PhD in Biological Sciences and Applied Biotechnologies

Contacts

Supervisor

Research activities

Green processes for the management and the valorisation of freshwater ecosystems

My PhD started on February 2023 in the framework of a NRRP project called Green technologies and sustainable industries. The project is based on Circular Economy principles, and the goals are the reduction, valorisation and reutilisation of wastes, the implementation of green processes and the preservation of natural capital. Given the goals of the NRRP project, my aim is to apply Circular Economy principles to freshwater ecology aspects.

1. Ecological status assessment

The objective is to contribute to a more accurate river bioassessment framework, by growing the knowledge in region-specific autecological data. I am working on the assessment of the autecology of benthic diatoms in the Po River District and on thresholds corresponding to the “good” ecological status of rivers, based on nutrients.

2. Wastewater bioremediation using microalgae strains, with a particular focus on diatom species

I am testing the capability of selected freshwater diatom strains to remove pollutants from water, particularly nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) and heavy metals (arsenic).

3. Invasive alien species management 

I am studing the spread of invasive alien species Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) H.St.John in the nearby of Turin and evaluating new management and biomass valorisation strategies, thanks to the project RiparianEye - Biomass.

Publications