Ricerc@Sapienza

Plant cell walls are the first line of defense against pathogen attack and regulate growth under physiological and stress conditions. Plant cells constantly monitor wall integrity to adjust growth and modulate defenses. We have shown that plants with altered pectin composition constitutively express defense responses and are more resistant to infections, but are severely impaired in growth. 

Evolutionary Biology of molluscs, with a focus on: Integrative Taxonomy, Phylogeny, Biogeography, Population genetics/genomics (spatial patterns of variation, divergence rates), Molecular evolution (biochemical drivers of evolution), Microevolutionary processes, Biodiversity (patterns and dynamics), evolutionary developmental biology.