Undergraduate and Master's theses ongoing

I became passionate about Geobiology and Astrobiology after the courses I took with Prof. B. Cavalazzi. My main interests are extreme environments and the origins of life from a geobiological point of view, in particular the stromatolites. 

Studies the effect of Martian analogue minerals on the survival of bacteria with a focus on ferroptosis. How microbial model organisms such as Deinococcus radiodurans and E.coli respond to eroded minerals with relevance for Martian regolith composition and with different fractions of iron. The focus will be on achieving an understanding of the types of damage that er inflicted on the cells due to Fenton-type reactions and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are produced due to these reactions. Cell survival will be evaluated both by CFU counts and by plade-reader-based Baclight enumeration of Dead and Life cells. 

His interests are Astrobiology and the habitability of referenced planets or extreme environments as well as biosignatures in extreme environments. Currently he is involved in a research on "Biosignatures and preservation potential in metalliferous mineralizations (Capoliveri, Elba Island)".