Phd in ENVIRONMENTAL AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

email: alessio.valletta@uniroma1.it
phone: 0649912394
building: Botanica
room: 33

Prof. Alessio Valletta earned a Degree in Natural Sciences with honours from the University Sapienza of Rome. He earned a PhD in Plant Sciences with excellent judgment, and it is currently University Professor in the Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD) BIO/01 (General Botany).
He taught from 2007 to 2012 General Environmental and Botany (2.5 CFU) in the bachelor's degree programme in Techniques of Accident Prevention in the Workplace (Faculty of Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome); since 2008, he taught Botany and Plant Diversity in the bachelor's degree programme in Biological Sciences (Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome); from 2016 he teaches Plant Biology within the teaching of Animal and Plant Biology (9 CFU, bachelor's degree programme in Technologies for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome); since 2018 he teaches General Botany (9 CFU, bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences, Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the Sapienza University of Rome).
It carries out its research activities in the Department of Environmental Biology, University Sapienza of Rome. His research activity has mainly focused on the study of plant growth and development, employing cyto-histological, biochemical, molecular, and in vitro techniques. He also studied the isolation and characterization of bioactive molecules both in crop and medicinal plants. He carried out several studies on stimulating the production of antitumor, antifungal and antioxidant compounds, using different in vitro systems, such plant cell and organ cultures. His research was also focused to the study of the biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites and their regulation mechanisms using biochemical and molecular approaches and to the study of the interactions between primary and secondary metabolic pathways through metabolomic approach. Recently, he begun to be interested in the application of nanobiotechnology as a new integrated crop management strategy aimed to obtain food products free of pesticide residues and/or contaminants.
He published 42 full papers in peer-reviewed international journals, 1 paper in an Italian journal Informatore Botanico, 1 full paper in the Italian journal Caesiana specialized in orchidology; he has also contributed presentations to 50 congresses. He has collaborated as a graphic designer and co-author to the creation of university textbooks: “General Botany and Plant Diversity”, whose first edition was published in 2008, the second in 2010, by the publisher Piccin (Padua) and “Plant Cell Biology and Biotechnology”, whose first edition was published in 2010 by the publisher Piccin (Padova). In 2010, he worked as a co-author to the creation of the text: “The Ex-Situ Conservation of
Biodiversity and Wild Plant Species Grown in Italy”, published by ISPRA (Institute for Environmental Protection and Research). He has been awarded four times (in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2020) of the “Prize for Excellent University Teaching” by the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the University of Rome Sapienza.
by the publisher Piccin (Padua) and PLANT CELL BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, whose first edition was published in 2010 by the publisher Piccin (Padova). He has also worked as a co-author to the creation of the text: THE EX SITU CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND WILD PLANT SPECIES GROWN IN ITALY, published by ISPRA (Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) in 2010. In 2014 for the first time, in 2017 for the second time, and in 2018 for the third time he was awarded the PRIZE FOR EXCELLENT UNIVERSITY TEACHING by the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the University of Rome Sapienza.