National Research Council of Italy

Institute of Biosciences and BioResources

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Maurizio Capuana

Role: Researcher
Section: Researchers and Technologists
Division: Florence
Tel: (39) 055-5225720
E-mail: maurizio.capuana@ibbr.cnr.it


Telefono/Telephone +39 055 5225720
Fax +39 055 5225729
E-mail maurizio.capuana@ibbr.cnr.it
  • From December 1996: Researcher (permanent position) at the CNR-Istituto di Genetica Vegetale (previous IMGPF-Istituto per il Miglioramento Genetico delle Piante Forestali).
  • 1993-1996: Researcher (contract) at the CNR-IMGPF.
  • 1988-1992: Researcher (grants) at the CNR-IMGPF.
  • 1987: Research assistant (grant) at the Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Florence.
  • 1986: Research assistant (grant) at the Institute of Tree Cultivation, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Florence
Main activities and responsibilities - Responsible of the IGV’s Laboratory of In Vitro Cultures and Technologies - Associate Editor of the International Journal “ACTA PHYSIOLOGIAE PLANTARUM” (ISSN 0137-5881)( 2012-ongoing). - Member of the SOI (Italian Society of Horticulture) Working Group “Micropropagation and In Vitro Techniques” (2009-ongoing). (http://www.soihs.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=181). Previous: - Italian National Delegate at the COST Meeting on “Cryopreservation of Crop Species in Europe”, Gatersleben (Germany), 2009 - Italian National Delegate at the COST Meeting on “Functional Genomics of Tree Maturation and Reproduction”, Alcalà de Henares (Spain), 2006. - Italian National Delegate at the COST Meeting on “Forest Genomic”, Cracov (Poland), 2004.
Education and training Educational History and Post-degree Experience
  • Ph-D in Applied Biological Sciences (section Gene and Cell Bio-engineering) at the Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, University of Gent (Belgium). Thesis: “Cloning of Italian forest tree species by in vitro techniques” (promotor Prof. Pierre Debergh) (2001).
  • CNR fellowship (8 months) at the Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, University of Gent (Belgium) under the guidance of Prof. P. Debergh, for research on micropropagation and somatic embryogenesis of woody species (1991-1992).
  • 3-year fellowship by the National Research Council of Italy, during which he carried out research on in vivo and in vitro propagation of woody plants at the Istituto Miglioramento Genetico delle Piante Forestali (today Institute of Plant Genetic) of Florence, Italy (1988/90)
  • Degree in Agricultural Sciences at the Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, University of Florence, with full marks (1984).
Name and type of organisation providing education and training Ph-D: Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, University of Gent (Belgium). Degree in Agricultural Sciences: Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, University of Florence (Italy). CNR fellowship: 3-year fellowship by the National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Forest Tree Breeding, Florence (Italy).
Research sectors
  • PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY: tissue culture (micropropagation, organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, synthetic seed technology), genetic transformation, secondary metabolite production.
  • PLANT BIODIVERSITY - IN VITRO CONSERVATION AND CRYOPRESERVATION: conservation at low temperature (slow growth storage), cryopreservation techniques (vitrification, encapsulation-based, droplet freezing, dormant buds, seed cryopreservation).
  • PHYTOREMEDIATION: in vitro and in vivo studies on the tolerance to heavy metal by herbaceous and woody species.
Recent Scientific Activities. Main Participations to National and International Research Projects As Scientific Responsible for his own Institute:
  • Italian PRIN Project “Structure and functions in the pathogenesis of non-cathalitic proteins produced by fungi and Oomicetes phytopathogens (2007-2009).
  • EC project “Improving Fraxinus (Ash) productivity for European needs by testing, selection, propagation and promotion of improved genetic resources” (2001-2004).
  • EC-AIR project “Cypress. A flexible tree for the protection of intensive farmland and for the production of high quality wood in marginal forest sites subject to fire risk in Mediterranean regions” (1993-1996).
Main teaching activity
  • Lectures: "In vitro culture and phytoremediation" and "In vitro vitro culture techniques for genetic improvement, propagation, metabolites production and germplasm conservation" at the Department of Biology, University of Florence (Italy) (2015-2018)
  • Lectures on “In vitro culture techniques for propagation, selection and conservation of woody species” at the Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, University of Florence (Italy) (1993-2003).
  • Supervisor of thesis at the Faculty of Agriculture and at the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Biological Sciences, University of Florence (1993-ongoing).

Partecipation to National and International Commissions

  • Member of CNR Commissions for the accession of researchers and technicians (permanent and temporary positions) in Institutes of the Italian National Research Council.
  • Associated Editor for Acta Phisiologiae Plantarum (2014-ongoing)
Reviewer of manuscripts submitted for publication to several ISI International Journals, among which: Plant, Cell, Tissue & Organ Culture, Journal of Tropical Forest Science, Scientia Horticulturae, Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Plant, Annals of Applied Biology, Physiologia Plantarum, Journal of Environmental Management, Plant Biosystems, Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, Journal of Forestry Research., African Journal of Biotechnology, Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, iForest Biosciences and Forestry, Trees - Structure and functions.
Pubblicazioni/ Books and Articles Main recent publications (2007 - present) ISI Journal articles Capuana m., Petrini g., Di Marco a., Giannini r. (2007) Plant regeneration of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) by somatic embryogenesis. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.—Plant 43:101-110. CAPUANA M., PONTI F. (2008) In vitro medium-term conservation of Myrtus communis L. Propag. Ornam Plants 8(2): 111-113. TSVETKOV I., BENELLI C., CAPUANA M., DE CARLO A., LAMBARDI M. (2009) Application of vitrification-derived cryotechniques for long-term storage of poplar and apsen (Populus spp.) germplasm. Agr. Food Sci. 18: 160-166. OZUDOGRU A., CAPUANA M., KAYA E., PANIS B., LAMBARDI M. (2010) Cryopreservation of Fraxinus excelsior L. embryogenic callus by one-step freezing and slow cooling techniques. CryoLetters 31(1): 63-75. Lambardi M., DE CARLO A., GERMANA’ M.A., CAPUANA M., Ozudogru E.A., (2010) Cryopreservation of Citrus germplasm: considerations on a case-study. CryoLetters 31:88 (abstract). DONNARUMMA F., CAPUANA M., VETTORI C., PETRINI G., GIANNINI R., INDORATO C., MASTROMEI G. (2011) Isolation and characterization of bacterial colonies from seeds and in vitro cultures of Fraxinus spp. from Italian sites. Plant Biol. 13: 169-176. DI LONARDO S., CAPUANA M., ARNETOLI M., GABBRIELLI R., GONNELLI C. (2011) Exploring the metal phytoextraction potential of three Populus alba L. clones using an in vitro screening. Environ. Sci. Poll. Res. 18: 82-90. OZUDOGRU E.A., KIRDOK E., KAYA E., CAPUANA M., DE CARLO A., ENGELMANN F. (2011) Medium-term conservation of redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don.) Endl.) in vitro shoot cultures and encapsulated buds. Sci. Hort. 127: 431-435. CAPUANA M. (2011) Heavy metals and woody plants - biotechnologies for phytoremediation. iForest - Biosciences and Forestry 4: 7-15. OZUDOGRU E.A., KIRDOK E., KAYA E., CAPUANA M., BENELLI C., ENGELMANN F. (2011) Cryopreservation of redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don.) Endl.) in vitro buds using vitrification-based techniques. CryoLetters 32 (2): 99-110. DI LONARDO S., VACCARI F., BARONTI S., CAPUANA M., BACCI L., SABATINI F., LAMBARDI M., MIGLIETTA F. (2013) Biochar successfully replaces activated charcoal for in vitro culture of two white poplar clones reducing ethylene concentration. Plant Growth Regul. 69: 43-50. CAPUANA M., DI LONARDO S. (2013) In vitro conservation of chestnut (Castanea sativa) by slow growth. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. - Plant. 49(5): 605-610. CAPUANA M. (2017) Le colture in vitro per il fitorimedio. Italus Hortus 24: 15-28. CAPUANA M., COLZI I., BUCCIANTI A., COPPI A., PALM E., DEL BUBBA M., GONNELLI C. (2018) Paradoxical effect of density on measurement of copper tollerance in Silene paradoxa L. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 25: 1331-1339. CAPUANA M. (2020) A review of the performance of woody and herbaceous ornamental plants for phytoremediation in urban areas. iForest-Biosciences and Forestry 13: 139-151. Book chapters CAPUANA M. co-author in: Piotto B., Giacanelli V., Ercole S. (A cura di) (2010) - La conservazione ex situ della biodiversità delle specie vegetali spontanee e coltivate in Italia. Stato dell’arte, criticità e azioni da compiere. Manuali e linee guida. ISPRA 54/2010. 205 pp. CAPUANA M. (2012) - In vitro propagation of ash (Fraxinus spp.) by somatic embryogenesis In: Lambardi M., Ozudogru E.A., Jain S.M. (Eds.) Protocols for Micropropagation of Selected Economically-Important Horticultural Plants. Humana Press-Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 213-222, (ISBN 978-1-62703-073-1). CAPUANA M. (2014) - In vitro culture: a tool for phytoremediation purposes. In: Ramawat K.G.,. Mérillon J.-M, Ahuja M.R. (Eds.) Tree Biotechnology. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 36-55. CAPUANA M., DI LONARDO S. (2015) - Uso del biochar nella coltura in vitro, come alternativa al carbone attivo. In: Micheli M., Caboni E., Lambardi M., Monticelli S. (Eds.) Colture in vitro: note di laboratorio, SOI, Firenze, pp. 73-75. CAPUANA M. (2016) Somatic embryogenensi in Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) . In: Germanà M.A., Lambardi M. (Eds.) In Vitro Embryogenesis in Higher Plants, Humana Press-Springer, pp. 431-438. Books edited Lambardi M., Capuana M. and De Carlo A. (Editors) 2009. La micropropagazione in Italia: stato attuale e prospettive future. Un incontro tra operatori del settore e della ricerca. Atti del Convegno Nazionale, Legnaro (PD), 20-21 novembre 2008, pp. 322 (ISSN 1127-3496).
Additional information

Membership of International Society

  • IAPTC&B, International Association for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology
  • I.S.H.S., International Society for the Horticultural Science
 

Selected Publications

(full list available at CNR People)

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