Voices from biodiversity

At a time in history when sustainability is no longer an option but a necessity, the transfer of scientific research to the market is one of the great challenges of our time. It is in this context that Liberinnova, the white paper writing project designed to modernize European legislation on botanicals, was born. The project, led by PlantaRei together with an international team of experts, has a specific goal: to make the pathway that brings biosolutions from trials to consumers faster, more transparent and more effective. We talked about this with Elena Sgaravatti, CEO of PlantaRei and an influential voice in the biotech world. From the central role of plants to the need for proper scientific communication, passing through the deep meaning of “common good,” a strong and concrete vision emerges: innovation can no longer wait.

What does urban biodiversity have to do with our daily health? And why will the medicine of the future have to take into account the environment in which we live, the quality of our food, the air we breathe, and even the condition of our neighborhood? To answer these questions, we interviewed Gloria Bertoli, director of the Institute of Bioimaging and Complex Biological Systems at CNR and co-leader of NBFC’s Spoke 6. The interview is a real journey inside the concept of “esposome,” a technical term that is fundamental to understanding how every stimulus we receive affects our health. The topic is as much scientific as human, and has profound implications not only in the clinical field, but also in the social, environmental, and economic spheres.

Italian biodiversity is a still largely unexplored treasure , capable of offering innovative solutions for human health and environmental sustainability. This is the context for the work coordinated by Flavia Guzzo, professor of botany at the University of Verona, who leads a team of more than 100 researchers within the NBFC project. At the center of their efforts is the enhancement of native and allochthonous Italian plants through careful chemical and biological analysis to identify properties useful in the development of nutraceuticals, natural medicines and tools for a more ecologicalagriculture. Through a rigorous, multidisciplinary approach, also supported by artificial intelligence, the group is paving the way for new applications of plant biomolecules, while promoting biodiversity protection and basic scientific research.

There is a hidden world pulsing beneath the asphalt of our cities, an underground realm crucial to our quality of life. An interview with Gabriella Sferra, a bioinformatics expert in botany at the University of Molise, reveals the vital importance of the biodiversity associated with urban tree roots, which are essential for healthier, more resilient cities capable of meeting environmental challenges.

Micaela Tiso is the managing director of Micamo Lab, a biotech company founded as a spin-off from the University of Genoa that focuses on environmental microbiology and molecular biology. Together with Nutri-tech and Ideaas (project leader), Micamo Lab is participating in Fish&I, a project involved in a challenge that is as ambitious as it is necessary: to create an intelligent, sustainable, industrial and scalable aquaponic module, that is, a system capable of growing fish and vegetables together, thanks to the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT and the intervention of microorganisms.

Stefano Denicolai is full professor of Economics and Business Management at the University of Pavia and president of the ITIR research center. His work focuses on innovation management, or the study of how companies can manage disruptive change effectively. As part of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Professor Denicolai works to explore the connections between biodiversity, economic development , and new jobs, trying to understand if and how it is possible to combine respect for the environment and business growth.

At the heart of the change that is revolutionizing the way we think about health lies an approach that is as simple as it is revolutionary: the lifestyle medicine. Telling us about it is Hellas Cena, medical surgeon and food science specialist, co-leader of Spoke 6 “Biodiversity and Wellness” of the NBFC project. With expertise and passion, Prof. Cena guides us through an increasingly topical concept: health is not just the absence of disease, but a dynamic balance built every day with nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, positive relationships and abandoning bad habits.

Paola Branduardi is full professor of Chemistry and Biotechnology of Fermentations at the University of Milan Bicocca. Her voice and enthusiasm accompany research that, thanks to her work with NBFC, tries to radically change our relationship with microorganisms, the true protagonists of the ecological and industrial transition. With clear words and vivid images, he guides us into the fascinating world of invisible life.

Studying the biodiversity of Italy’s coasts required, until yesterday, suitable boats, large teams, sophisticated machinery and substantial funds. The development of a small, low-cost autonomous vehicle changes the scenario and opens the door, potentially, to more frequent campaigns and more accurate data, within the reach (even) of small administrations.

In spy films, satellites are often used to uncover illicit trafficking and monitor the movements of enemy agents. In reality they can serve something monto different but equally fascinating: monitoring the health of marine biodiversity. Marzia Cianflone, a molecular biologist, does just that. “I had never tackled the marine environment before,” she declares, “but I needed to challenge myself and I didn’t want to be monotonous in my course of study.” A second-year Ph.D. student in biology at Professor Simonetta Fraschetti’s Marine Ecology Laboratory at the Federico II University of Naples, he is currently involved in research conducted by NBFC within the laboratory. “The points of contact are many,” he explains, “and the synergies seem to us to be winning.”

Is it possible to welcome exotic plants into urban greenery without causing harm, and if so, which ones is best to choose? This is one of the strands of research by Chiara Montagnani, a botanist specializing in the complex field of alien or exotic species.

In the second year of her doctorate in drug science, Teresa De Rosa, at the Federico II University of Naples, studies cyanobacteria, single-celled organisms without which the world as we know it would not exist. Some of the oldest bacteria on Earth, with fossil records dating back at least 2.1 billion years, these microscopic organisms are the focus of her research for several reasons: De Rosa studies their biodiversity, prevalence and potential.