Biology Specialist
Mariagioia Petraretti is a graduate in Biology of the University of Naples Federico II. She obtained PhD in Biology at the University of Naples Federico II with a thesis on the eco physiological and structural strategies of microbial biofilms involved in the deterioration of cultural heritage.
She studies the interactions and ecological succession of microorganisms in the early stages of subaerial biofilm (SAB) formation on lithic surfaces. The study of SAB was carried out with microcosm experiments in which the growth of phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms (algae-cyanobacterium-fungus) on lithic substrates was simulated to selectively study the ability of microorganisms to attack and colonize as well as the refractoriness of the surface subjected to colonization. In microcosm experiments coupled with microscopical analyses are of great support for everything related to microecology, conservation science and the development of anti-fouling systems.
Since 2019 she has been collaborating as Conservator at the Algal Collection of University of Naples Federico II collection (ACUF ). Her activity deal with the sampling of microalgae in extreme\ environments and their isolation from environmental samples together with their cultivation and molecular = characterization through DNA barcoding sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.
She strongly believes in the importance of maintaining a wide range of algae in ex-situ conservation collections accessible to researchers that want to better understand the potential agro-food, biotechnological, clinical and cosmetic applications.