Ricerc@Sapienza

With Katerina Guschanski (University of Edinburgh) and Mary Anne Tafuri (Sapienza University) we are using ancient DNA extracted from dental calculus of classical and post-classical individuals dating to I-VIII century CE, to gain novel insights into the diets, health statuses, and origins of human populations that lived in central Italy.

We are using the metabarcoding tecnique on sedimentary DNA (sedDNA) from three volcanic Italian lakes: Lago Grande di Monticchio, Lago di Nemi, and Lago di Martignano. At Monticchio, we have already identified over 90 plant taxa from a long sediment core covering the period from 1.4 to 31 thousand years before present. To maximize our results, we have developed new strategies to improve DNA extraction from mineral-adsorbed samples and counteract PCR inhibition. We are also testing new probes designed to capture short plant DNA sequences using shotgun sequencing.

Within the Marine Ecology and Biology Lab, this research team is focused on marine mammals’ ecology, behaviour, acoustics and conservation, as well as on noise in the marine environment, and the impact of noise on marine mammals.

Competencies of the Group of Marine Ecology and Biology 

Il Laboratorio di Ecologia e Biologia Marina è una struttura afferente al Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale che si avvale delle competenze multidisciplinari del Dott. Daniele Ventura, del Dott. Andrea Belluscio, del Dott. Edoardo Casoli, della Dott.ssa Daniela Silvia Pace  e del Prof. G.D. Ardizzone.

Il gruppo svolge attività di ricerca di base e di tipo applicativo/sperimentale, finalizzate a comprendere i processi biologici ed ecologici che governano le comunità bentoniche marine, il loro sfruttamento, e gli impatti dalle attività antropiche e del cambiamento climatico.