PhD Student: Giacomo Mantegazza (ORCID n. 0000-0002-0936-1211)
Supervisor: Simone Guglielmetti, DeFENS
Dean: Prof. Diego Mora
Research area: Food Science and Nutrition
PhD title achieved on: 11st January 2024
Research topic
Foods as reservoir of novel starter, probiotic and human commensal microorganisms: ecology, molecular and functional characterization, and impact on host health
Project Synopsis
The scope of my research is to characterise and compare microbial communities associated with different commercially available rocket salad products, in order to verify whether farming and processing methods are affecting the microbial load diversity. A complete antibiotic resistance profile will be produced, and a library of selected lactic acid bacteria will be created to eventually design a novel and reinforced RTE salad. This project will then investigate the role that modern dietary regimens – with little fermented foods and large quantities of highly processed goods – might play in the increasing incidence of autoimmune diseases and allergic disorders. The basis for a new branch of research on microorganisms and their importance in daily food intake will therefore be set.
Project keywords
Microbiology, Ready-To-Eat Food, Lactic Acid Bacteria, Microbial Ecology.
Contacts
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Science (DeFENS)
Division of Food Microbiology and Bioprocesses
Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
Giacomo.mantegazza@unimi.it
Sponsor
Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano
Publications
Taverniti V., Marengo M., Fuglsang E., Skovsted H. M., Arioli S., Mantegazza G., Gargari G., Iametti S., Bonomi F., Guglielmetti S. & Frøkiær H. (2019) Surface Layer of Lactobacillus helveticus MiMLh5 Promotes Endocytosis by Dendritic Cells. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 85(9):e00138-19; doi: 10.1128/AEM.00138-19
Gargari G., Mantegazza G., Taverniti V., Del Bo’ C., Bernardi S., Andres-Lacueva C., González-Domínguez R., Kroon P.A., Winterbone M.S., Cherubini A., Riso P., Guglielmetti S. (2021) Bacterial DNAemia is Associated with Serum Zonulin Levels in Older Subjects. Scientific Reports, 11, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90476-0
Marino M., Del Bo’ C., Tucci M., Mantegazza G., Taverniti V., Møller P., Riso P. & Porrini M. (2021) A Mix of Chlorogenic and Caffeic Acid Counteracts Lipid Accumulation and Downregulates C/EBPβ and PPAR-γ Gene Expression in Macrophages. European Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02714-w.
Posters:
Dalla Via A., Mantegazza G., Gardana C., Licata A., Karp M. & Guglielmetti S. Fermented soy drink with enhanced estrogenic activity. 6th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota, Porto, PT (2018).
González-Rodriguez M. I., Mantegazza G., Kummola L., Salomaa T., Pesu M. & Junttila I. S. Neutrophils characterization in Furin KO animals. British Society for Immunology Congress, Liverpool, UK (2019).
Marino M., Tucci M., Taverniti V., Mantegazza G., Riso P., Porrini M. & Del Bo’ C. Role of chlorogenic and caffeic acid in the modulation of THP-1 adhesion to endothelial cells and lipid accumulation in macrophages. Macrophages and dendritic cells in infection and inflammation 34th annual conference, Aarhus, DK (2020)
Mantegazza G. Ready-to-Eat Foods as a Vehicle of Microorganisms in the Microbial Deprivation Hypothesis. First Virtual (XXV) workshop on the developments in the Italian PhD Research on food science, technology and biotechnology (University of Palermo, Italy), September 2021.
Oral presentation:
Mantegazza G., Dalla Via A., Licata A., Gardana C., Gargari G., Arioli S., Taverniti V., Karp M., Guglielmetti S. Use of kefir-derived soy-adapted lactic acid bacteria for the preparation of a fermented soy drink with increased estrogenic activity. Novel approaches to the food-health relationship: from molecules to sociotypes. Lake Como School of Advanced Studies, 19-22 October 2021