Research Lines: MD.P01.020.001 – Biodispositives and Biomolecules
People: Paolo Gualtieri, Laura Barsanti, Lorenzo Birindelli

• Investigation of light-induced cell aggregation of Euglena gracilis for economically feasible biofuel production.
• Completion of the analysis and sequencing of Euglena gracilis transcriptome for the identification of rhodopsin-coding genes, with the aim of making bio-electronic devices consisting of bi- and three-dimensional films of photoreceptive proteins.
• Updating of algae database based on their morpho-spectroscopic characterization by means of an automated recognition system already set up by our group, for monitoring noxious species in water intended for human consumption.
• Set-up of a lab-scale plant for the treatment of dairy wastewater by means of a non-photosynthetic unicellular alga, aimed at reducing the high organic load to meet the limits imposed for indirect discharge in public sewage plants.
• Screening of algal metabolites such as b-glucan and … for their utilization as bioactive compounds and biofuels.
• Investigation of the possibility to use b-glucans to reduce water consumption in crop production.
• Synthesis of new materials obtained by mixing waste material from marble processing with bio-polysaccharides.