Molecular parasitology Laboratory

Referents: Prof. Davide Sassera

Co-workers: Gherard Batisti Biffignandi (collaborator), Greta Bellinzona (postdoc research fellow), Sophie Melis (PhD student), Carlo Croci (PhD student), Michela Vumbaca (PhD student), Luca Erriquez (PhD student), Emanuela Clementi (technician), Adriana Vendramin (fellow), Laura Mottarlini (fellow)

The research activities of the Molecular Parasitology group focus on the study of
interactions between organisms of different species, whether mutualistic,
commensalistic, or parasitic. The aim of our research is to characterize these
systems from a functional and evolutionary perspective, as well as to provide
interpretative bases in turn useful for the control and treatment of infections of
medical/veterinary importance. These studies use an integrated approach, including
experimental and analytical techniques such as genomics, transcriptomics,
bioinformatics (machine learning, protein structure prediction, etc.), molecular
biology, and light and electron microscopy. The main lines of research, divided into
two main thematic areas, are reported below.
 

"Omics" analyses of pathogens and parasites

• Development and application of innovative methods for monitoring arthropod
  vectors (primarily ticks), such as high-troughput molecular screening techniques,
  environmental DNA, metagenomics, and population genomics
• Genomic epidemiology of pathogens and parasites, both prokaryotic (e.g., Borrelia,
  Klebsiella) and eukaryotic (e.g., Candida, Cryptosporidium), aimed at reconstructing
  outbreaks, population structures and evolutionary analyses on factors of virulence
  and resistance

• Development of predictive models and bioinformatics pipelines for bacterial
  genomics, particularly for the prediction of antibiotic resistance determinants,
  reconstruction of epidemic events, and genomic plasticity in the acquisition of
  resistance and virulence factors
   

  Integrated evolutionary analyses of symbiotic bacteria

• Evolutionary origin, dynamics, and molecular-cellular mechanisms involved in the
  symbiosis between the bacterium Midichloria and Ixodidae ticks, particularly focusing
  on their localization within mitochondria
• Origin and evolutionary differentiation of intracellular associations between bacteria
  and eukaryotes, with particular reference to the order Rickettsiales
  (Alphaproteobacteria)
• Origin and evolution of nutritional mutualistic symbioses between bacteria and
  arthropods, such as ticks and mites