PhD student profile, Lorenzo Vergani

PhD Student: Lorenzo Vergani

Tutor: Prof. Sara Borin, DeFENS

Dean: Prof. Francesco Bonomi

Research area: Agri-Environment

PhD title achieved on: 21^st December 2017

Research topic

Plant, insect and soil microbiome: characterization and biotechnological exploitation

Project Synopsis

The objective of my PhD project is the study of prokaryotic communities associated to spontaneous plants growing on PCBs polluted soils, to depict their diversity in term of phylogeny and functionality (i.e. degradation potential toward PCBs). The perspective is to find and exploit new microbial resources and positive plant-bacteria interactions to set up biotechnological strategies enhancing reclamation of polluted soils.

Project keywords

environmental microbiology, rhizoremediation, soil reclamation

Contacts

DeFENS, via Mangiagalli 25, 3^rd floor; tel. 02 503 19117; lorenzo.vergani@unimi.it

Collaborations

Ente regionale per i servizi all’agricoltura e alle foreste (ERSAF)

Sponsor

Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano

Publications

Vergani L, Mapelli F, Zanardini E, Terzaghi E, Di Guardo A, Morosini C, Raspa G, Borin S. 2016. “Phyto-rhizoremediation of polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated soils: an outlook on plant-microbe beneficial interactions”. Science of the Total Environment. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.218

Other:

Vergani L. “Pollutant profiles drive spatial pattern of soil bacterial communities” Cortona Procarioti 2016. Cortona, Italy 1 May 2016. Oral presentation.

Vergani L, Mapelli F, Marasco R, Chouaia B, Di Guardo A, Zanardini E, Armiraglio S, Daffonchio D, Borin S. “Microbial facilitators for phytoremediation in PCB polluted soil”. XXI Workshop on the Developments in the Italian PhD Research on Food Science Technology and Biotechnology, Portici (NA) 14-16 September 2016. Poster.

Mapelli F, Vergani L, Marasco R, Chouaia B, Fusi M, Di Guardo A, Raspa G, Zanardini E, Morosini C, Armiraglio S, Anelli S, Nastasio P, Sale V M, Daffonchio D, Borin S. “Spatial pattern of bacterial diversity in a site with mixed and uneven contamination, and assessment of rhizoremediation potential”. BAGECO13 Conference, Milan 14-18 June 2015 and Rhizosphere 4 Conference, Maastricht 21-25 June 2015. Poster.