Manager
System administrator of the CNR-ISP Messina detached branch. In this context, it carries out the following activities:
- Access Port Manager (APM) - technical reference to the GARR;
- maintains the network infrastructure of the Messina institute;
- maintains network services and, in particular, the servers (e.g. file server, web server, firewall, DNS, NAT, etc…) for the delivery of transversal and local services;
- management of transmission networks (LAN and wireless);
- management of routing polices (router CISCO and firewall);
- hardware and software assistance and support to workstations in offices and laboratories;
- support for videoconferencing;
- use of statistical software for processing and interpretation of experimental results (in particular through the use of R, a specific development environment for statistical analysis of data).
He also manages the local staff institute data: attendance, absence, skills, meal vouchers, through ePAS, the system for detecting and managing attendance of CNR staff.
She is currently CTER - IV level at the Institute of Polar Sciences in Messina.
She has participated to numerous oceanographic cruises in the Mediterranean Sea with particular regard to the collection, treatment and analysis of samples. She actively participates at national and international research projects on polar issues.
Her research activities are mainly devoted to the study of the ecology of bacterial populations in aquatic samples (seawater and brines) and permafrost. In particular: to the study of the biomass of prokaryotes by counting and morphometric and morphological analyses, through the application of microscopic techniques in epifluoresence and image analysis; the estimation of physiological profiles at community level of prokaryotes through BIOLOG Ecoplate; the quantification of viable cells through the use of biomarkers (LIVE/DEAD and CTC). She also performs graphic and statistical processing of experimental data and collaborates in the drafting of scientific papers.
Scopus - Author ID: 7801432695
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
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