2. Professors
  3. AMBROSONE Alfredo
  4. Curriculum

Curriculum

Alfredo AMBROSONE Curriculum

Alfredo Ambrosone is Associate Professor at the department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno. He completed his PhD in Biotechnology at the University of Naples “Federico II” in 2008. During the PhD programme, he investigated on abiotic stress tolerance in plants through genomics and genetic engineering approaches collaborating with the Institute of Plant Genetics (CNR-IGV, Portici) and with the Department of Soil, Plants and Environmental Science of University of Naples “Federico II”. In 2010 he moved to the Nanobiomolecular group at the Institute of Cybernetics (CNR-ICIB). Here, he investigated the biological response to nanoparticle insults and participate to multidisciplinary projects aimed to develop smart nanocarriers for gene silencing, drug delivery and remote control of signalling pathways. In 2015, he was awarded a Marie Sklodowska Curie Individual Fellowship in the European program for Excellent Science –HORIZON 2020. Additionally, he has been visiting scientist at University of Innsbruck (Austria), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (Germany), Phillips University of Marburg (Germany) and Istituto de Nanociencia de Aragon (Spain).

At the present, his research interests are focused on genetic and molecular aspects controlling plant growth and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in response to environmental stimuli and stresses. Over the recent years, he investigated plant extracellular vesicles to enhance human health and plant protection.

In 2022, he was awarded the National Scientific Qualification for the position of Full Professor in Agricultural Genetics, SSD AGR/07.

Main Projects:

- Coordinator of a Project of Significant National Interest (PRIN) 2022 - The complex role of plant extracellular vesicles: deciphering their secreted molecular messages and bioactivity in interactions with the plant microbiome (secrEVome)

- Coordinator of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship project (2023) - Delivery of Small RNAs by Functional Hydrogel Nanoparticles to Improve Osmotic strEss Tolerance in Plants (DAFNE)

- Principal Investigator of a Project of Significant National Interest (PRIN) 2020- Unravelling the molecular and phenotypic effects of whole genome duplication and its impact on stress adaptation in plants (Genome2)

Team Member, various national projects, including PON Research and Innovation (Ministry of Universities and Research), PSR (Campania Region), and Dynamic Planet-Working Earth.

He is the author of more than 40 scientific publications in international journals and more than 50 scientific contributions to the proceedings of National and International conferences, with numerous appearances as invited speakers.

Scientific and Academic Coordination

  • Since 2024: Member of the task force uniting experts in the field of plant EVs at the International Society of Extracellular Vesicles
  • 2021-2023: member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics
  • 2023: Member of the Scientific Board of LXVI Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics (SIGA) Congress “Climate-smart plants to feed the future”, Bari (Italy)
  • 2023: Member of the Scientific Board of LXV Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics (SIGA) “From genes to fork - On Mendel's footsteps” Congress, Piacenza (Italy)
  • 2022: Co-Director, Education Course on "Association Mapping" – Turin
  • 2023: Co-Director, Education Course on "Basics for Data Management" – Online
  • 2023: Co-Director, Education Course on "Epigenetic Marks in Plants" – Turin
  • 2018: Founding Member of the Italian Society of Extracellular Vesicles
  • 2010 – 2014. Board member of Italian Federation of Biotechnologists (Fibio) (http://www.fibio.it/)

Academic Qualifications

2005 - 2008, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biotechnology (University of Naples Federico II)

2000 - 2005, Degree in Biotechnology (University of Naples Federico II)

2007 - 2008, Training course for Plant Genomics Lab manager (National Council of Research, Institute of Plant Genetics)

2008 - 2009, 2nd Degree in Biotechnology for Agro-Industry (University of Naples Federico II)

2010, Qualification to the profession of biologist (University del Sannio, Benevento)

Academic Research Positions

- Associate professor at the Department of Pharmacy since March 2020

- Tenure-Track Researcher (Mar 2017 – february 2020) - Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno

- Marie Curie Fellow (sept 2015- sept 2016) - Universidad de Zaragoza/ICMA-CSIS, Zaragoza (Spain)

- Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (2010- 2014) - Institute of Cybernetics “E. Caianiello”, National Research Council (CNR-ICIB), Pozzuoli (Italy)

- Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Mar – Sept 2009) University of Salerno- Faculty of Pharmacy, Fisciano (Italy)

Awards and Honours

- Short-term mobility Program from CNR to enable his research activities on remote control of drug release Philipps University of Marburg (September 2013)

- Invited Speaker at BIOS, Photonic West Conference, held in San Francisco (CA, USA), 19-21 January 2012

- Short-term mobility Program from CNR to enable his research activities on molecular nanotoxicology at Maximilians University of Munich (May/ June 2011).

- Travel grant for the oral presentation at Bionano meeting, e-MRS conference held in Nice (France), 9 · 13 May 2011

- Chief Organizer of the meeting “Nanobiotechnology: applications and future perspectives, held in Rome, 15th April 2011- (On the behalf of Fibio, Federazione Italiana Biotecnologi)

Editorial Activity

Review Editor: Frontiers in Nanotechnology (http://www.frontiersin.org/nanobiotechnology/editorialboard)

Reviewer: ACS NANO (ACS Publications); Biomaterials (Elsevier); Gene (Elsevier); Environmental Toxicology (Wiley); Frontiers in Plant Science