Cristina Gonnelli

Biography

Prof. Cristina Gonnelli, born in Florence on 30/01/1972, graduated on 17/07/1996 in Biological Sciences at the University of Florence with 110/110 votes and praise. He then pursued the PhD in Agricultural Biology (XII Cycle) in the years 1996-1999. The final exam of this PhD was supported in Pisa on 17/04/2000 by submitting the thesis titled "Tolerance Strategies in Plant Systems Adapted to Heavy Metal Concentrations" and achieving the title of Doctor of Research with Positive Judgment. Prof. Cristina Gonnelli has been employed at the University of Florence as a researcher in the disciplinary field BIO / 04 "Plant Physiology" on November 1, 2001, undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences. On January 31, 2014, the professorship was awarded the ASN 2012 national qualification as associate professor in the field of competition 05 / A2 (Plant Physiology), disciplinary BIO / 04 (Plant Physiology) and took up service as associate professor in this field on 1 November 2015, always at the University of Florence. Teaching activity From the academic year 2001-2002, for the degree courses in Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Prof. Cristina Gonnelli holds lectures in the BIO / 04 field including both general physiology courses and more specialized courses related to his research activity. For the Degree in Biological Sciences, Natural Sciences and Biotechnology, she has been rapporteur and correlator of numerous Degree Theses, both triennial and master, and has also been a tutor of PhD dissertation. Scientific activity Prof. Cristina Gonnelli (H-index: 18, quotes: 863, November 2015) is author of 42 international publications in impact factor magazines, 3 chapters on international books and 1 on a national book. The research lines of Prof. Cristina Gonnelli concern the study of the physiological and molecular strategies of tolerance and accumulation of heavy metals in the upper plants. Its modeling systems are represented by plants of the Tuscan metallic flora. The great plant diversity of the Tuscan soils, rich in metals for natural causes (especially serpentines) or anthropic, includes both excluditive and hyper-accumulating heavy metals. Both of these species represent biological models of extreme interest in understanding the ecological phenomena involved in adapting to toxic substrates. Naturally-adapted heavy metals are also getting a growing interest, as contamination from soils of metals due to the activities of the ' In particular, Cristina Gonnelli has acquired internationally acknowledged expertise in the study of metal exclusion mechanisms in Silene paradoxa L. and nickel accumulation of Alyssum genera . The role of the root cell wall in limiting the absorption of heavy metals has been studied in analytical and microscopic determination techniques in excluder plants. In addition, the possible function in the metal tolerance of molecules such as metallothionein, phytochelatine and organic acids was clarified through molecular biology methodologies and chromatographic separation. In these excluding plants, the adaptations of the photosynthetic apparatus to the excess of heavy metals and the interaction between biotic and abiotic stress were studied. As for the hyper-accumulating species, The professor studied natural variability in terms of accumulation and tolerance to metals and also extended his interest in the relationships of these plants with the rhizosphere and endophytic microbial community. In both systems, excluding and hyperaccumulative plants, genetic diversity was investigated through the analysis of chloroplastic microsatellites and studies were also conducted on the evolutionary dynamics of the accumulation of slip through analysis of the DNA. The research of Prof. Cristina Gonnelli employs a wide range of investigation techniques, from those of analytical chemistry to those of molecular and genetic biology. It is also interdisciplinary, being connected with pure biology, the environment and chemistry. The professor has promoted an integrated approach to the study of metal tolerance, including both basic and applied research. The activity of Prof. Cristina Gonnelli fits perfectly into the traditional, and for some time validated, research on the Tuscan metallophytes of the University of Florence. At international level, research has attracted increasing interest in the last ten years. Metallophytes undoubtedly represent strategic biological resources in a variety of emerging applications in relation to the recovery of soils and contaminated metals, a topic that represents the applicative aspect of the research of the doctor. Recently, Cristina Gonnelli has also extended her interests to other areas of application, such as the use of plants, both metallic and agronomic, for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles or liposomes of plant origin suitable for drug delivery. La Prof. Cristina Gonnelli svolge attività di revisore per numerosi giornali internazionali ed è stata invitata a partecipare come membro italiano al progetto europeo Cost 837 (WG 2) "Plant biotechnology for the removal of organic pollutants and toxic metals from wastewaters and contaminated sites" ed al progetto europeo Cost 859 (WG 2) "Phytotechnologies to promote sustainable land use and improve food safety". E’ stata membro del comitato organizzatore di congressi "V International Conference on Serpentine Ecology" e "XI International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements". Per quest'ultimo è stata organizzatore e chairman di un simposio dal titolo "Metallophytes: ecophysiology, molecular biology and environmental applications".

Research Interest

Plant Physiology