Each month we are going to be highlighting one of the PhD’s of the project so their work can be showcased. We beginning with Sabrina Picciotto, PhD in CNR.
“I’m Sabrina Picciotto, a graduate in medical biotechnology and molecular medicine. I am currently doing a PhD in Technologies and science for Human Health at the University of Palermo. My research project starts with Ves4US, project funded by the FET-Open Call of the European Commission’s Horizon2020 Programme, coordinated by Dr. Antonella Bongiovanni of the CNR of Palermo whose goal was to develop a radically new platform for efficient production and functionality of Extracellular vesicles (EVs). My role in these two years, together with the team of Dr. A. Bongiovanni, has been to isolate and characterize EV from a new source that until now had never been explored: Microalgae. This has led to important scientific publications in which I have the honor of being first name. Today I am very proud to share with you my latest author scientific publication in Frontiers Bioengineering and Biotechnology, “Extracellular Vesicles From Microalgae: Uptake Studies in Human Cells and Caenorhabditis elegans”, in which we have shown that EV isolated from microalgae are actively uptaken in vitro by human cells and in vivo by C. elegans cells, supporting their exploitation as potential nanocarriers of bioactive compounds for theranostic applications. Right now, I am continuing my research activity thanks to BOW project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, coordinated by Prof. Paolo Bergese, whose purpose is to engineer EVs specifically for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. I would like to thank my mentor Dr Antonella Bongiovanni for the great opportunity she gave me, that is to be able to do the “healthy and good” research in Italy. Thanks to my co-first author Dr. Pamela Santonicola, and my correspondents author Dr. Giorgia Adamo and Dr. Elia Di Schiavi, and of course to all the other authors for the wonderful teamwork”.
Her work: Extracellular Vesicles From Microalgae: Uptake Studies in Human Cells and Caenorhabditis elegans.