Phd in CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

email: simone.ferrari@uniroma1.it
phone: +39 0649912454
building: CU022 - Botanica
room: 23

Simone Ferrari, Ph.D.
Full Professor in Plant Phisiology, Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Building CU022, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5 00185 Rome
Telephone: +39-0649912454, Fax: +39-0649912446
E-mail: simone.ferrari@uniroma1.it
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1389-2090
SCOPUS ID: 7201818434

EDUCATION

27-3-2002 Research Doctorate in Botanical Sciences obtained at the Department of Plant Biology of the University “La Sapienza”, Rome. Thesis title: “Role of Polygalacturonase-Inhibiting Proteins in the Arabidopsis thaliana-Botrytis cinerea Interaction”.
21-5-1997 Degree in Biological Sciences, Biomolecular Ind., with a score of 110/110 with honors from the University “La Sapienza”, Rome. Thesis title: “Isolation of new Arabidopsis thaliana mutants showing altered root growth direction”.

RESEARCH APPOINTMENTS

2022-present Full Professor in Plant Physiology (BIO/04), “Charles Darwin” Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome.
2017-2022 Associate Professor in Plant Physiology (BIO/04), Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome.
2010-2017 Assistant Professor in Plant Physiology (BIO/04), Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome.
2007-2010 University Researcher in Plant Physiology (BIO/04), Department of Plant Biology, Sapienza University of Rome.
2007 Visiting scientist, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne (Germany)
2004-2007 Assistant Professor in Plant Pathology (AGR/12), Department of Territory and Agro-forestry Systems, University of Padua.
2004 Visiting scientist, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA, USA)
2003 Research fellow, Department of Agrobiology and Agrobiochemistry, University of Tuscia (Viterbo, Italy).
1999-2003 Research fellow in Molecular Biology, Faculty of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA, USA).


Periods of study and research in qualified international research institutions

1-2/2007 Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne (Germany)
7-8/2004 Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (USA)
8/1999-2/2003 Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (USA)

Scholarships

2007 EMBO Short Term Fellowship (ASTF 5-2007) awarded by the European Molecular Biology Organization.
2002 Annual scholarship for research abroad, awarded by the Pasteur Institute-Cenci Bolognetti Foundation.
2001 Annual scholarship for training courses abroad, awarded by the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.
1998-2001 Scholarship for PhD students in Botanical Sciences at the Department of Plant Biology of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

He obtained the National Scientific Qualification in 2014 (2012 round) for the sectors 05/A2 (Prima) and 07/D1 (Prima), with three parameters passed for both bands in both sectors (valid until 31/1/ 2023). On 15-1-20 he obtained the ASN again (2018 round) for sector 05/A2 (First band), valid until 15-1-2029. For the latter you exceeded the three threshold parameters for both candidates and commissioners, according to IRIS simulation.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Over the years, Prof. Ferrari has dealt with various aspects of plant physiology, addressing them with genetic, biochemical and molecular approaches. In particular, the main research topics were the following:

- physiological and molecular mechanisms that regulate the direction of growth of plant organs, with particular attention to the role of auxin in the processes of gravitropism and circumnutation of the root;
- molecular bases of plant defense responses against pathogens, and in particular of the role of protein inhibitors of polygalacturonases and pectic elicitors in resistance to pathogens, and of receptors of the LysM-RLK family in innate immunity of Arabidopsis thaliana;
- role of the cell wall, and in particular of its pectic component, in the growth, development and defense processes of plants;
- development of biotechnological solutions to improve the resistance of plants to pathogenic microorganisms and to increase the efficiency of conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and other products of industrial interest.

1. Research projects funded as coordinator or head of research units
(in brackets: amount assigned to the unit)

2023 Project “ELIA (ELIcitors from Agri-food and algal waste biomasses): bioconversion of waste into products for sustainable crop protection”, Call for Research Projects 2022 - Progetti Medi, Sapienza University of Rome (€10,000)
2023 Project “Multifunctional, innovative and sustainable agri-food production systems for the development of marginal areas”, call National Research Center - Agritech (EU Next-GenerationEU - NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN (PNRR) – MISSION 4 COMPONENT 2, INVESTMENT 1.4 – D.D. 1032 17/06/2022, CN00000022) (€1,121,525) (Co-PI)
2022 RTDA PON
2021 Project n A0375-2020-36720 “Alternative use of agri-food waste in a circular economy context” funded under the 2020 Research Group Projects call (Lazioinnova) (€39,860).
2019 University Project "University Research 2019" n. RM11916B6F156C03 entitled “Priming of defense responses in the trade-off between plant immunity and growth” (Sapienza University of Rome) (€14,500).
2018 Project “Alternative fuels for civil aviation” financed by the National Civil Aviation Authority (€635,560) – national coordinator.
2018 Project “A glocal approach to third generation biorefineries” as part of the competitive project “Network-CIB: Catalysis of Innovation in Biotechnology” financed by MIUR ex Call for financing competitive projects of Inter-university research consortia ex Ministerial Decree 1049 dd 29/12/18 (€15,000).
2018 PON 2017 project “ORIGAMI - Integrated biorefinery for the production of biodiesel from microalgae” financed by MIUR as part of the notice for the presentation of industrial research and experimental development projects in the 12 areas of specialization identified by the PNR 2015-2020, project n. ARS01_00881 (€203,000).
2016 University Project "University Research 2015" n. C26A15CFKE entitled "Role of an Arabidopsis thaliana LysM protein in the innate immunity" (Sapienza University of Rome) (€8,000).
2015 ERA-Net project “SIPIS: Decoding ligand-receptor specificities of LysM-proteins in plant immunity and symbiosis”, presented as part of the ERA-CAPS 2014-second call (€298,900).
2010 University project "University Research 2010" entitled "Improvement of biofuel production through alteration of the pectic component of the plant cell wall" (Sapienza University of Rome) (€31,500).
2009 CRUI-MIUR Funding ITALIAN-BRITISH COLLABORATION FOR YOUNG RESEARCHERS 2009-2010 entitled “Tailoring the composition of cell wall polymers to improve processing of biomass” (CRUI-British Council) (€5,000)
2006 PRIN 2006 project “Molecular bases of basal and induced resistance against Botrytis cinerea in different genotypes of grapevine (Vitis vinifera)” (€60,000)

2. Participation in other research projects

2011 Project “FUELPATH: Exploiting the saccharification potential of pathogenic microorganisms to improve biofuel production from plants”, funded by the European Research Council. Scientific director: Prof. Felice Cervone (Sapienza University of Rome)
2010 Project “BIOMASSVAL: Improvement of the use and digestibility of cultivation residues in relation to conversion into biofuels”, financed by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. Scientific director: Prof. Felice Cervone (Sapienza University of Rome)
2006 Ex-60% Research Program "Properties of polygalacturonases secreted by Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi complex", Scientific director: Prof. Francesco Favaron (University of Padua).
2005 Ex-60% Research Program "Characterization of pg genes of Fusarium species belonging to the G complex

4. Other research funding
2006 Scientific responsible for an agreement with CNR – Institute of Crystallography within the EU Project n. 23044 NUTRA-SNACKS (€50,000)


RESEARCH AGREEMENTS
2022 Identification and characterization of elicitors and biostimulants from agricultural biomass by treatment with basidiomycetes, Monsanto Agricoltura Italia Spa

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
2020 A. Baccarini-Melandri Award awarded by the Italian Society of Plant Biology

PUBLICATIONS AND PATENTS
Bibliometric indexes (according to Scopus)
Overall H-index: 27
Total citations: 3911
Total number of publications: 47, of which ISI: 37.
VQR 2011-14: 3 out of 3 publications presented with maximum score (1.0)
VQR 2015-19: 4 publications presented, 3 evaluated in class A and one in class B (total score: 116/120)

Patents

1. Cervone F, De Lorenzo G, Bellincampi D, Ferrari S, Lionetti V, Salvi G, Francocci, F (2014) “Use of plants with reduced levels of de-esterified homogalacturonan in the cell wall or portions thereof for improving the saccharification of plant biomasses”, US patent n. US8637734B2.
2. Cervone F, De Lorenzo G, Ferrari S, Benedetti M, Pontiggia D (2018) “Fusion protein and transgenic plant expressing said protein”, Sapienza Università di Roma. US patent n.US20180002705A1

EDITORIAL AND REVIEWES ACTIVITIES

- Reviewer for the international journals Genes and Development, Plant Cell, Plant Physiology, The Plant Journal, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Planta, BMC Research Notes, Journal of Plant Physiology, New Biotechnology, New Phytologist, Frontiers in Plant Science.
- Reviewer of research project proposals for the National Science Foundation (USA); BARD - The US-Israel Agricultural Research & Development Fund (Israel); Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France); Austrian Science Fund (Austria); Swiss National Science Foundation; University of Verona.
- Editor of the special issue of Plants “The Role of Cell Wall in Plant Defense" (2020).
- Editor of the special issue of Journal of Pathogens “Molecular and Biochemical Interactions between Plants and Phytopathogenic Fungi and Oomycetes” (2011).
- Editor of the special issue of Phytochemistry honoring Paul G. Bolwell (2014).
- Since 2015 he has been Associate Editor of the journal Frontiers in Plant Science