Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante

National Research Council

Alberto Santini

Interests and present fields of work

• Invasive species. Biogeographic patterns and determinants of invasion by alien forest pathogens in Europe; early detection of invasive pathogens; impact of climate change on pathogens invasion processes
• Host-pathogen-environment interaction. Genetic variability of disease resistance, Mechanisms of resistance to pathogens, mechanisms of disease escape and disease avoidance.
• Genetics of pathogens populations.
• Breeding for resistance to pathogens. Selection of trees resistant to pathogens by controlled crossing and artificial inoculations. Adaptative trials.
• Conservation of genetic resources of endangered species, mainly focus on elm. Studies on adaptative characters connected with resistance to pathogens. Genetic studies on trees marginal endangered populations.

Projects

Patents

Articles and book chapters since 2008

  • 2019 - Complex Insect-Pathogen Interactions in Tree Pandemics - Santini A., Battisti A. - Frontiers in physiology, volume 10
  • 2019 - Comparative transcriptional and metabolic responses of Pinus pinea to a native and a non-native Heterobasidion species - Pepori A.L., Michelozzi M., Santini A., Cencetti G., Bonello P., Gonthier P., Sebastiani F., Luchi N. - Tree physiology, 39: 31-44
  • 2019 - Detection and quantification of the air inoculum of Caliciopsis pinea in a plantation of Pinus radiata in Italy - Botella L., Bačová A., Dvorák M., Kudláček T., Pepori A.L., Santini A., Ghelardini L., Luchi N. - Iforest, 12: 193-198
  • 2019 - Real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplifcation: an early-warning tool for quarantine plant pathogen detection - Aglietti C., Luchi N., Pepori A.L., Bartolini P., Pecori F., Raio A., Capretti P., Santini A. - AMB express, volume 9
  • 2018 - Tracing the role of human civilization in the globalization of plant pathogens - Santini A., Liebhold A., Migliorini D., Woodward S. - The Isme Journal , 12: 647-652
  • 2018 - Temporal patterns of airborne Phytophthora spp. in a woody plant nursery area detected using real-time PCR - Migliorini D., Ghelardini L., Luchi N., Capretti P., Onorari M., Santini A. - Aerobiologia,
  • 2018 - Safeguarding global plant health: the rise of sentinels - Eschen R., O'Hanlon R., Santini A., Vannini A., Roques A., Kirichenko N., Kenis M. - Journal of pest science,
  • 2018 - Duplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of Caliciopsis pinea and Fusarium circinatum in pine samples - Luchi N., Pepori A.L., Bartolini P., Ioos R., Santini A. - Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 102: 7135-7146
  • 2018 - Comparative transcriptional and metabolic responses of Pinus pinea to a native and a non-native Heterobasidion species - Pepori A.L., Michelozzi M., Santini A., Cencetti G., Bonello P., Gonthier P., Sebastiani F., Luchi N. - Tree physiology,
  • 2018 - Il deperimento del frassino – La situazione in Italia - Luchi N., Santini A., Capretti P., Ghelardini L., Maresi G. - Sherwood, 235: 39-42
  • 2018 - Avversità degli alberi e delle foreste - Roversi P.F., Capretti P., Ghelardini L., Sabbatini Peverieri G., MarianelliL., Paoli F., Mazza G., Simoncini S., Pennacchio F., Francardi V., Torrini G., Bastanti G.P., Danti R., Santini A., Turchetti T., Della Rocca G., Luchi N., Guidotti A., Del Nista D., Franchini G., Marziali L., Toccafondi P., Benassai D., Squarcini M., Benesperi F. - in: Rapporto Sullo Stato Delle Foreste In Toscana 2016 , pag. 94-102
  • 2017 - Impact of Non-native Invertebrates and Pathogens on Market Forest Tree Resources - Kenis M., Roques A., Santini A., Liebhold A.M. - Impact of Biological Invasions on Ecosystem Services, 103-117
  • 2017 - Phytophthora nicotianae and P. cryptogea causing gummosis of citrus crops in Tunisia - Boughalleb-M'hamdi N., Benfradj N., Migliorini D., Luchi N., Santini A. - Tropical plant pathology,
  • 2017 - Occurrence of Pythium and Phytopythium species isolated from citrus trees infected with gummosis disease in Tunisia - Benfradj N., Migliorini D., Luchi N., Santini A., Boughalleb-M'Hamdi N. - Archiv für Phytopathologie und Pflanzenschutz, 50: 286-302
  • 2017 - Lights and shadows of a possible strategy to cope with alien and destructive forest pathogens: the example of breeding for resistance to Dutch elm disease in Italy - Pecori F., Ghelardini L., Luchi N., Pepori A.L., Santini A. - Baltic Forestry , 23: 255-263
  • 2017 - Ceratocystis platani is killing plane trees in Istanbul (Turkey) - Lehtijärvi A., Oskay F., Dogmus Lehtijärvi H.T., Aday Kaya A.G., Pecori F., Santini A., Woodward S. - Forest Pathology , e12375
  • 2017 - From the Alps to the Apennines: possible spread of ash dieback in Mediterranean areas - Ghelardini L., Migliorini D., Santini A., Pepori A.L., Maresi G., Vai N., Montuschi C., Carrari E., Feducci M., Capretti P., Luchi N. - Dieback of European Ash (Fraxinus spp.) - Consequences and Guidelines for Sustainable Management, 140-149
  • 2017 - Geosmithia-Ophiostoma: a New Fungus-Fungus Association - Pepori A.L., Bettini P.P., Comparini C., Sarrocco S., Bonini A., Frascella A., Ghelardini L., Scala A., Vannacci G., Santini A. - Microbial Ecology ,
  • 2017 - Ecology of invasive forest pathogens - Ghelardini L., Luchi N., Pecori F., Pepori A.L., Danti R., Della Rocca G., Capretti P., Tsopelas P., Santini A. - Biological Invasions , 1-18
  • 2017 - Canker stain: a lethal disease destroying iconic plane trees - Tsopelas P., Santini A., Wingfield M., De Beer Z.W. - Plant Disease , 101: 645-658
  • 2016 - Risk assessment and reduction options for Ceratocystis platani in the EU - Jeger M., Bragard C., Chatzivassiliou E., Dehnen-Schmutz K., Gilioli G., Miret J.A.J., MacLeod A., Navajas Navarro M., Niere B., Parnell S., Potting R., Rafoss T., Urek G., Van Bruggen A., Van der Werf W., West J., Winter S., Santini A., Tsopelas P., Vloutoglou I., Pautasso M., Rossi V. - EFSA Journal, volume 14
  • 2016 - First Record of Ash Dieback Caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus on Fraxinus excelsior in the Apennines (Tuscany, Italy) - Luchi N., Ghelardini L., Santini A., Migliorini D., Capretti P. - Plant Disease , 100: 535
  • 2016 - Pathogens of introduced trees: prospects for biological control - Woodward S, Santini A., Dogmus T. - Introduced tree species in European forests: opportunities and challenges, 248-259
  • 2016 - Drivers of emerging fungal diseases of forest trees - Ghelardini L., Pepori A.L., Luchi N., Capretti P., Santini A. - Forest ecology and management, 381: 235-246
  • 2016 - Dutch elm disease and elm bark beetles: Pathogen-Insect Interaction - Faccoli M., Santini A. - Vector-Mediated Transmission of Plant Pathogens, 73-86
  • 2016 - Alien Pathogens on the Horizon: Opportunities for Predicting their Threat to Wildlife - Roy H.H., Hesketh H., Purse B.V., Eilenberg J., Santini A., Stentiford G.D., Adriaens T., Bacela-Spychalska K., Bass D., Scalera R., Beckmann K.M., Bessell P., Bojko J., Booy O., Cardoso A.C., Essl F., Harrower C., Kleespies R., Martinou A.F., van Oers M.M., Pergl J., Rabitsch W., Roques A., Schaffner F., Schindler S., Schmidt B.R., Schonrogge K., Smith J., Solarz W., Stroo A., Tricarico E., Turvey K.M.A., Vannini A., Groom Q., Peeler E.J., Stewart A., Vilà M., Woodward S., Wynns A.A., Dunn A.M. - Conservation letters,
  • 2015 - Vie d’ingresso dei patogeni forestali esotici - Santini A., Ghelardini L., Capretti P. - Atti dell'Accademia Nazionale Italiana di Entomologia, 63: 151-517
  • 2015 - Dutch elm disease and elm bark beetles: a century of association - Santini A., Faccoli M. - Iforest, 8:126-134
  • 2015 - Plant pathogen evolution and climate change - Santini A., Ghelardini L. - Perspectives In Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition And Natural Resources ,
  • 2015 - Morphological and molecular characterisation of Geosmithia species on European elms - Pepori A.l., Kolarik M., Bettini P.p., Vettraino A.m., Santini A. - Fungal Biology , 119: 1063-1074
  • 2015 - Hymenoscyphus fraxineus mycelial growth on media containing leaf extracts of different Oleaceae - Carrari E., Capretti P., Santini A., Luchi N. - Forest Pathology , 45: 540-543
  • 2015 - Taxonomic dissimilarity in patterns of interception and establishment of alien arthropods, nematodes and pathogens affecting woody plants in Europe - Eschen R., Roques A., Santini A. - Diversity and Distributions , 21:36-45
  • 2015 - The potential of symptomless potted plants for carrying invasive soilborne plant pathogens - Migliorini D., Ghelardini L., Tondini E., Luchi N., Santini A. - Diversity and distributions, 21:1218-1229
  • 2014 - Widespread horizontal transfer of the cerato-ulmin gene between Ophiostoma novo-ulmi and Geosmithia species - Bettini P.P., Frascella A., Kolarik M., Comparini C., Pepori A.l., Santini A., Scala F., Scala A. - Fungal Biology , 118(8):663-674
  • 2014 - Likelihood of establishment of tree pests and diseases based on their worldwide occurrence as determined by hierarchical cluster analysis - Eschen R., Holmes T., Smith D., Roques A., Santini A., Kenis M. - Forest Ecology And Management , 315:103-111
  • 2014 - Global forest pathogen invasion pathways - Santini A. - International Forestry Review , 16: 21-21
  • 2013 - Functional Roles Of Flavonoids In Photoprotection: New Evidence, Lessons From The Past - Agati G., Brunetti C., Di Ferdinando M., Ferrini F., Pollastri S., Tattini M. - Plant Physiology And Biochemistry , 72:35-45
  • 2013 - Hybridization and introgression between the exotic Siberian elm, Ulmus pumila, and the native Field elm, U. minor, in Italy - Brunet J., Zalapa J.E., Pecori F., Santini A. - Biological Invasions , 15:2717-2730
  • 2013 - Rapid detection of Ceratocystis platani inoculum by quantitative real-time PCR assay - Luchi N., Ghelardini L., Belbahri L., Quartier M., Santini A. - Applied And Environmental Microbiology , 79:5394-5404
  • 2012 - Gli olmi e la grafiosi In Italia: problemi e prospettive - Pecori F., Pepori A., Santini A. - Bullettino Della Società Toscana Di Orticoltura , 1:10-15
  • 2012 - Leptoglossus occidentalis and Diplodia pinea: a new insect-fungus association in Mediterranean forests - Luchi N., Mancini V., Peducci M., Santini A., Capretti P. - Forest Pathology , 42:246-251
  • 2012 - Biogeographical Patterns And Determinants Of Invasion By Forest Pathogens In Europe - Santini A., Ghelardini L., De Pace C., Desprez-loustau M.l., Capretti P., Chandelier A., Cech T., Chira D., Diamandis S., Gaitniekis T., Hantula J., Holdenrieder O., Jankovsky L., Jung T., Jurc D., Kirisits T., Kunca A., Lygis V. , Malecka M., Marcais B., Schmitz S., Schumacher J., Solheim H., Solla A., Szabo I., Tsopelas P., Vannini A., Vettraino A.m., Webber J., Woodward S., Stenlid J. - New Phytologist , 197:238-250
  • 2012 - Olmi A Rapida Crescita - Pecori F., Santini A. - Sherwood , 180:35-39
  • 2011 - Sarcodontia pachyodon: a Canker and White-rot Agent of Plane-trees - Luchi N., Pepori A., Capretti P., Santini A. - Journal Of Phytopathology (1986), 159: 117-119
  • 2011 - Mechanisms governing the responses to anthracnose pathogen in Juglans spp. - Pollegioni P., Van Der Linden G., Belisario A., Gras M., Anselmi N., Olimpieri I., Luongo L., Santini A., Turco E., Scarascia Mugnozza G., Malvolti M.E. - Journal Of Biotechnology , 159(4): 251-264
  • 2011 - ‘Morfeo’ Elm: a new variety resistant to Dutch elm disease - Santini A., Pecori F., Pepori A., Brookes A. - Forest Pathology (Print),
  • 2010 - Genotype × environment interaction and growth stability of several elm clones resistant to Dutch elm disease - Santini A., Pecori F., Pepori A. L., Ferrini F., Ghelardini L. - Forest Ecology And Management , 260:1017-1025
  • 2010 - Bud dormancy release in elm (Ulmus spp.) clones — a case study of photoperiod and temperature responses - Ghelardini L., Santini A., Black-Samuelsson S., Myking T., Falusi M. - Tree Physiology , 30:264-274
  • 2010 - Impact of biological invasions on forest ecosystem services under global change - Santini A., Roques A. - International Forestry Review , 12:187
  • 2009 - New proteins orthologous to cerato-platanin in various Ceratocystis species and the purification and characterization of cerato-populin from Ceratocystis populicola - Comparini C., Carresi L., Pagni E., Sbrana F., Sebastiani F., Luchi N., Santini A., Capretti P., Tiribilli B., Pazzagli L., Cappugi G., Scala A. - Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology , 84:309-322
  • 2009 - Avoidance by early flushing: a new perspective on Dutch elm disease research - Ghelardini L, Santini A. - Iforest, 2:143-153
  • 2008 - Cerato-platanin treated plane leaves restrict Ceratocystis platani growth and overexpress defence-related genes - Fontana F., Santini A., Salvini M., Pazzagli L., Cappugi G., Scala A., Durante M., Bernardi R. - Journal Of Plant Pathology , 90: 295-306
  • 2008 - Un atteso ritorno - Santini A., Ferrini F., Pepori A. - Acer , 24: 47-51
  • 2008 - Breeding against Dutch elm disease adapted to the Mediterranean climate - Santini A., La Porta N., Ghelardini L., Mittempergher L. - Euphytica , 163: 45-56
  • 2008 - Persistence of some pine pathogens in coarse woody debris and cones in a Pinus pinea forest - Santini A., Pepori A., Ghelardini L., Capretti P. - Forest Ecology And Management , 256: 502-506
  • 2008 - Messa a punto di un metodo per l’individuazione di β-1,3- glucanasi e chitinasi attraverso Native PAGE su estratti di piante di Prunus avium L. inoculate con Phytophthora sp. - De Rogatis A., Guerri S., Santini A., Ghelardini L. - Annali Cra , 35: 123-132
  • 2008 - Gli invincibili quattro - Santini A., Ferrini F., Pepori A. - Acer , 24: 53-57