XXXVII CICLO | Braconcini Martina

Martina Braconcini, born in Ronciglione on 18.12.1991, studied ‘Biological Sciences’ at the University of Tuscia (Italy), where she graduated in 2018. In 2021, she obtained a master’s degree in ‘Industrial Biotechnologies for Health and Well-being’ (University of Tuscia). Since 2022, she is a Ph.D student enrolled in the course “Ecology and Sustainable Management of Environmental Resources”  at the University of Tuscia.

Her research interests are in the areas of microbiology. In particular, she is interested in the study of the diversity of fungi in marine habitats and substrates. She is also particularly interested in the field of biotechnology for the production and characterization of enzymes and secondary metabolites.

Marine habitats cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface and host a huge biological and chemical diversity. In recent years, researchers have paid close attention to marine mycology, highlighting fungi’s importance in several ecosystem services. It is well known that marine fungi represent one of the main components of sea microbial communities, playing part in several ecological processes (recycling resources and energy, phytoplankton composition and aquatic carbon pump).

Marine fungi have been retrieved worldwide from almost every type of biotic and abiotic substrates investigated and to date, approximately 1800 fungal species have been detected in marine environment. However, this represents only a small fraction of the marine fungal biodiversity. Studies on biotic communities revealed several marine fungi with a high degree of substratum specialization, particularly in epi and endo-zoic communities. The nature of the interactions between fungi and hosts is mostly unknown, but secondary metabolites and extracellular enzymes are likely to play important roles in the establishment and maintenance of the relationship. Considering the large gaps in our knowledge regarding marine fungi, the aim of the project is to investigate habitats and substrates, which are neglected from a mycological point of view to better understand marine fungi biodiversity and ecology.

• Braconcini, M., Gorrasi, S., Fenice, M., Barghini, P., & Pasqualetti, M. (2024). Rambellisea gigliensis and Rambellisea halocynthiae, gen. et spp. nov. (Lulworthiaceae) from the Marine Tunicate Halocynthia papillosa. Journal of Fungi, 10(2), 127.

• Juárez-Jiménez, B., Fenice, M., Pasqualetti, M., Muñoz-Palazon, B., Correa-Galeote, D., Braconcini, M., & Gorrasi, S. (2023). Flow cytometric investigation of Salinicola halophilus S28. Physiological response provides solid evidence for its uncommon and high ability to face salt-stress conditions. Microbiology Research, 14(2), 454-465.

• Muñoz-Palazon, B., Gorrasi, S., Rosa-Masegosa, A., Pasqualetti, M., Braconcini, M., & Fenice, M. (2022). Treatment of high-polyphenol-content waters using biotechnological approaches: the latest update. Molecules, 28(1), 314.

• Gorrasi, S., Pasqualetti, M., Braconcini, M., Muñoz-Palazon, B., Fenice, M. (2022). Could Pontimonas harbour halophilic members able to withstand very broad salinity variations? Microorganisms, 10(4), 790.

• Pasqualetti, M., Gorrasi, S., Giovannini, V., Braconcini, M., Fenice, M. (2022). Polyextremophilic chitinolytic activity by a marine strain (IG119) of Clonostachys rosea. Molecules, 27(3), 688