In 2023 I decided to post publicly a summary of my scientific activities. I know that this comes really late and I should have been started much earlier, but the lack of time during my post doc years made it very difficult. I was inspired by many other great scientists and the idea is to use this to benefit both myself, as it bring into focus what I’ve been spending my time, and whoever might be interested in my researching or in pursuing in a career in the same field. Also, since my research is mostly funded with taxpayers money and I try to be transparent about it.
In 2024 I organized at the European Geophysical Union (EGU) General Assembly the session “Soil microbial responses to environmental stress and climate change”.
Co-organizer of a field sampling campaign in Styria (Austria), as part of a large climate change experiment (ClimGrass), lead by Prof. Andreas Richter (Vienna) as well as carried and supervised the laboratory work. Analysed several samples for PLFA specific 2H and 13C content for a project in collaboration with Francesca Cotrufo (Colorado State University, USA).
I was awarded the prestigious grant Rita Levi Montalcini for young researchers.This award is given to talented italian young researcher to re-enter the italian academic system based on a competitive evaluation of a project proposal. Unfortunately I have renounced as this award was given after I received an ERC Starting Grant from the European Union.
I contributed to 2 published papers and 4 manuscript in the preparation phase (2 were submitted, with one almost accepted and one desk-rejected). I published two papers as co-author in Geoderma (on ow soil cover shapes organic matter pools and microbial communities in soils of maritime Antarctica) and Global Change Biology (on how N fertilization affect microbial life history strategies).
Reviewed 5 manuscripts for international peer-reviewed journals (Ecology Letters, Nature Climate Change, Nature Communications). Served as Associate Editor for the journal Ecology and Evolution and edited 4 peer-reviewed manuscripts. (March 2024)
In June I visited my previous laboratory host in Kyoto (Hirokazu Toju), where I gave a seminar and update on their current research status. In august my son was born and I took a long parental leave. I also started to set up my new laboratory in Bologna.
In 2023 I organized and was main convener of the European Geophysical Union (EGU) General Assembly, for the session “Responses of soil biota to land use, environmental stress and climate change”. At the same conference I was also the Invited speaker for the session “Soils and Climate Change” with a talk on the title “Effects of multiple climate change factors and their seasonal variation on the soil microbial community and its functions”. I also presented a poster about the research project I have conducted in Japan and contributed to 4 other presentation, all in the same conference, as well as contribution to talks at 4 more presentations in 2 other international conferences.
Co-organizer of a field sampling campaign in Styria (Austria), as part of a large climate change experiment (ClimGrass), lead by Prof. Andreas Richter (Vienna) as well as carried and supervised the laboratory work. Contributed to the planning of a laboratory incubation of samples collected from a long-term warming experiment in Iceland (ForHot). Contributed to the planning of a laboratory incubation of samples collected from deep soil in a tropical forest in Congo. Contributed to sample processing and data analysis of a project regarding drought and warming, led by the University of Hohenheim (Germany). Analysed RNA sequencing data from my project carried in Japan between 2020-2022. Worked on a number of side projects in collaborators with master students and colleagues, including: (i) measuring microbial growth rates in intact soil cores; (ii) effects of nitrogen fertilization on the contribution to soil carbon from microbial necromass.
Awarded an ERC Starting Grant 2023 to the effects of recurrent drought events on soil microbial communities (PI). Wrote two grants applications (FIS 2023 and ERC Starting Grant 2024), which I withdrawn after receiving the news of the ERC 2023. I wrote a report for my JSPS (Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science) funded project on the role of endophytici fungi in carbon to nitrogen exchange with plants. I applied and won a Tenure Track position at the University of Torino (withdrawn after obtaining the ERC Starting Grant).
During 2023 I contributed to 7 published papers, 1 pre-print, 1 book chapter and 4 manuscript in preparation phase. I published two papers as senior author in Soil Biology and Biochemistry, on modelling nitrite in soil and on a methodological advancement in using lipid derived fatty acid from soil microbial biomass. I published a paper on the use of qSIP to measure microbial growth rates affected by climate change, published in Nature Communications (corresponding author). A paper on the effect of fertilization management on soil carbon in sub-saharian Africa published in Global Change Biology (corresponding author). Published a paper on alternative stable states in microbial communities in the journal Microbiome (corresponding author). Published two papers on microbial interactions in Frontiers in Microbiology (corresponding author). Published a book chapter in the reknown Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment about Climate change impacts on soil biology (first author). Published a pre-preint on drought effects on microbial growth dynamics as well as submitted the manuscript for peer-review (first author).
Reviewed 12 manuscript for international peer-reviewed journals and 1 proposal for an Italian funding agencies (Research Südtirol/Alto Adige, Proposal). Served as Associate Editor for the journal Ecology and Evolution and edited 10 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Taught the course “Soil Ecology and Biogeochemistry”, with about 25 enrolled students.Co-supervisor of 1 PhD Student, 3 Master students and 1 Undergraduate students at the University of Vienna.
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Obtained the Italian Ministry of Education and Research habilitation to serve as Associate Professor in Ecology (ASN II Fascia)