Ph.D Student 

Department of Eco-Sustainable Marine Biotechnologies (BLUBIO)

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Villa Comunale
80121 Napoli - Italia

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Curriculum vitae

Director of Studies (SZN): Maria Costantini
Internal Supervisor (SZN): Valerio Zupo, Valerio Mazzella
UNINA Supervisor: Giovanni Libralato
Program: Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, XLI ciclo

Research Interests

The increasing accumulation of plastic in marine environments has given rise to the “plastisphere,” a new and dynamic ecological niche in which complex microbial communities thrive. In this context, microplastic pollution represents one of the major contemporary environmental challenges, both due to its persistence and its ability to act as a vector for chemical and biological contaminants. My research interests lie within the fields of marine microbial ecology and biotechnology and are focused on the study of microbial communities associated with microplastics and their interactions in complex Mediterranean habitats, such as seagrass meadows. The objective is to understand the ecological mechanisms that regulate these communities, with particular attention to processes of competition, adaptation, and the production of bioactive molecules. Within this framework, I am also interested in the identification and characterization of microorganisms capable of producing enzymes involved in the degradation of plastic materials, with the aim of clarifying their ecological role within the “plastisphere” and evaluating their potential application in innovative pollution mitigation strategies and sustainable industrial processes. My interests also extend to the study of the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on other marine organisms, with particular attention to the alterations induced by exposure to these contaminants.