SCHOLARSHIP HOLDER
011.397.7942
publications: Orcid
personal details and research activity: People
Curriculum Vitae
With a solid academic background in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies and a Master’s degree in Plant Biotechnology, I have developed a strong interest in the use of plant systems for the expression of recombinant proteins and the study of virus–host interactions. My research experience has taken place in both national and international contexts, particularly during an Erasmus traineeship at the John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom and a research internship at the CNR – IPSP in Turin.
My scientific work has mainly focused on the expression and purification of structural proteins from Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, forming the basis of my experimental thesis entitled “Role of DNA and capsid protein sequence in the formation of Begomovirus viral particles.” These activities involved the use of agroinfiltration techniques, molecular cloning, and protein extraction, followed by biophysical and biochemical characterization. I also carried out structural analyses of Human papilloma virus (HPV) particles using the same techniques, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), providing useful insights into the formation of viral capsids in planta.
In earlier projects, I contributed to the expression of synthetic gluten proteins, specifically gliadins mutated at defined sites, further strengthening my skills in gene cloning, plasmid manipulation, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation.