Astrobiology and Extreme Environments

Submitted by paola.didonato on Tue, 04/01/2025 - 12:33
Faculty/school/department
Department of Science and Technology
Size of the team
from 4 to 7
number of researchers number of PhD students
2
2
Composition of Joint Unit of Research, if relevant

Paola Di Donato, Elena Chianese, Mattia Esposito, Andrea Cattaneo

PI
PI name
Paola Di Donato
Contact person and e-mail
Contact person
Paola Di Donato
Contact person e-mail
Short description of research profile

Research topics:

  • study of bacteria and archaea resistance to space simulated conditions
  • study of microbial species from extreme environments
  • air and soil chemical analyses
Publications

Representative publications

Semprucci, F.; Appolloni, L.; Grassi, E.; Donnarumma, L.; Cesaroni, L.; Tirimberio, G.; Chianese, E.; Di Donato, P.; Russo, G.F.; Balsamo, M.; et al. Antarctic Special Protected Area 161 as a Reference to Assess the Effects of Anthropogenic and Natural Impacts on Meiobenthic Assemblages. Diversity 202113, 626. https://doi.org/10.3390/d13120626
Mastascusa, V., Romano, I., Di Donato, P. et al. Extremophiles Survival to Simulated Space Conditions: An Astrobiology Model Study. Orig Life Evol Biosph 44, 231–237 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-014-9397-y
Romano, I., De Angelis, A., Poli, A. et al. Resistance and Raman spectroscopy analysis of Parageobacillus thermantarcticus spores after γ-ray exposure. Extremophiles 22, 931–941 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-018-1049-0
Di Donato, P., Romano, I., Mastascusa, V. et al. Survival and Adaptation of the Thermophilic Species Geobacillus thermantarcticus in Simulated Spatial Conditions. Orig Life Evol Biosph 48, 141–158 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-017-9540-7
Romano, I.; Camerlingo, C.; Vaccari, L.; Birarda, G.; Poli, A.; Fujimori, A.; Lepore, M.; Moeller, R.; Di Donato, P. Effects of Ionizing Radiation and Long-Term Storage on Hydrated vs. Dried Cell Samples of Extremophilic Microorganisms. Microorganisms 202210, 190. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10010190
Partnerships and Cooperation
  • Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council of Italy
  • University of Naples "Federico II"
  • Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste
  • Aerospace Microbiology Research Group of The DLR, Cologne, Germany
  • University of Venezia Cà Foscari, PhD in Polar Sciences
Events and oportunieties
Event title
Astrobiology
Event date
-