Internship offers – September 2017

Foundation Edmund Mach

Climacteric Fruit Ripening Physiology.
A position for an experimental thesis is available at the laboratory of“Genetics and Fruit Breeding” of the Foundation Edmund Mach (San Micheleall’Adige, Trento). Theinternship will be focused on dissecting essential fruit ripening mechanisms
involved in the onset of some physiopaties in climacteric fruit, withparticular regard to superficial scald in apple.
The experimental approach will be based on transcriptomic technologies(qRT-PCR and RNA-seq) with the support of metabolomic analysis in order toprovide a complete phenotype description that will be integrated with thegene expression data.
Students interested in the project can contact Nicola Busatto () and Prof. CinziaForni (), in order to have more details.
References:

  • Busatto, N., Farneti, B., Tadiello, A., Vrhovsek, U., Cappellin, L., Biasioli, F., … Costa, F. (2014). Target metabolite and gene transcription profiling during the development of superficial scald in apple (. BMC Plant Biology, 14(1), 193.
  • Busatto, N., Tadiello, A., Trainotti, L., & Costa, F. (2017). Climacteric ripening of apple fruit is regulated by transcriptional circuits stimulated by cross-talks between ethylene and auxin. Plant Signaling & Behavior,12(1), e1268312.
  • Farneti, B., Busatto, N., Khomenko, I., Cappellin, L., Gutierrez, S., Spinelli, F., … Costa, F. (2014). Untargeted metabolomics investigation of volatile compounds involved in the development of apple superficial scald by
    PTR-ToF–MS. Metabolomics, 11(2), 341–349.

Microbial Technology (Prof. M.C. Thaller – email: )

Two positions are available at the Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata" to work on the following subjects:

  • Screening and characterization of bacteriophages to fight pathogenic bacteria
  • Models and methods to characterize the microorganisms responsible of the "purple damage" on the ancient parchments

Biosensor Technology (Prof. G. Palleschi, email:)

Three positions are available at the Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome "Tor Vergata" to work on the following subjects:

i) development of sustainable and cost-effective paper-based (bio)sensors for applications in environmental, agrifood and biomedical sectors (2 positions).

ii) development of nanostructured sensors for the detection of disinfectants in industrial processes, activity carried out in the frame of the spin-off Tecnosens (1 position).

References:

  • Arduini, F. et al. (2017). How cutting-edge technologies impact the design of electrochemical (bio) sensors for environmental analysis. Analytica Chimica Acta, 959, 15-42.
  • Arduini, F. et al. (2016). Nanomaterials in electrochemical biosensors for pesticide detection: advances and challenges in food analysis. MicrochimicaActa, 183, 2063-2083.

Biosensors and Nanomachines(Prof. F. Ricci – email: )

A position is available on the following subject:
Design and characterization of DNA-based nanodevices for diagnostic and drug-delivery applications.

For more info visit the webpage of the group:

  • References:
    Ranallo S, Prévost-Tremblay C, Idili A, Vallée-Bélisle A, Ricci F
    Antibody-powered nucleic acid release using a DNA-based nanomachine
    Nature Commun 2017, 8, 15150.

Neurochemistry1.(Prof. M.T. Carrì, email: )

Two positions for experimental thesis are available at the laboratory of Neurochemistry at the Fondazione Santa Lucia (via del FossodiFiorano) to work onthe project “Modulation of hypermetabolism and hyperexcitability as a strategy to counteractdegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis”.The workwill be focused on the pre-clinical test of drugs in animal models of the disease. Experimental approaches include biochemistry and molecularbiology assays, motor performance and behavior tests, confocal microscopy.

  • Palamiuc L, Schlagowski A, Ngo ST, Vernay A, Dirrig-Grosch S, Henriques A, Boutillier AL, Zoll J, Echaniz-Laguna A, Loeffler JP, René F. A metabolic switch toward lipid use in glycolytic muscle is an early pathologic event in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. EMBO Mol Med. 2015 May;7(5):526-46.
  • Rossi S, Cozzolino M, Carrì MT. Old versus New Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of ALS. BrainPathol. 2016 Mar;26(2):276-86.
  • Valle C, Salvatori I, Gerbino V, Rossi S, Palamiuc L, René F, Carrì MT.Tissue-specific deregulation of selected HDACs characterizes ALS progression inmouse models: pharmacological characterization of SIRT1 and SIRT2 pathways. Cell Death Dis. 2014 Jun 19;5:e1296.

Neurochemistry 2. (Dr. N. D’Ambrosi, e-mail: )

A position is available at the Department of Biology, University of Rome TorVergata, to work on the project: “Pathways at the crossroad between DNAdamage and mitochondrial dysfunction responses in cellular models ofamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)”. Transfected cell lines and primarycultures from ALS mice will be employed for biochemistry and molecularbiology assays. The focus will be testing the effects of several compoundsand strategies aimed at modulating protein kinases identified as potentialtargets involved the pathogenesis of the disease.

  • Farg MA, Konopka A, Ying Soo K, Ito D, Atkin JD. The DNA damage response (DDR)is induced by the C9orf72 repeat expansion in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Hum Mol Genet. 2017 May 8. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddx170.
  • Carrì MT, D'Ambrosi N, Cozzolino M. Pathways to mitochondrial dysfunction in ALS pathogenesis. BiochemBiophys Res Commun. 2017 Feb 19;483(4):1187-1193.

Ecology and ecotoxicology(Dr. L. Migliore, email: )

Positions for two experimental theses are available at the ECOMICRO Lab. (Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata"; The projects are entitled:

1. Set up of new ecotoxicological test on microalgae for marine and freshwater sediment quality assessment.

References:

  • Rotini A., Manfra L., Spanu F., Pisapia M., Cicero A.M., Migliore L. (2017) - Ecotoxicological method with the marine bacteria Vibrioanguillarum to evaluate the acute toxicity of environmental contaminants. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 123: e55211. DOI: 10.3791/55211;
  • Libralato G., Prato E., Migliore L., Cicero A.M., Manfra L. (2016) - A review of toxicity testing protocols and endpoints with Artemia spp. Ecological Indicators, 69: 35-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.04.017;
  • Rotini A., Canepa S., Manfra L., Tornambè A., Migliore L. (2015) - Can Artemia hatching assay be a (sensitive) alternative tool to acute toxicity test? Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 95(6): 745-751. DOI: 10.1007/s00128-015-1626-1

2. Evaluation of Halophilastipulacea invasiveness in the Mediterranean Sea using biochemical and molecular (NGS) approaches.

References:

  • Rotini A., Mejia A.Y., Costa R., Migliore L., Winters G. (2017) - The seagrassholobiontHalophilastipulacea: ecophysiological plasticity and bacteriome structure along a depth gradient in the Northern Red Sea. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7: 2015 DOI: doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.02015;
  • Mejia A., Rotini A., Lacasella F., Bookman R., Thaller M.C., Winters G., Migliore L. (2016) - Morphology, biochemical descriptors and microbial community analysis: a promising approach for assessing the ecological status of seagrasses. A case study, Halophilastipulacea from the Red Sea. Ecological Indicators, 60: 1150-1163. DOI: 10.106/j.ecolind.2015.09.014

Plant Phytotechnologies(Prof. C. Forni, email: )
Position for an experimental thesis is available at the Micropropagation Laboratory (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisidell’economiaagraria. Centro di ricerca per la frutticoltura, Via di Fioranello 52, 00134 Roma; The project concerns the application of in vitro plant cultures as a tool for studying the effects of abiotic stress under controlled conditions.Experimental approaches include plant micropropagation methods as well as biochemical assays.

References:

  • Di Cori P., Lucioli S., Frattarelli A., Nota P., Tel-Or E., Benyamini E., Gottlieb H., Caboni E., Forni C.(2013). Characterization of the response of in vitro cultured Myrtuscommunis L. plants to high concentrations of NaCl. Plant Physiology Biochemistry 73: 420-426. DOI,org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.10.026
  • Lucioli S., Di Bari C., Nota P., Frattarelli A., Forni C.,Caboni E. (2017). Methyl jasmonate promotes anthocyanins production in Prunussalicina × Prunuspersicain vitro shoot cultures. PlantBiosystems: published online. 10.1080/11263504.2016.1255267.
  • Di Bari C., Forni C., Di Carlo A., Barrajón-Catalan E., Micol V., Teoli F., Nota P., Fabio Matteocci F., Frattarelli A., Caboni E., Lucioli S.(2017). Pigments for natural dye sensitized solar cells from in vitro grown shoot cultures. Journal of Photonics for Energy 7 (2): 025503. Doi: 10.1117/1.JPE.7.025503

Botany (Biology of Algae)(L. Bruno – email )

Two positions are available at the Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata" to work on the following subjects:
a) Exploiting algal biomass for biotechnological application (extraction of biofuels, wastewater bioremediation, production of functional ingredients)
b) The biodeterioration of Cultural Heritage: characterization of the microorganisms responsible for the process and development of new non-invasive strategies for their conservation

Laboratory location: Drug Discovery Unit, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Building PP1, II floor. Mentor: Dr. AntonellaRagnini-Wilson

Thesis project title : Development of a central nervous system axonal myelination assay for studying the molecular machinery and temporal/spatial behaviour of OPCs during axon engagement

Regeneration of new Central nervous system myelin is an important goal in multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy management. Lack of remyelination leaves neurons unable to function properly and therefore are subjected to degeneration. Current MS therapies attempt to ameliorate autoimmune-mediated demyelination, but none directly promote the regeneration of damaged myelin of the central nervous system (CNS). Development of new drugs that stimulate remyelination has been hampered so far by the inability to evaluate axonal myelination in a rapid CNS culture system (Lariosa‑Willingham et al. 2016, BMC Neurosci). We previously established an high throughput cell-based assay, based on immortalised oligodendrocyte cell culture, and successfully identified compounds that promote myelination using phenotypical screen and a library of 1200 bioactive FDA-approved compounds (Porcu et al., Plos One 2015). The hit drugs were validated by others for their efficacy in remyelination at toxically-induced demyelinated CNS lesions and shown to rescue disease score in EAE (Najm et al., 2015) and NeuromyelitisOptica animal models (Yao et al., 2016). We now want to go a step further and in collaboration with a group focused in tissue repairing we are developing a cell based assay using a nanofibers supports prepared using bioinert polystyrene (PS) that will allow to study the molecular machinery and temporal/spatial behaviour of OPCs during axon engagement as well as to identify compounds promoting this late step of myelination. We currently search motivated and hardworking master degree student aiming at achieving the best from their thesis laboratory work and sharing with us the interest to rapidly reach the final goal.

In case of interest please contact : , object: Master Thesis request