This research group takes advantage of the most modern and targeted technologies (RNA-seq, Bisulfite sequencing, metabolic engineering, genome editing) to carry out functional genomics studies in plants

Functional genomics integrates information from studies on processes such as transcription, translation, epigenetic regulation and metabolite content to understand the complex relationship between genotype and phenotype both on a gene and on a global (genome-wide) scale.
The research group carries out research activities aimed at studying:

• the expression of genes in heterologous host
• the effect of gene silencing/knock-out
• the epigenetic regulation
• the transcriptome analyses, in order to understand how genes regulate biological processes.

The various past and present research topics carried out by our research group are:

• Isolation of genes involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites and functional characterization of genes through in vitro systems, i.e. gene expression in bacteria and yeast
• Transcriptomic analysis to study the plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses
• Study of enzymes responsible for DNA methylation
• Study of DNA methylation variation: in plants characterized by phenotypically different leaves on the same plant and in grafted plants on different rootstocks
• Use of transient (VIGS) and stable (optimization of genetic transformation protocols of Genome editing based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system) genetic transformation methodologies for in vivo functional characterization
• Expression of plant metabolic pathways in heterologous organisms for the production of valuable secondary metabolites.

• Applicazioni BIOtecnologiche sostenibili per il miglioramento dei profili di RESistenza e RESilienza del castagno nei confronti di microrganismi patogeni (BIORES2) (2023-2025) Progetto finanziato da CRT
• POC accademico: DROUGHT-seq - Data-driven Resilience: helping OUt grapevines in response to drouGHT using Spectrometric sEQuencing and technologies, finanziato nell'ambito del progetto NODES, Spoke6
• Nuove tecniche di miglioramento genetico per la produzione di genotipi resistenti a patogeni in specie di interesse commerciale per il settore orticolo piemontese. (2019-2022) Progetto finanziato da CRC
• CRISPR/Cas9–mediated gene knock‐out in eggplant (2017-2019). Finanziamento di progetti di ricerca di Ateneo/Compagnia San Paolo, Anno 2016
• Risequenziamento del genoma di ecotipi piemontesi di peperone per una loro valorizzazione mediante l'applicazione di programmi di selezione genomica. (2016-2019) Progetto finanziato da CRC
• Eggplant resistance against thrips: a general model for biotic stress plant response (Errant). Finanziamento di progetti di ricerca di Ateneo/Compagnia San Paolo, Anno 2014
• Sviluppo di un sistema di produzione in lievito di composti fenolici ammidici antiossidanti con proprietà biologiche rilevanti per la salute umana (2012-2016). Progetto FIRB 'Futuro in ricerca 2010' (D.M. n. 556 del 21/09/2011).

• Li R., Maioli A., Yan Z., Bai Y., Valentino D., Milani A. M., Pompili V., Comino C., Lanteri S., Moglia A., Acquadro A. (2022). CRISPR/Cas9-Based Knock-Out of the PMR4 Gene Reduces Susceptibility to Late Blight in Two Tomato Cultivars. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, p. 14542, ISSN: 1422-0067, doi: 10.3390/ijms232314542
• Gianoglio S, Comino C, Moglia A, (...), Orzaez D, Granell A (2022) In-Depth Characterization of greenflesh Tomato Mutants Obtained by CRISPR/Cas9 Editing: A Case Study With Implications for Breeding and Regulation (2022) Front. Plant Sci., 11 July
• Pavese, V; Moglia, A; Abbà, S; Milani, AM; Torello Marinoni; D; Corredoira, E; Martinez, MT; Botta, R (2022) First Report on Genome Editing via Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) in Castanea sativa Mill.International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23: 5762
• Cerruti E., Gisbert C., Drost H-G., Valentino D., Portis E., Barchi L., Prohens J., Lanteri S., Comino C., Catoni M. (2021). Grafting vigour is associated with DNA de-methylation in eggplant. Horticulture Research 8:1
• Maioli A., Gianoglio S., Moglia A., Acquadro A., Valentino D., Milani A.M., Prohens J., Orzaez D., Granell A., Lanteri S., Comino C. (2020). Simultaneous CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Three PPO Genes Reduces Fruit Flesh Browning in Solanum melongena L. Frointiers in plant Science Dec 3;11:607161. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.607161

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