COORDINATOR: Maria Elizabeth Tiritan | ORCID
OVERVIEW
The research conducted within the Environmental Research area aims at the chemical and microbial diagnosis of the environment and of the human body. Presently, it focuses its research activities in two lines: Environmental and applied chemistry and Microbial ecology. Members of the two different research lines work together on an interdisciplinary basis, integrating scientific expertise in chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology and molecular biology. Molecular tools (sequence amplification, sequencing, genomics and metagenomics) and bioinformatics help to address questions about life of microorganisms in their natural environment (be it polluted soil, sea water, surface water and sewage effluents but also niches of the human body) rather than in lab cultures. Analytical tools such as liquid and gas chromatography address the chemicals diagnostic and the consequence of chemical degradation in biological systems. The synergy of the two research lines will help to understand adverse conditions that affect the human health.
RESEARCH LINES