Basic Services for Molecular Biology

Preparation and distribution of media and plates for bacteriology, of media for animal cell culture, of several products and reagents for Molecular Biology and ISH, of competent cells for bacterial transformation etc. Provisioning of synthetic oligonucleotides.

Qualitative control of nucleic acids

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of nucleic acids and definition of the reference standard for the QC of the RNA samples by microfluidic chip.

Real Time qPCR

Real Time qPCR mainly used for analysis of gene expression. Support to users includes assistance with experimental design, running of samples, and if requested, initial data analysis.

Droplet Digital PCR (in progress)

The ddPCR allows to:

Detect small amounts of target DNA molecules, with high sensitivity.
Determine the change in the number of genomic copies with high accuracy.
Measure gene expression levels with high precision.
Quantify NGS libraries.

DNA Sequencing service

Automated DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis essential for the study of nucleic acids from plasmids, PCR fragments , phage , etc.

Genotyping service

Used for genetic population studies by analysis of::

- Microsatelliti (single-locus).
- Snips, (single-locus).
- AFLP, (multi-locus).

Automation and High Throughput Screening (HTS) projects

Realization in automation, by Robotics (liquid handler), of a high-throughput projects for those research activities that require, in the short term, the analysis of a large number of samples.

Next Generation Sequencing service (NGS) (in progress)

Next generation sequencing (NGS) using "ION Proton" (Life Technologies) can produce data for transcriptomic studies, metagenomics, gene expression analysis, and targeted Resequencing.

2017

Matiddi M., Hochsheid S., Camedda A., Baini M., Cocumelli C, Serena F., Tomassetti P., Travaglini A., Marra S., Campani T., Scholl F., Mancusi C., Amato E., Briguglio P., Maffucci F., Fossi M.C., Bentivegna F., de Lucia G.A. (2017). Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta): A target species for monitoring litter ingested by marine organisms in the Mediterranean Sea. Environmental Pollution, 230: 199-209.

Santoro M., Di Nocera F., Iaccarino D., Lawton S. P., Cerrone A., Degli Uberti B., D'Amore M., Affuso A., Hochscheid S., Maffucci F., Galiero G. (2017) Pathology and molecular analysis of Hapalotrema mistroides (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infecting a Mediterranean loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 124(2), 101-108.

2016

Kaara S., F. Maffucci, J. Imed, M.A. Bologna, M. Borra, E. Biffali, M.N. Bradai, S. Hochscheid (2016). Connectivity and stock composition of loggerhead turtles foraging on the North African continental shelf (central Mediterranean): implications for conservation and management. Marine Ecology 37, 1103-111., doi: 10.1111/maec.12375.

Maffucci F., R. Corrado, L. Palatella, M. Borra, S. Marullo, S. Hochscheid*, G. Lacorata, D. Iudicone (2016). Seasonal heterogeneity of ocean warming: a mortality sink for ectotherm colonizers. 2016. Scientific Reports, 6, 23983. doi:10.1038/srep23983.

Rees, A. F., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Barata,  P. C. R., Bjorndal, K. A., Bolten, A. B., Bourjea, J., Broderick, A. C., Campbell, L. M., Cardona, L. Carreras, C., Casale, P., Ceriani, S. A., Dutton, P. H., Eguchi, T., Formia, A., Fuentes, M. M. P. B., Fuller, W. J., Girondot, M., Godfrey, M. H., Hamann, M., Hart, K. M., Hays, G. C., Hochscheid, S., Kaska, Y., Jensen, M. P., Mangel, J. C., Mortimer, J. A., Naro-Maciel, E., Ng, C.K.Y., Nichols, W. J., Phillott, A. D., Reina, R. D., Revuelta, O., Schofield, G., Seminoff, J. A., Shanker, K., Tomás, J., van de Merwe, J. P., Van Houtan, K. S., Vander Zanden, H. B., Wallace, B. P., Wedemeyer-Strombel, K. R., Work, T. M. and Godley, B. J. (2016) Review: Are we working towards global research priorities for management and conservation of sea turtles? Endangered Species Research 31, 337–382.

2014

Casale P., Freggi D., Maffucci F., Hochscheid S. (2014) Adult sex ratios of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in two Mediterranean foraging grounds. Scientia Marina 78, 2: 303-309

Clusa M., Carreras C., Pascual M., Gaughran S., Piovano S., Fernández G. Levy y., Tomás J., Raga J.A., Maffucci F., Hochscheid S., Aguilar A., Cardona L. (2014) Fine-scale distribution of juvenile Atlantic and Mediterranean loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biology 161: 509-519.

Hochscheid S. (2014) Why we mind sea turtles’ underwater business: A review on the study of diving behavior. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 450, 118-136.

2013

Cheng I.-J., F. Bentivegna, S. Hochscheid (2013) The behavioural choices of green turtles nesting at two environmentally different islands in Taiwan. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 440, 141-148.

Hochscheid S., A. Travaglini, F. Maffucci, G. C. Hays, F. Bentivegna (2013) Since turtles cannot talk: what beak movement sensors can tell us about the feeding ecology of neritic loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta. Marine Ecology, 34(3), 257-379.

Maffucci F., D’Angelo I., Hochscheid S., Ciampa M., De Martino G., Travaglini A., Treglia G., Bentivegna F. (2013) Sex ratio of juvenile loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean sea: is it really 1:1? Marine Biology 160, 5: 1097-1107.

Maffucci F., G. Annona, P. de Girolamo, M. A. Bologna, L. Meomartino, A. Montesano, F. Bentivegna, S. Hochscheid (2013) Bone density in the loggerhead turtle: functional implications for stage specific aquatic habits. Journal of Zoology, 291(4), 243-248.

Rossi L., P. Luschi, P. Casale, S. Hochscheid, V. Angelini, C. Vallini, G. Insacco (2013) MSFD Supporting document on the methodology and data used for the definition of marine distribution of Caretta caretta based on satellite telemetry data. ISPRA 2013.

Maffucci F., Oliverio M., Garofalo L., Gaspari S., Ciofi C., DeLucia A., Casale P. (2013) MSFD Supporting document on the methodology and data used for the analysis of the genetic structure of Caretta caretta individuals present in the Italian marine subregions (criterion 1.3). ISPRA.

2012

Saied A, Maffucci F, Hochscheid S, Dryag S, Swayeb B, Borra M, Ouerghi A, Procaccini G, Bentivegna F (2012) Loggerhead turtles nesting in Libya: an important management unit for the Mediterranean stock. Marine Ecology Progress Series 450:207-218.

Basile F, Di Santi A, Ferretti L, Bentivegna F, Pica A (2012) Hematology of the Mediterranean population of sea turtle (Caretta caretta): comparison of blood values in wild and captive, juvenile and adult animals. Comparative Clinical Pathology 21, 6: 1401-1406.

Chaieb O, Elouaer A, Maffucci F, Karaa S, Bradai MN, et al. (2012) Population structure and dispersal patterns of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta in Tunisian coastal waters, central Mediterranean. Endangered Species Research 18: 35-45.

2011

Bentivegna F, Ciampa M, Hochscheid S (2011) The presence of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in Italian coastal waters during the last two decades. Marine Turtle Newsletter, 131, 41-46.

Bello G, Travaglini A, Bentivegna F (2011) Histioteuthis bonnellii (Cephalopoda: Histioteuthidae): a new prey item of the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea (Reptilia: Dermochelidae). Marine Biology Research, 7: 314-316.

2010

Bentivegna F., Rasotto M.B., De Lucia G.A., Secci E., Massaro G., Panzera S., Caputo C., Carlino P., Treglia G., Hochscheid S. (2010) Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nests at high latitudes in Italy: a call for vigilance in the Western Mediterranean. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 9, 283-288.

Hochscheid S, Bentivegna F, Hamza A, Hays GC (2010) When surfacers do not dive: Multiple significance of extended surface times in marine turtles. Journal of Experimental Biology 213: 1328-1337.

Chaieb O, El Ouaer A, Maffucci F, Nejmeddine Bradai M, Bentivegna F, Said K, Chatti N (2010). Genetic survey of loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nesting population in Tunisia. Marine Biodiversity Records, 3, e20 doi:10.1017/S175526721000014X.

Psomadakis PN, Bentivegna F, Giustino S, Travaglini A, Vacchi M (2010). Northward spread of tropical affinity fishes: Caranx crysos (Teleostei: Carangidae), a study case from the Mediterranean Sea. Italian Journal of Zoology, 78(1): 113–123, DOI: 10.1080/11250001003680933.

Santoro M, Badillo FJ, Mattiucci S, Nascetti G, Bentivegna F, Insacco G, Travaglini A, Paoletti M, Kinsella JM, Tomás J, Raga JA, Aznar FJ (2010) Helminth communities of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from Central and Western Mediterranean Sea: the importance of host’s ontogeny. Parasitology International, 59: 367–375.

2009

Marschang RE, Papp T, Ferretti L, Hochscheid S, Bentivegna F (2009) Detection and partial characterization of herpesvirus from Egyptian tortoises (Testudo kleinmanni) imported into Italy from Libya. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 40(1), 211-213.

Bentivegna F, Hochscheid S (2009) Satellite tracking of marine turtles in the Mediterranean – Current knowledge and conservation implications. A report prepared for the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas, Tunis.

2008

Hochscheid S., F. Bentivegna, G.C. Hays (2008) Winter ecology and physiology of sea turtles. Ch 27 in Lovegrove, B.G. & McKechnie, A.E. (eds.) Hypometabolism in animals: hibernation, torpor and cryobiology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Sénégas, J.-B., S. Hochscheid, J.-M. Groul, B. Lagarrigue, F. Bentivegna (2008) Discovery of the northernmost loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nest. JMBA2 - Biodiversity Records, ref. No. 6269, DOI:10.1017/S1755267209000773

2007

Revelles M, Carreras C, Cardona L, Marco A, Bentivegna F, Castillo JJ, De Martino G, Mons JL, Smith MB, Rico C, Pascual M, Aguilar A (2007) Evidence for an asymmetrical size exchange of loggerhead sea turtles between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through the Straits of Gibraltar. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 349:261-271.

Bentivegna F, Valentino F, Falco P, Zambianchi E, Hochscheid S (2007) The relationship between loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) movement patterns and Mediterranean currents. Marine Biology, 151:1605-1614.

Hochscheid S, Bentivegna F, Bradai MN, Hays GC (2007) Overwintering behaviour in sea turtles: dormancy is optional. Marine Ecology Progress Series 340:287-298.

Hochscheid S, McMahon CR, Maffucci F, Bradshaw CJA, Bentivegna F, Hays GC (2007) Allometric scaling of lung volume and its consequences for marine turtle diving performance. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 148, 360-367.