PhD Student
Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Department

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Villa Comunale
80121 Napoli - Italia

Tel.: +39 081 5833206
E-mail: annalisa.zuccarotto(at)szn.it
Contatto Skype: annalisa.zuccarotto

Curriculum Vitae

Director of Studies: Serena Leone
Internal Supervisor(s): Immacolata Castellano and Mariella Ferrante
External Supervisor: Marco Gerdol
Program: Open University, XXII cycle

Research Interests

My research activity is focused on the evolutionary study of the biosynthetic pathway of ovothiols, small molecules derived from 5-thiohistidine that are produced by marine invertebrates, protists and bacteria. These molecules have antioxidant properties and are involved in different biological processes such as fertilization and embryogenesis of the sea urchin. Moreover, ovothiols are known for their therapeutic and biotechnological potential. My PhD project aims to study the evolution, distribution and diversification of these molecules and their pathway in metazoa with a focus on cnidarians. Indeed, the phylum of the Cnidaria is among the most ancestral in animal evolution and represents an extraordinary example of molecular diversification of the biosynthetic pathway of these molecules. My studies include various approaches spanning from phylogenomics, comparative transcriptomics, biochemistry and molecular biology.