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Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology - FABIT

Molecular Environmental Microbiology (MEMlab). Coordinator: Cappelletti

To study the genomic, molecular and biotechnological aspects of the microbial interaction with organic and inorganic contaminants and the bacterial response to environmental stress conditions and toxic compounds

Areas: Genomics Industrial, plant and environmental biotechnologies

Research themes

  • Genomic, molecular and metabolic analysis of bacteria of environmental and industrial interest capable of metabolising and/or biotransforming contaminants both in planktonic growth and in the form of biofilms;
  • Omics and functional analyses of microbial strains and microbial communities isolated from natural environments (even extreme ones, e.g. caves, contaminated sites, glaciers) and bioreactors, possessing metabolic capacities of biotechnological interest (e.g. the ability to degrade toxic compounds, accumulate metals, produce bioactive molecules) and involved in processes of bioremediation, bioremediation, bioreaching, and biogeochemical cycles in aquatic and terrestrial environments; 
  • Characterisation of the antibacterial activity of various materials and/or compounds and the bacterial response to associated stress and toxicity.

For more information, visit our website

Lab members

Martina Cappelletti, Associate Professor

Stefano Fedi, Associate Professor

Eva Donini, PhD student

Stefania Di Silvestro, PhD student

Ettore Lopo, PhD Student

Internship projects

2-3 places (per year) are available for Master's and Bachelor's thesis placements:

  • Molecular, functional and omics analyses of bacterial strains capable of transforming toxic organic molecules, resisting toxic metals and producing nanomaterials
  • Characterisation of microbial communities from contaminated and/or extreme environments and isolation of microorganisms for biotechnological applications

  • Analysis of the interaction between microorganisms and metals for the development of antibacterial coatings applicable for the protection of cultural heritage and hospital surfaces

Main publications

  • Ghezzi, D., Foschi, L., Firrincieli, A., Hong, P.Y., Vergara, F., De Waele, J., Sauro, F., Cappelletti, M. (2022) Insights into the microbial life in silica-rich subterranean environments: microbial communities and ecological interactions in an orthoquartzite cave (Imawarì Yeuta, Auyan Tepui, Venezuela). Frontiers in Microbiology 13:930302. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.930302
  • Firrincieli, A., Zannoni, D., Donini, E., Dostálová, H., Rädisch, R., Iommarini, L., Turner, R.J., Busche, T., Pátek, M., Cappelletti, M. (2022) Transcriptomic Analysis of the Dual Response of Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1 to Inorganic Arsenic Oxyanions. Applied Environmental Microbiology 12; 88(7):e0220921. doi: 10.1128/aem.02209-21
  • Pormohammad, A., Firrincieli, A., Salazar-Alemán, D.A., Mohammadi, M., Hansen, D., Cappelletti, M., Zannoni, D., Zarei, M., Turner, R.J. (2023) Insights into the Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nitrate with Potassium Tellurite against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiol Spectr. 11(4):e0062823. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00628-23.
  • Ghezzi, D., Filippini, M., Cappelletti, M., Firrincieli A, Zannoni D, Gargini A, Fedi S (2021) Molecular characterization of microbial communities in a peat-rich aquifer system contaminated with chlorinated aliphatic compounds. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2021). doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-12236-3.
  • Sandri F, Fedi S, Cappelletti M, Calabrese FM, Turner RJ, Zannoni D (2017) Biphenyl Modulates the Expression and Function of Respiratory Oxidases in the Polychlorinated-Biphenyls Degrader Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 Frontiers in Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01223

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