Applied Biotechnology

Specific mission

The “Applied biotechnology research” team belonging to the MuSyChEn group, carries out specific research activity in the fields of applied microbiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of proteins and nucleic acids.
The main topics in the applied microbiology field are:

I) valorisation of agri-food industry waste and by-products by means of biomacromolecules extraction and microbial fermentation;

II) development of antimicrobial susceptibility tests for the characterization of natural compounds;

III) isolation and cultivation of microorganisms from environmental and food matrices ;

IV) fermentations for the production of microbial biomass, biomacromolecules, and building blocks;

V) development of microcosms to study biodegradation processes;

VI) development of sensors to monitor food borne mycotoxigenic microorganisms.

The main topics in the biochemistry and molecular biology fields are:

I) characterization of proteins for the production of protein-based films;

II) kinetic studies of enzyme biodegradation;

III) extraction of nucleic acids and proteins from waste biomass;

IV) characterization of nucleic acids and proteins;

V) development and characterization of DNA and RNA encapsulated in different matrices.

Main research topics

  1. Development of green methods for biomacromolecules extraction.
  2. Valorisation processes applied to agri-food industry waste and by-products: I) biomacromolecules extraction and purification by means of green processes; II) fermentation processes for the production of bioplastics, organic acids, and antioxidant molecules.
  3. Microcosm studies for the optimization of biodegradation processes (biostimulation, bioaugmentation, mycoremediation)
  4. Monitor and control of the microbial deterioration in libraries and archives.
  5. Assessment and management of the microbial deterioration of flood-damaged paper.
  6. Essential oils application to control biodeteriogenic microorganisms.
  7. Set-up of methods for antimicrobial susceptibility applying surrogate microorganisms.
  8. Production of films with antimicrobial properties to be applied in the medical and food fields.
  9. Set-up of systems for nucleic acid-based drug delivery.
  10. Development of microcosms for the evaluation of mycotoxin production.

Main partnerships

  • CNR - IMAMOTER  Institute for Agricultural Mechanization Sciences and for Earth-Moving Machinery and Off-Road Vehicles
  • CREA – IT Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics - Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing
  • UPO – DISIT Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation
  • UNITO – Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology
  • UNITO - Department of Chemistry 
  • BRAF - Biorefineries Fed with Residual Biomasses
  • POLITO-PREP  Health and Safety Services Unit
  • POLITO – DISAT Department of Applied Science and Technology: POLYMAT, Polymeric Materials group and SMAC, Supercritical fluid and MAterials Chemistry group.
  • POLITO – DIATI , Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering - Applied Geophysics area and Environmental Sanitary Engineering area.
  • UNIPV - Department of Drug Sciences
  • CNR-ISP - Institute for the Sustainable Plant Protection
  • Vellore Institute of Technology – School of Civil Engineering

Projects and publications

Reference laboratories