Prof. Stefano Campanaro

My current position is Associate Professor in Molecular Biology at the Department of Biology (UniPd). I explore the intricate world of microbial ecosystems, spanning from anaerobic digestion to fermented foods and the human gut. Leveraging my expertise in molecular biology, computation, and microbiology, I delve into the study of microbial populations genomes, evolution, and ecology through cutting-edge 'omics strategies.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9431-1648

https://sites.google.com/site/stefanocampanaro/

Prof. Laura Treu

Being in international laboratories, I specialized in molecular biology and microbial ecology to investigate carbon cycling, bioenergy production, and CO2 capture. As Senior Researcher (RtdB) at the Department of Biology, I've advanced bioinformatics for omics, exploring single microorganisms and communities. I study molecular and metabolic mechanisms shaping environmental microbiomes, building metabolic models for process optimization and integrating omics with flux balance analysis.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5053-4452

Dr. Guido Zampieri

Physicist and bioinformatician by education, my main interest is to explore, develop, and apply computational techniques to address challenges in molecular systems biology, aiming to cross and overcome disciplinary boundaries. I have specialized in integrating machine learning and constraint-based modeling for determining genotype-phenotype relationships across various ‘omics and organisms and, as a Junior Researcher (RTDa), I am now focussed on studying how those relationships influence both the natural and engineered microbial world.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4518-5913

Dr. Francesco Moro

I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Padova. I obtained my degree in Molecular Biology here in Padova, before pursuing a PhD in Systems Biology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. During my doctoral research, I focused on developing different strategies to model cross-feeding interactions in microbial communities, with a particular emphasis on genomes-scale models and constrained-based methods. My current project leverages bioinformatics approaches to investigate how environmental changes impact microbial communities, with special focus on the role of pathogens and antibiotic resistances.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3683-187X 

Dr. Nicola De Bernardini

I am a postdoctoral fellow in biosciences at the University of Padova, holding a master's degree in bioinformatics and a bachelor's degree in biology. My PhD research focused on exploring the potential of microbiomes with biotechnological relevance for the biogas upgrading process. Disentangling the complexity of the microbial consortia involved in this process requires the integration of advanced molecular and bioinformatics approaches. I utilize metagenomics and genome-scale modeling to define microbiome composition and reconstruct snapshots of their metabolic interactions. Currently, my postdoctoral project focuses on developing predictive strategies based on machine learning to optimize the management of biogas plants.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3887-737X

Dr. Sofia Fraulini

I am a Ph.D. student in biosciences at the University of Padova with a master's degree in Molecular Biology and a bachelor's in Genomics. My current research aims to integrate machine learning techniques and metagenomic analysis to investigate the environmental adaptation skills of microorganisms, exploring genetic variants as drivers for adaptation.

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2407-8643

Dr. Davide Sanguineti

I am a Ph.D. student in biosciences at the University of Padova; I have both a master’s and a bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology. My research is focused on the improvement of biotechnological processes through the management of the microbial communities performing them. For this purpose, I apply various bioinformatic methods. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0152-4570

Dr. Davide Santinello

I am a Ph.D. student in biosciences at the University of Padova. I have a MS degree in Molecular Biology and a BS degree in Biology. My research is focused on investigating the characteristics of different S. cerevisiae strains for wine production, exploring the effect of polymorphisms, gene content variation and gene expression through bioinformatics.

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1074-7341

Dr. Filippo Savio

I am a PhD student in Biosciences at the University of Padua, where I also obtained my Master's degree in Industrial Biotechnology in 2023. My research began with Cupriavidus necator and the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates, and now focuses on microbial interactions within anaerobic communities, particularly their role in CO₂ fixation and methane production. I am developing a methodology for single-cell DNA sequencing to explore these communities at the genomic level, working to integrate this approach with transcriptomics to obtain more in-depth information. In addition to genomics, I also devote myself to what I like to call “molecule hunting”, developing and applying GC-MS techniques to discover the chemical signatures behind the syntrophic relationships of these systems.
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8428-6559

Dr. Maria Chiara Valerin

I am a PhD student at the Department of Biology (UniPd), with a master's and bachelor's degrees in molecular biology. My research focuses on the characterization of microbial communities in biogas plants through next-generation sequencing technologies. The ultimate goal of my project is to develop a microbial surveillance method that can be integrated into biogas plant monitoring systems.

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7312-4392 

Dr. Luca Francescato

I am a Research Assistant at University of Padua. I achieved my Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and Master degree in Industrial Biotechnology. Previously I worked on production of energy carriers, like biomethane and hydrogen, using anaerobic cultures. In particular I focused on isolation of hydrogen producing bacteria and ammonia adaptation for anaerobic digestion cultures. Now my new position is related to development of predictive strategies for a software that predicts strategies to optimize the management of biogas plants, analysing data and biotechnological aspects.

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2597-9158 

Dr. Marco Demo

I am a Research Assistant at the University of Padua with a Master's degree in Evolutionary Biology. During my Master's, I worked on the bacterium Cupriavidus necator as part of the European ACT CooCe project, focusing on producing PHA from volatile fatty acids and carbon dioxide. I am currently focused on optimizing DNA library preparation workflows and automating processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy in next-generation sequencing.

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8246-3088

Dr. Flavio Agostini

I am a PhD student in Biosciences at the University of Padua with a Master’s degree in Data Science. During my internship at the Metabioinformatics Lab, I developed an integrative approach combining machine learning and metagenomics to identify candidate plastic-degrading proteins. I have since joined the lab as a doctoral researcher, where my current work focuses on the bioinformatic analysis of single-cell data. My aim is to develop computational tools and pipelines that harness its potential for advancing microbiology.

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9744-6747

Dr. Anastasia Santo

I am a Research Assistant at the University of Padua with a Master's degree in Quantitative and Computational Biology. During my Master's, I worked on gene expression noise and its regulation across the cell cycle in yeast, combining transcriptomic data with theoretical insights into the functional role of stochasticity. I am currently focused on the development of a dynamic model of microbial metabolism to evaluate the influence of environmental parameters on biogas upgrading process performance and microbial community resilience.

Meike de Hooge

I am an international student from the Netherlands interning at the Metabioinfomics lab, working on a project about the adaptation of communities involved in anaerobic digestion to increased levels of ammonia. I am currently finalizing my Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Medical Laboratory Research, with a focus on Forensic Biology. After my internship period here, I will pursue a master’s degree in Forensic Sciences. 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meike-de-hooge-78832b268

Virgina Baruzzo

I am Virginia, a master’s student in Industrial Biotechnology. I am currently working on my thesis at the Metabioinfomics Lab, where I study the microbial degradation of polymers. The goal of the project is to identify the key enzymes involved in this process, with the aim of optimizing them for industrial applications.

Hadi Al Mokdad

I am a Lebanese student currently pursuing my master's degree in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Padova. I hold a bachelor's degree in Biology and Earth Sciences. In the metabioinformics Lab, I am working on my thesis, which focuses on enhancing energy sustainability through microbial carbon capture, specifically examining the single-cell genomics of H₂-driven methanogenesis

Noorin Hezarpisheh

I am a highly motivated biologist. Currently, as a Master’s student in Molecular biology-Bioinformatics, I am in the process of working on my thesis on metabolic modeling of the gut microbiome, and I am

eager to apply my knowledge and experience to cutting-edge research while exploring new frontiers in this field.

Mariette Lawrence

I am a Master’s student in Data Science at the University of Padua, pursuing my internship and thesis in the Metabioinfomics lab. My project focuses on developing machine learning models to forecast operational parameters in industrial biogas plants using real-world sensor data.

Jaydeep Desai

I am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Molecular Biology at the University of Padua. My thesis research aims to develop a comprehensive global overview of bioprocess parameters, including the evaluation of various countries, feedstocks, and reactor configurations, with a particular focus on reactor temperature. An integral part of my work involves the detection of human pathogenic bacteria and subsequent screening for antibiotic resistance, contributing to enhanced biosafety and informed strategies for sustainable biotechnological processes.

16st Oct 2025 - 16st Oct 2026, Zheng Xin, Visiting Ph.D. student from China Agricultural University, Supervisor: Professor Duan Na, College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University. Research Subject: "Multi-omics joint analysis: Methanotrophic Consortia produce single-cell proteins from digestate and biogas". 

1st May 2025 - 31st July 2025. Alen Simonic, a Ph.D. student from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), participated in an external stay. His doctoral research, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Borja Valverde Pérez, focuses on “Biotechnologies for Mitigation of Agricultural Pollution in Groundwater.” The research contribution is focused on metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolic modeling of methane-oxidizing microbial communities, contributing to a deeper understanding of microbial mechanisms involved in methane-driven biodegradation of organic micropollutants and their potential role in environmental biotechnology 

4th Mar 2025 - 27th Aug 2025. Suppanut Varongchayakul, Ph.D. student short-term internship, Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pawinee Chaiprasert, Biotechnology program, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand. Topic : “BIOAUGMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE ANAEROBIC CELLULOLYTIC MICROORGANISMS FOR ENHANCING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF GRASSES”

10th May 2024 - 7th Aug 2024. Patricia Bovio-Winkler, Postdoctoral researcher, supervisor Claudia Etchebehere, Biological Research Institute “Clemente Estable”, Montevideo, Uruguay. Title: Metagenomics applied to the study of microbial communities in hydrogen-producing reactors 

Arianna Basile, PhD

With a background in biology and bioinformatics, I was awarded my PhD in Bioscience (genetics, genomics and bioinformatics) at University of Padova (Italy) in 2022. My main area of expertise is a computational approach called Flux Balance Analysis, used to analyze the complex metabolism of bacteria and the network of interactions participated by microbial species. In order to quantitatively study microbiomes, I combine Flux Balance Analysis with other bioinformatics and statistical approaches. I am currently a research associate at MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge (UK).

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2461-5221

https://ariannabasile.wordpress.com/

Alessandro Rossi, PhD

I worked in the Metabioinfomics laboratory from 2018 to 2022, first completing a Master's Degree in Evolutionary Biology and later earning a Ph.D. in Biosciences. My work focused on characterizing the viral community of anaerobic digestion and its interaction with the microbiome. An avid user of informatics and bioinformatic tools, I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher in the Pharmacology and Brain Pathology Lab at Humanitas Research Hospital (Milan, Italy), where I work on transcriptomics and data analysis in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8841-1047

Victor Borin Centurion, PhD

Graduated in Biomedicine at Paulista University (2011-2016) and earned a Phd. in Genetics and Molecular Biology at Campinas University (2017-2022), my doctoral research centered on characterizing resistance and stress genes within microbiomes from islands in the Maritime Antarctica, involving extensive metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses. Subsequently, I served as a research fellow (Post-Doc: 2022 - 2023) in the Biology Division at the University of Padua - Italy, contributing to diverse national and international projects. As a co-owner, I actively engage as a Researcher specializing in amplicon analysis, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and machine learning at the Brazilian firm MicrobiomeX

Additional information can be found at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vb-Centurion. 

Alessandro Satta, PhD

I currently serve as a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Padova, specializing in the microbial enzymatic degradation of plastics. My research has strongly focused on biotechnology of plants and microorganisms. I completed my master’s degree in Plant Biotechnology at University of Sassari, Italy. I later moved to Valencia, Spain, where I worked at IMBCP in the field of plant synthetic biology. I then relocated to Australia, where I pursued my Ph.D. at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. My doctoral research centered on metabolic engineering, protein expression, and systems biology of cyanobacteria.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1544-7230

Esteban Orellana, PhD

After finishing my PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, I started a Postdoctoral position at the University of Padova. I am currently focused on unraveling the intricacies of the Biogas upgrading process, employing a combination of metabolic flux balance analysis, metatranscriptomics, and biochemical characterization. Additionally, I investigate the nuanced dynamics within the microbial community through the exploration of phage-host interactions.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4899-0915

Tatiana Spatola Rossi, PhD

I am currently working as a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Padova, focusing on CO2 fixation by microorganisms and its bioconversion into value-added products. Previously I carried out my PhD at the University of Oxford working on bacterial methane-consuming enzymes and their recombinant expression in plants. My main background is in genetic engineering, microscopy and molecular biology applied to microbial and plant biotechnology processes. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0798-8037

Mengyuan Ji, PhD

I recently finished my PhD in biosciences at the University of Padova. My MSc and PhD were in Environmental Engineering and Bioinformatics, respectively. My recent research focuses on exploring the potential of microbiomes with biotechnological relevance for microplastic degradation and anaerobic digestion. I utilize metagenomics and genomic metabolic modeling for the identification of functionally specific microorganisms and correlation networks. Recently, I've developed an interest in data mining for viral and plasmid information based on metagenomics.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3554-2953

Rustem Musaev, MSc

I am a research assistant with a master's degree in evolutionary systems biology and a bachelor’s in chemistry, currently developing a community FBA model for microalgae and exploring the complexities of functional redundancy in microbial communities.

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7313-4317

Dr. Alessandra Carpanese

I’m a Research Assistant at the Biology Department of University of Padua, with a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology, a Master’s degree in Biotechnologies for food science, and currently I’m studying for a short specialisation degree in Omics Data Analysis.

I’m taking care of a project focused on genomic and bioinformatic characterization of the main microbial species involved in silage production in order to detect genotypic and phenotypic variants with biotechnological relevance.

Dr. Maria Silvia Morlino

I have a background in both biotechnology and bioinformatics. I am currently a Ph.D. student at the school of Biosciences, University of Padova, working under the CooCE European project. I work on the optimization of a bioprocess which employs the bacterium Cupriavidus necator to capture the CO2 in biogas and convert it to polyhydroxyalkanoates. I perform growth trials to test several aspects of the bioprocess in lab-scale and I integrate biochemical data with genomic and transcriptomic experiments. I am also curating a strain-specific model of C. necator DSM 545.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9443-1597

Dr. Edoardo Bizzotto

I am a Ph.D. student in biosciences at the University of Padova; I have a master’s degree in Computational Biology and a bachelor's in Biotechnology. My research is focused on applying machine learning techniques to bioactive peptides and more in general on microbial genomes, in order to find hidden features that could help with the identification of new functions. I also have experience in metagenomic techniques and transcriptomics. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9948-9986

Dr. Gabriele Ghiotto

I am a PhD student in biosciences at the University of Padova, holding a master's and bachelor's degrees in molecular biology. My current research focuses on exploring the potential of microbiomes with biotechnological relevance using advanced genomics and transcriptomics strategies. Specifically, I investigate the interconnection between the performance and stability of anaerobic reactors in biofuels production, delving into the microbiome composition and its evolution influenced by environmental parameters. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6600-4272