PhD student

Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Department

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Villa Comunale
80121 Napoli - Italia

Curriculum vitae

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5376-4766

ERC sectors - Comparative physiology (LS4_2), Neural networks and plasticity (LS5_5)
Settori scientifico-disciplinari - Fisiologia (BIO/09), Anatomia comparata e citologia (BIO/06)

Supervisor:

• Joao Marques Garcia João Marques Garcia - Wageningen University & Research
• Giovanna Ponte Ponte Giovanna - Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
• Pamela Imperadore Imperadore Pamela - Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn

Research Interests

The rapid growth of the global population and escalating food demand raise urgent questions about how to secure a sustainable food future. These pressures have fueled unsustainable farming practices, overfishing, and accelerated climate change. In response, the emerging field of cellular agriculture seeks to produce meat and seafood directly from animal cells, eliminating the need for traditional livestock or fishing. While most current efforts center on cows, chickens, and common fish species, Octopus vulgaris is considered as a novel candidate for cultivated seafood. Given the high culinary value of octopus in many cultures, reducing reliance on conventional fishing remains a major challenge. This project aims to investigate the in vitro biology of octopus muscle cells to develop a continuous cell line capable of supporting sustainable production of cultivated octopus meat. This goal builds on evidence of octopus’ continuous growth and remarkable regenerative abilities, which suggest the presence of stem-like cells or reprogramming mechanisms advantageous for cell-based meat production. Ultimately, this work will expand the diversity of species explored in cellular agriculture and lay the groundwork for ethical, environmentally responsible seafood alternatives.

Publications

Advances and Challenges in Cell Biology for Cultured Meat. Martins B, Bister A,Dohmen RGJ, Gouveia MA, Hueber R, Melzener L, Messmer T, Papadopoulos J,Pimenta J, Raina D, Schaeken L, Shirley S, Bouchet BP, Flack JE. Advances andChallenges in Cell Biology for Cultured Meat. Annu Rev Anim Biosci. 2023 Nov 14. doi:10.1146/annurev-animal-021022-055132. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37963400.

Meßmer, T. (2023). Decoding cultured meat production: the transcriptomic landscape of bovine satellite cells in proliferation and differentiation. [Doctoral Thesis, Maastricht University]. Maastricht University. https://doi.org/10.26481/dis.20230421tm - Contributed to chapter 4 & 5