LOCATION: Palazzina delle Scienze: I floor- mezzanine, Ia.02; greenhouse at the Botanical Garden of the University of Genoa 
 

RESEARCH TOPICS:
The laboratory of environmental botany, formerly plant biology laboratory, makes use of thirty years of experience in the field of botanical sciences applied to the evaluation, the monitoring and the management of plants in natural and artificial ecosystems for environmental restoration purposes. 
•    Management of plant biodiversity: conservation, management, planning and enhancement of biodiversity for agricultural, food and industrial application; spatial distribution of species, communities and/or habitats, assessment of change over time and analysis of the effect of local and global natural and/or anthropic factors.
•    Bioindicators and biomonitoring of environmental quality: study of plant and fungal communities as bioindicators; monitoring of natural and artificial ecosystems through bryophytes, vascular plants and fungi.
•    Bioremediation: remediation of contaminated sites through phytoremediation, mycoremediation and their combination; research and selection of spontaneous flora and fungal strains able to biotolerate, bioaccumulate and biodegrade toxic substances, usable for phytoextraction and/or phytostabilization and habitat restoration; studies on plant-soil-fungi interactions.
•    Ecotoxicology: characterization of environmental compartments polluted (including water) by eco-toxic substances, assessment of the suitability of excavated earth and rocks through phytotoxicity tests.
•    Nature-based Solutions (NbS): design, monitoring, evaluation of the use of plants in NbS for the improvement of environmental quality and human health in natural and artificial ecosystems; evaluation of the ecosystem services of the NbS with particular reference to the urban environment.

RESEARCH GROUP MEMBERS:
Mauro Mariotti, Enrica Roccotiello, Mirca Zotti, Simone Di Piazza, Mariasole Calbi, Marta Pianta, Clara Conte, Silvia Priarone

LINK TO RESEARCH LINES, PROJECTS AND PUBLICATIONS:

RESEARCH LINES 
Bioremediation and Biomonitoring: https://distav.unige.it/en/node/696
Biodiversity and Ecosystem function: https://distav.unige.it/en/node/691
Natural capital and ecosystem services: https://distav.unige.it/en/node/698
Assessment and digital cartography of pressures, threats and risks for biodiversity: https://distav.unige.it/en/node/697
Ecotoxic elements and environmental degradation: https://distav.unige.it/en/node/705
Adaptations of organisms to environment: https://distav.unige.it/en/node/692

PROJECTS
CLIMACTIONS. ccm Adattamento e mitigazione ai Cambiamenti CLIMAtici: intervenTI urbani per la promOzioNe della Salute
COBIODIV. Alcotra Italy/France Knowing BIODIVersity and ecosystems to protect the environment. whttps://www.interreg-alcotra.eu/it/decouvrir-alcotra/les-projets-financ…
ECOLOPES H2020 ECOlogical building enveLOPES. www.ecolopes.eu
FINNOVER. Alcotra Italy/France www.interreg-finnover.com/
GEREMIA Interreg Italia-Francia marittimo 2014-2020 GEstione dei REflui per il MIglioramento delle Acque portuali. http://interreg-maritime.eu/web/geremia
MosSkin - POC San Paolo Lightweight moss systems for buildings. 
QUALIPORTI Interreg Italia-Francia marittimo 2014-2020 qualità e bioremediation delle acque marine del porto di Cavo (isola d’Elba). http://interreg-maritime.eu/web/qualiporti
SEDITERRA Interreg Italia-Francia marittimo 2014-2020, si propone di bonificare i sedimenti portuali tramite mycoremediation https://interreg-maritime.eu/web/sediterra
Sostenibilità per l'ambiente e la salute dei cittadini nelle città portuali in Italia. PNRR-PNC Valutazione, monitoraggio e mitigazione dell’inquinamento acustico ed atmosferico nelle città portuali italiane.
Strengthening the MIRRI Italian Research Infrastructure for Sustainable Bioscience and Bioeconomy - (SUS-MIRRI.IT) 2022 CALL PNRR:M4/C2/L3.1.1
RAISE (Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment) 2022 CALL PNRR 1.5 (M4C2)

PUBBLICATIONS
Mauro Mariotti: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9595-4629
Mirca Zotti: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2682-5030
Enrica Roccotiello: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3701-9154
Simone Di Piazza: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4459-531X
 

LABORATORY EQUIPMENT:
Precision instruments for quali-quantitative analytical plant preparations, plant cultures and sample characterizations (conductimeter, pHmeter, refrigerated centrifuges, chemical fume hood; horizantal fume hood; autoclave; incubators; field fluorimeter); plant growth chamber and experimental greenhouse for plant cultivation under controlled or semi-controlled environamental conditions from the microcosm to the mesocosm; instruments for stereomicroscopic and microscopic characterization and related image analysis softwares.
 

TEACHING ACTIVITIES:
ITS – Accademia Ligure Agroalimentare, https://www.itsagroalimentare.liguria.it/"From Botany to Big Data": supporting program to PON GREEN https://competenzedigitali.unige.it/pon-green Bachelor and Master Internships