The Team

Astrid Mejia

Obtained a Bachelor degree in Marine Sciences at the Latin American Campus of the University of Mobile, Alabama, US (1999). Thesis: Environmental Implications of Shellfish Aquaculture in Mangrove forests in Nicaragua, Central America.
Graduated from the Joint European Masters in Water and Coastal Management at the University of Plymouth, UK and conducted her thesis at the University of Algarve, Portugal “Determining the Water Consumption pattern of the Tourism Sector in Southern Europe” (2007- 2009).
She worked in the management of marine protected areas in Honduras. She also collaborated with the research group of 'Marine Plant Ecology' at the University of the Algarve evaluating the invasion of macroalgae on seagrass meadows in Ria Formosa Lagoon (Faro, Portugal).
PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata". The PhD project concerns the study of the structure and alteration of microbial community associated with seagrasses in relation to environmental changes. In particular, I study the communities associated with Cymodocea nodosa and Halophila stipulacea in response to the increase of nutrients (N, eutrophication) and/or CO2 (as in acidification and global warming processes).
She collaborates with the activities of the Microbiology lab. She is also involved in the educational activities carried out by the laboratories of Ecotoxicology and Microbiology.

 

 Matteo Evangelisti

Master of Science Degree in Marine Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, A.Y. 2007-08, discussing a thesis entitled: "Study of the effect of phthalates on liver cells of Danio rerio", I then obtained a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" defending a thesis on the "Study of the bacterioplankton dynamics in the Macchiatonda Wetlands Natural Park".
After the PhD I achieved the professional licence as Biologist (2009), a second level Master entitled "Learning Chemistry" at the Marconi University (2015), and then the professional licence to teach Biology, at the University of Tor Vergata (2015). Currently I teach at the Liceo Scientifico Galileo Galilei in Istanbul, Turkey.
During my training I have been Erasmus student (2007) in Norway, at the Department of Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, supervisor: Professor Anders Goksøyr, and I worked in several Italian and foreign universities, focusing my scientific activities on ecotoxicology and marine microbiology. I still collaborate with the Laboratory of Ecotoxicology and Microbiology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata".

 

Nagaia Ciacci

Master Degree in Medical Biotechnologies, University of Sienna AY 2013-2014, defending a thesis in Microbiology: "Genotyping of capsular polysaccharide gene cluster of carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, collected in Italy".
PhD student in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata. The PhD project deals with the study of bacteriophages as an alternative therapeutic treatment to antibiotics, to eradicate infections due to bacterial strains resistant to all the antibiotics used in clinical medicine.
She collaborates with all the activities of the laboratory of Microbiology, including the educational ones.