StaffLaura Morello


Informations



E-mail
morello@ibba.cnr.it

Phone
+39 0223699441

Office
Milano

Research area
BIOTEC, QUALY, BIOGEN


ORCID: 0000-0002-8854-1770
Google Scholar: Profile
Research Gate: Laura Morello
Scopus Author ID: 6701463650

Morello Laura

Researcher

Education

1987-1989: PhD in Biotechnology, State University of Milan

1981-1986: Degree in Biological Science, State University of Milan

Professional experience

2004 – Present: Staff Scientist, IBBA-CNR

2001-2004 – Post-Doc IBBA-CNR, Lab Dr. D. Breviario. Innovative selection systems for transgenic plants; role of introns in gene expression

1997-2001 – Post-Doc. fellow, Sez. Botanica Università degli Studi di Milano, Lab Prof F. Sala. Studies on coding and regulatory tubulin gene sequences expressed in transgenic rice plants

1997 – Marie Curie Fellowship John Innes Centre – Norwich, UK – Lab P. Christou. Transgenic plant production through biolistic transformation.

1990-96 – Post-Doc IBBA-CNR, Lab Dr. D. Breviario. Calcium-dependent Protein kinases (CDPK) and signal transduction in plant cells

1986-90 Research fellow AIRC, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lab Prof. E. Sturani. Signal transduction in normal and transformed mammalian cells.  Phosphorylation of growth factor receptors

Research interests

  • Plant gene expression: transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation;  role of introns; Intron-mediated expression (IME).
  • Plant tubulin gene family: gene redundancy, gene duplication, exon-intron organisation, selective expression, evolution
  • Antimicrotubular agents: effects in plant and algal cells, interactions with tubulin. Growth inhibition of the pathogenic microalga Prototheca spp. by chemical and natural substances.
  • Plant biodiversity: plant species fingerprinting through genetic profiling based on tubulin intron length polymorphisms (TBP). Molecular authentication of plants and their products.
  • Food authentication: Genetic identification of plant and animal species in food matrices. Qualitative and quantitative determination.
  • Molecular taxonomy: delimitation of species and clones in the duckweed (Lemnaceae) family. Speciation through intra ed interspecific hybridization

Projects in progress

Genotyping of the Landolt Duckweed Collection
Start date: 01/08/2021   End date: 31/07/2024

Landolt Duckweed Collection

Milano
Laura Morello

Project duration:
01/08/2021 - 31/07/2024
Financing body:
Landolt Duckweed Collection
Project research leader:
Laura Morello
Headquarters:
Milano

Genotyping of the Landolt Duckweed Collection


The project is aimed at the genotyping, through plastid and nuclear molecular markers (TBP), of the whole collection of small aquatic macrophytes (Lemnaceae) known under the name of Landolt Duckweed Collection and currently managed by Dr Lammler in Zurich. This historical collection, the largest in Europe, includes about 500 clones of the 36 known duckweed species, coming from five continents. Accessions have been mostly characterized on a morphological basis, which may cause a high rate of misclassifications in some species, owing to the simplified structure of these tiny plants and the high similarity between some species.

Since long used as environmental bioindicators, duckweeds and renowned for their phytoremediation capacity. Due to their extraordinary fast growth, duckweeds are one of the most promising new crops, under intensive study for energy production and as a source of high quality proteins for animal and human nutrition, already under evaluation as a novel food by EFSA.

Results will be useful to:

  • ascertain the classification of all clones, many of which are under study in many laboratories worldwide
  • evaluating inter and intraspecific biodiversity
  • contribute to duckweed taxonomy
  • understanding duckweed evolution.

Projects completed

BIO-ECO "Bioeconomy”
Start date: 01/01/2020   End date: 31/12/2021

MIUR

Milano, Pisa, Roma
Anna Paola Casazza

Project duration:
01/01/2020 - 31/12/2021
Financing body:
MIUR
Project research leader:
Anna Paola Casazza
Headquarters:
Milano, Pisa, Roma

BIO-ECO "Bioeconomy”


The BIO-ECO project, coordinated by the Department of Biology, Agriculture and Food Sciences of CNR, involves a multi-disciplinary team of researchers belonging to nine Institutes spread all over the country. IBBA activities cover:

  • efficient use of natural resources and improvement of photosynthesis / resistance and tolerance of crop plants to abiotic stress (WP2);
  • development and application of agricultural decision support systems (WP3);
  • production of bioactive molecules from plants, microbes and plant cell cultures (WP4);
  • aquatic freshwater plants and microalgae as alternative food sources (WP7).
FilAgro – Innovative and sustainable strategies for the agri-food chain
Start date: 05/08/2013   End date: 31/10/2015

Regione Lombardia

Milano, Lodi
Diego Breviario

Project duration:
05/08/2013 - 31/10/2015
Financing body:
Regione Lombardia
Project research leader:
Diego Breviario
Headquarters:
Milano, Lodi

FilAgro – Innovative and sustainable strategies for the agri-food chain


The FILAGRO project aims to provide solutions to several issues that are emerging in the field of modern agriculture. They concern: production sustainability, biodiversity and environment preservation; improvement in food quality, safety and healthy and nutritional aspects; technology development in favor of industry; new knowledge dissemination. These issues are highlighted as of high importance in the EXPO 2015 and Horizon 2020 programs as well as in the 2013-2015 plan of the Agriculture Directorate of the Lombardy Region.

RABoLa - Sustainable strategies to reduce the use of antibiotics in dairy farming
Start date: 28/12/2018   End date: 27/06/2022

Regione Lombardia

Milano, Lodi   Website

Paola Cremonesi, Laura Morello

Project duration:
28/12/2018 - 27/06/2022
Financing body:
Regione Lombardia
Project research leader:
Paola Cremonesi, Laura Morello
Headquarters:
Milano, Lodi
Project website:
Website

RABoLa - Sustainable strategies to reduce the use of antibiotics in dairy farming


The project, which involves different departments of the University of Milan (DISAA, DIMEVET, VESPA), researchers from the CNR ISPA and CNR IBBA and the DIANA Department of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza, aims the primary identification of operative practices for reducing the use of antibiotics in the dairy cow herds. During the study, operative protocols already preliminary tested (administration of Aloe arborescens, use of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris in pre and post dipping, molecules to inhibit Prototheca spp) will be validated during the entire lactation cycle of the cows.

This project will allow breeders to take advantages of new nutraceutical strategies and alternatives to the use of antibiotics, to enhance the innate defences and reduce the incidence and severity of mastitis. The validation of an effective protocol for the selective drying of animals would lead to a reduction of the preventive use of antibiotics, in line with what is requested at European level.

BIO-MEMORY
Start date: 15/10/2021   End date: 15/02/2024

CNR

Milano, Lodi, Pisa, Roma
Flavia Pizzi, Aldo Ceriotti

Project duration:
15/10/2021 - 15/02/2024
Financing body:
CNR
Project research leader:
Flavia Pizzi, Aldo Ceriotti
Headquarters:
Milano, Lodi, Pisa, Roma

BIO-MEMORY


The project is organized in 3 main activities:

1) Implementation and updating of the BioGenRes network of biobanks, with a focus on nationally/internationally recognized collections of animal, plant or microorganism species samples (animal and plant germplasm banks, microbial strain libraries of pathogenic/toxigenic organisms, nematodes, soil and water microflora and microorganisms used in agro-industry and food (e.g. microbial starters for fermentations)).

2) Replication (rejuvenation) and expansion of material stored in collections. For plant and microbial collections: multiplication of accessions for which a small amount of material is available and rejuvenation of accessions whose seed viability data are below the expected standards (> 85%). For animal collections of zootechnical interest: collection and freezing of genetic material of local breeds to complete sampling carried out in previous projects or expansion of the number of species and breeds stored in cryobanks.

3) Biochemical, molecular, metabolic, functional and phenotypic characterization of the material conserved in the biobanks of the BioGenRes network, also in order to carry out association studies and to identify markers associated with traits linked to production and/or adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress factors.

VELICA - From ancient material crops and products for the future
Start date: 01/01/2011   End date: 31/12/2013

Regione Lombardia

Milano
Incoronata Galasso

Project duration:
01/01/2011 - 31/12/2013
Financing body:
Regione Lombardia
Project research leader:
Incoronata Galasso
Headquarters:
Milano

VELICA - From ancient material crops and products for the future


The project aims to study the possible re-introduction of traditional crops on the Lombardia territory such as hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), making their cultivation profitable again through the use of all the bioproducts obtainable from the various parts of the plant, eg: oil extracted from seeds, fiber, proteins, metabolites. In addition, the project also plans to enhance all the residues of the various transformations of hemp and flax, creating a range of bioproducts of considerable interests.

sPATIALS3 - Improvement of agrifood productions and innovative technologies for a safer and more secure and sustainable nutrition
Start date: 01/02/2020   End date: 31/10/2022

Regione Lombardia

Milano, Lodi   Website

Francesca Sparvoli

Project duration:
01/02/2020 - 31/10/2022
Financing body:
Regione Lombardia
Project research leader:
Francesca Sparvoli
Headquarters:
Milano, Lodi
Project website:
Website

sPATIALS3 - Improvement of agrifood productions and innovative technologies for a safer and more secure and sustainable nutrition


sPATIALS3 is a technological and research hub involving 12 CNR Institutes belonging to 4 different Departments and 4 companies. Main objectives will be: obtainment of innovative food products improved for their nutritional and functional properties; provision and implementation of precision technologies to guarantee products quality, safety and traceability; development of innovative and eco-sustainable smart– and active-packaging to minimize and reuse wastes, where possible, and to increase food preservability; provision to consumers and producers of tools for results exploitation.

Ticino Park Producers
Start date: 04/04/2019   End date: 03/08/2019

Camera di Commercio di Lodi, Milano e Monza

Milano   Website

Diego Breviario

Project duration:
04/04/2019 - 03/08/2019
Financing body:
Camera di Commercio di Lodi, Milano e Monza
Project research leader:
Diego Breviario
Headquarters:
Milano
Project website:
Website

Ticino Park Producers


Genetic authentication, done by the use of the FOODCODE platform, of the products of both plant and animal origin produced by the Consorzio dei produttori agricoli del Parco del Ticino. Data base construction and implementation. Release of a product specific QRcode and of a “DNA tested” label that guarantees the analysis   
FHfFC - Future Home for Future Communities
Start date: 01/01/2017   End date: 31/12/2018

Regione Lombardia

Milano   Website

Diego Breviario

Project duration:
01/01/2017 - 31/12/2018
Financing body:
Regione Lombardia
Project research leader:
Diego Breviario
Headquarters:
Milano
Project website:
Website

FHfFC - Future Home for Future Communities


Development of a genetic authentication method capable of discerning the animal species, including fish, in products sold in the market. Species identification is attained by the production of a species-specific DNA barcode, generated by the application of a new version of the TBP (Tubulin-Based-Polymorphism) method.
TBP Analysis
Start date: 01/01/2010   End date: 31/12/2021

Milano
Diego Breviario

Project duration:
01/01/2010 - 31/12/2021

Project research leader:
Diego Breviario
Headquarters:
Milano

TBP Analysis


It’s a service of genetic authentication that applies to the recognition of different animal species and plant species and varieties. The service is offered to University, Research Centres and Companies. The service is based on the analysis and identification of genetic polymorphisms present in the introns  of the genes encoding for beta-tubulin. Each analysis releases a genomic profile, diagnostic of the species or variety analysed. 
FEEDCODE
Start date: 01/01/2012   End date: 31/12/2016

EU REA - Research Executive Agency

Milano   Website

Diego Breviario

Project duration:
01/01/2012 - 31/12/2016
Financing body:
EU REA - Research Executive Agency
Project research leader:
Diego Breviario
Headquarters:
Milano
Project website:
Website

FEEDCODE


A new platform for the genetic identification and quantification of the single plant  species, declared or not, present in animal feed, particularly livestock, had been developed and validated at European level.

SAFE&SMART
Start date: 01/09/2013   End date: 31/07/2017

MIUR

Milano, Lodi   Website

Diego Breviario

Project duration:
01/09/2013 - 31/07/2017
Financing body:
MIUR
Project research leader:
Diego Breviario
Headquarters:
Milano, Lodi
Project website:
Website

SAFE&SMART


TBP (Tubulin –Based-Polymorphism) analyses of several wheat species and varieties of Triticum durum. Development of a panel of molecular probes suitable for wheat species recognition in food.
Istituto

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