The staff of the Biochemistry Unit includes researchers in Biochemistry and in the Hygiene field.

  The research topics in the biochemistry field deal with:

• Response to oxidative stress in different tissues and cells systems.
• Dysregulation of enzyme activities in the onset and progression of pathological states.
• Metabolism of toxic aldehydes.
• Modulation of enzyme activities involved in the onset of diabetic complications and inflammation.
• Modulation of oxidoreductases involved in the onset of chemoresistance in cancer cells.

The research topics in the Hygiene field deal with:

• Environmental and food virology studies aiming to study the presence and spread in the environment of pathogenic viruses.
• Environmental, Occupational and Food Hygiene studies applied to microbiological monitoring and to Quantitative Assessment model
• Surveys by questionnaires to evaluate information, attitudes, risk perception and behaviour related to health.
• Mass and social media health news systematic monitoring, archiving, qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Staff of the Unit

Full Professors:
Annalaura Carducci
Antonella Del Corso

Associate Professors:
Mario Cappiello
Roberta Moschini
Marco Verani

Researchers:
Simone Allegrini
Francesco Balestri
Ileana Federigi
Giovanni Signore

TA Staff:
Sandra Farnesi
Rossana Pesi
Erika Rovini
Teresa Toscano

Here you can find the address.

Research groups in the Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology share a common interest in exploring the mechanisms underlying the coordinated interactions of molecules, cells and tissues to form living organisms. They combine genetic, biochemical, molecular, cellular and nanotechnology approaches to investigate fundamental biological processes.

This Unit seeks to understand, in particular, the biology and function of the nervous system at multiple levels of analysis. Researchers focus their interest on aspects of developmental and cellular neurobiology ranging from molecular mechanisms, intercellular signaling, gene expression, neuronal commitment, to the organization of cells into structurally and functionally integrated circuits.

Different research groups use a variety of experimental models, from frog, fish to mammals, including mouse and human stem cell systems, and exploit the power of genetics and innovative methods to investigate pivotal issues in contemporary developmental and cellular neurobiology. The Unit also has strong interest in disease, dysfunction and repair of the nervous system, and in connecting innovative basic research to translational medicine and nanomedicine.

Research lines are:

• Eye and retina differentiation
• Epigenetic regulation of brain development and differentiation
• Neural crest development and differentiation
• The study of mechanotransduction of the axonal growth
• Development of nano-therapeutics for the posterior eye segment
• Use of zebrafish embryos as Avatar for approaches of personalized medicine
• How neural stem cells generate distinct types of neurons in the cerebral cortex
• Human pluripotent and neural stem cell models to investigate the mechanisms of neurodevelopment, regeneration and disease
• Zebrafish models to study healthy and pathological brain aging
• CRISPR/Cas9 and omics approaches to unveil new players in embryonic and adult neurogenesis
• Study of the role of serotonin in development and function of the central nervous system
• Mapping the structural and functional connectome in animal models of autism
• Use of gene editing for the generation of animal models of human diseases

Personnel of the Unit:

Full Professors:
Luciana Dente
Massimo Pasqualetti

Associate Professors:
Massimiliano Andreazzoli
Ugo Borello
Michela Ori
Vittoria Raffa
Robert Vignali
Marco Onorati
Elisabetta Ferraro
Chiara Gabellini

Researchers:
Andrea Cerase

TA Staff:
Guglielma De Matienzo
Corrado de Petris
Elena Landi
Davide Martini
Sara Migliarini
Gabriella Sbrana

Here you can find the address.

Staff of Ecology and Marine Biology

Full Professors:
Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
Alberto Castelli 

Associate Professors:
Fabio Bulleri
Ferruccio Maltagliati
Elena Maggi
Elena Balestri
Iacopo Bertocci

Researchers:
Luca Rindi

Here you can find the address.

The Botany unit focuses its activity on the study of photosynthetic prokaryotes and eukaryotes and their adaptive strategies, in terms of resource use and inter-relationships with the environment and by the different approaches of cell, molecular and functional biology, applied plant biology and landscape ecology, plant ecology, geobotany, taxonomy and plant systematics, in connection with basic research and models, as well as with applied and biotechnological advances.
The team deepens the knowledge on phylogeny, differentiation and morpho-functional organization of wild plants and crops of current interest for humans, as well as on the mechanisms by which plant organisms develop and interact with the environment, including plant reproductive systems and ecophysiological responses of seeds in natural and laboratory conditions. Furthermore, the unit deals with the study of floristic and vegetation diversity at the different levels of biological organization and in different pedoclimatic conditions.
Moreover, the Botany unit studies the problems related to the definition of ecosystem quality, nature conservation, environmental impact assessment, floristic-vegetation aspects of environmental planning, environmental education, compatible management and monitoring of natural resources, also with regard to global changes. In order to clarify evolutionary trends of plants, it makes use of comparative phylogenetic methods, allowing the adaptive interpretation of functional traits on a macro-evolutionary scale.
A further field of interest concerns the studies of the mechanisms to manage heavy metals in photosynthetic prokaryotes and eukaryotes and their repertoire to clean up polluted environments, verifying not only the ability to remove pollutants, but also the allied molecular mechanisms that regulate the homeostatic control of metal micronutrients and their uptake. Moreover, the unit deals with the environmental impact of nanoparticles, evaluating their possible effects on growth and development of plants, with the use of lichens and model plants in biomonitoring and for ecotoxicological studies, and with the exploitation of microalgae for cutting-edge biotechnological applications.

The research staff of Botany Unit:

Full Professors:
Lorenzo Peruzzi 
Luigi Sanità di Toppi

Associate Professors:
Andrea Andreucci 
Gianni Bedini
Angelino Carta
Daniela Ciccarelli
Monica Ruffini Castiglione

Researchers:
Luca Paoli

Post-doc:
David Dolci

Collaborators:
Alessio Mo
Silvia Giardini

TA Staff:
Antonio Masini

Here you can find the address.

You can follow the activities of the PLANTSEED Lab here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PLANTSEED.unipi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantseed.unipi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PLANTSEED_unipi

The Ethology Unit works on various aspects of animal behaviour and ecology, continuing a long-standing the tradition of ethological studies at the University of Pisa began over 50 years ago with the research of Floriano Papi, one of the founders of Ethology in Italy.

The Unit research program is focused on the mechanisms and ecological determinants of vertebrate behaviour, with a particular focus on spatial behaviour at multiple scales and levels of organization (individual, population, communities).

  In particular, our long-term research program focuses on:

•  bird and sea turtle migration
•  navigation mechanism in animals using as model the homing pigeon
•  spatial behaviour of terrestrial mammals
•  effects of parasites on predator-prey interactions at different spatio-temporal scales
•  distribution of vectors following land use and climate change
•  biology and ecology of species of conservation value

 Within this vast research program, the effects of land and climate change on these ecological processes are studied and integrated into our models. A fast-changing world is clearly affecting wild animals at individual, population and community levels, and a deep understanding of cumulative and synergistic effects of these changes are priority to understand their possible consequences.

The unit of Ethology staff is composed by:

Full Professors:
Paolo Luschi 

Associate Professors:
Paolo Casale
Alessandro Massolo
Elisabetta Palagi

Researchers:
Alessandro Cini
Anna Gagliardo 
Dimitri Giunchi 

TA Staff:
Andrea Guidi 
Michele Melai*
Resi Mencacci 
Enrica Pollonara* 
Daniele Santerini 

*Partially assigned to the Ethology unit

Here you can find the address.

The Research Unit of General Physiology is involved in research lines concerned with the investigation of the physiologic and pathologic mechanisms evolving in nerve cells or in neuronal circuits during development or in response to perturbations of the microenvironment. In particular, the research activity is currently focused on the cytotoxicity mechanisms in nerve cells and in cells of the Organ of Corti as well as on the study of the physiopathology of retinal diseases, including the experimentation of new therapeutic approaches in animal models. These researches are aimed at possible practical applications regarding the restoration or the protection of neuronal vitality and the efficiency of neuronal network physiology. The main experimental models employed in these studies are represented by cell line cultures, in vitro preparations obtained from mammalian retinas, and in vivo models of retinal pathologies. Both qualitative and quantitative data are obtained with methods of molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, imaging, and electrophysiology.

The research activities are supported by grants from national as well as international public and private agencies.

Research lines in detail include:

• Analysis of the pathogenetic mechanisms of retinal pathologies
• Administration methodologies for drug delivery to the retina
• Natural substances as possible protective factors for the retina
• Natural substances as possible protective factors against chemotherapeutic and antibiotic induced cytotoxicity in immortalized Organ of Corti cells
• Neuroprotection in animal models of retinopathies
• Study of the effects of antiangiogenic/anti-inflammatory molecules in animal models of retinopathies
• Mechanism of the vitamin D3 protective effect in cellular models of neurodegeneration

Staff of the Unit:

Full Professors:
Massimo Dal Monte

Associate Professors:
Giovanni Casini
Maurizio Cammalleri
Josè Fernando Maya-Vetencourt

Researchers:
Maria De Las Mercedes Garcia Gil
Dominga Lapi
Rosario Amato

TA staff:
Silvia Marracci

Here you can find the address.

The Research Unit of Plant Physiology studies several functional features of plant development and response to stress: growth, organogenesis, senescence and physiological performances are analyzed under different dimensional scales, that span from molecular interactions to whole organisms. Also the experimental systems under investigation encompass a wide range of cases, by involving model species, plants grown for food or ornamental purposes, as well as wild plants from land and aquatic environments. The study of plant physiology is therefore addressed through multiple approaches, in order to integrate knowledge arising from studies at different degrees of complexity. Further research lines deal with nutraceutical substances of plant food, with the aim of evaluating the nutritional importance (as well as the anti-nutritional constituents) of seeds, fruits and vegetables.

The Unit includes also researchers engaged in microbiological studies aimed at environmental remediation.

More in detail, the Plant Physiology Unit operates on the following research topics:

• Physiology of seeds
• Biosynthesis, metabolism and signal transduction of plant growth regulators
• Developmental processes and senescence of higher plants
• Physiology of abiotic stresses
• Nutraceutical constituents of plant foods
• Biotechnology for environmental remediation

Staff of the Plant Physiology Unit:

Associate Professors:
Francesco Licausi
Riccardo Di Mambro
Beatrice Giuntoli

Researchers:
Debora Fontanini
Carlo Sorce
Carmelina Spanò

TA Staff:
Stefania Bottega
Simona Di Gregorio
Lara Lombardi

Here you can find the address.

The Genetics and Microbiology Unit is involved in research lines related to the study of the genetic variability of human and microbial populations. In particular, the role played by genetic polymorphisms in complex phenotypes such as neoplastic diseases (e.g. pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, mesothelioma, thyroid cancer ...) and in other multifactorial phenotypes, such as the response to chemotherapy and analgesic therapy. These researches support the analysis of problems such as the assessment of the individual risk of developing pathologies, the assessment of responses to pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies, taking into account the individual genotype. The investigation methods integrate case-control association studies using modern genotyping techniques (e.g. SNP arrays, Real-Time PCR), in silico studies (using bioinformatics methods) and functional in vitro studies (in cell lines and microorganisms also using the most modern gene editing techniques based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system). Furthermore, genetic and genomic damage in human populations is evaluated in order to analyse the effects. 

The other research lines characterizing the activity of the Genetics and Microbiology Unit concern the identification and characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial virulence and pathogenicity and the microorganism-environment-host interaction, using multidisciplinary approaches based on manipulation techniques and gene mutation, proteomics, transcriptomics, microscopy, ex vivo models. The unit is also involved in the study of the interactions between microorganisms in both sessile and planktonic microbial communities and in the development of alternative strategies for the treatment of microbial infections. Finally, part of the activity carried out by the Genetics and Microbiology Unit is focused on the preparation of genetically modified and attenuated bacterial strains, aimed at the development of new and more effective vaccine candidates for the prevention of infectious diseases with high incidence worldwide (e.g. tuberculosis).
The research activities are supported by projects financed by public and private bodies at national and international level.

The research lines in detail are:

•     Evaluation of human genetic variability in the context of individual susceptibility to developing tumors
•     Evaluation of human polymorphisms and their influence on male infertility
•     Evaluation of human polymorphisms in analgesic therapy in adults and newborns
•     Functional evaluation of genetic polymorphisms
•     Evaluation of somatic mutations in tumor tissues
•     In vitro and in vivo mutagenesis tests
•     Study of the molecular mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity and drug resistance
•     Genetic manipulation of pathogenic bacteria and yeasts (deletion cassettes, gene editing) aimed at studying the host-parasite interaction
•     Evaluation of new antimicrobial strategies active against planktonic communities and biofilms (e.g. bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides), and novel diagnostic tools (e.g. CRISPR/Cas-based sensors)
• Development of innovative antitubercular vaccination strategies

Staff of the Unit:

Full Professors:
Stefano Landi
Federica Gemignani
Arianna Tavanti

Associate Professors:
Daria Bottai 
Daniele Campa
Roberto Giovannoni
Roberto Scarpato

Researchers:
Mariagrazia Di Luca 
Roberto Marangoni
Ombretta Melaiu 

TA Staff:
Monica Cipollini
Domenica Di Bello

Here you can find the address.

The Zoological staff investigates animal and protist diversity in an evolutionary framework. Population genetics and molecular phylogeography of vertebrates are carried out for purpose of conservation and management of investigated species, relying also on ancient DNA analyses of specimens resident in museum collections, and with special attention for the forensic science and the development of molecular tools to tackle poaching activity. Both naturalistic and biotechnological approaches are used for studying taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of protist ciliates, with a specific focus on symbiotic associations and the production of biologically active compounds. 

The Anthropology staff investigates natural history of the human species and his bio-cultural diversity under an evolutionary framework and an interdisciplinary perspective. They investigate the adaptive and demographic dynamics of extinct and modern human populations at different levels of the biological scale through the most innovative analytical and bioinformatics tools. The research activity is performed in the frame of granted projects supported by national and international networks.

Research lines are highly differentiated:

• Biodiversity and systematics (taxonomy and phylogeny) of ciliated protists
• Characterization, genomics and ecology of symbiosis between protists and bacteria
• Applied environmental microbiology
• Molecular evolution, conservation genetics, museum and forensic DNA of vertebrates
• Ecology and cultural adaptations of prehistoric human populations
• Human evolutionary genomics
• Morphological and functional evolution of human and non-human primates
• Set-up of genetic markers for eco-ethological studies
• Primate population genetics

Staff of the Zoology-Anthropology Unit:

Full Professors:
Giulio Petroni

Associate Professors:
Filippo Barbanera
Giovanni Boschian
Graziano Di Giuseppe
Sergey Fokin
Damiano Marchi
Sergio Tofanelli
Claudia Vannini

Researchers:
Letizia Modeo
Antonio Profico

TA Staff:
Sonia Cammellini
Fabrizio Erra
Francesco Paolo Frontini
Simone Gabrielli
Monica Guerrini
Michele Melai
Luca Taglioli

Here you can find the address.