Foto del docente

Francesca Patrignani

Associate Professor

Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Academic discipline: AGR/16 Agricultural Microbiology

Director of Second Cycle Degree in Food Science and Technology

Curriculum vitae

Francesca Patrignani is Associate Professor in Food Microbiology, graduated in Food Science and Technology at University of Bologna where, in 2004, she obtained the PhD in Food Biotechnology. After several fellowships, she won a technician position at the University of Bologna and in 2014 she became junior researcher in Food Microbiology.

INSTITUTIONAL (ACADEMIC) RESPONSABILITIES:

Francesca Patrignani has three courses at the Campus of Food Science (University of Bologna, Cesena): Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (4 cfu), Laboratory of Wine Microbiology (2 cfu), Biology of microorganims (6 cfu).

RESPONSABILITIES AT FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES/RESEARCH BODIES

Francesca Patrignani was guest researcher at the Institute of Hygiene and toxicology, Germany, studying lactic acid bacteria and their molecular, phenotypic and functional features having as supervisor Prof. Holzapfel. She was guest researcher at the Instituto de Lactologia Industrial, University of Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina, with prof. Reinheimmer as supervisor. During this period she studied the probiotic and functional features of lactic acid bacteria.

Actually, since she is coordinator of the exchange program Italy-Canada/Quebec (2017-2019), she is spending one month/year (2017-2019) as visiting researcher at the University of Laval, Quebec, Canada, studying the lactic acid bacteria as biocontrol agents for short ripened cheese, working with Prof. Ismail Fliss.

EDITORIAL RESPONSABILITIES:

Francesca Patrignani is Associate Editor of the peer-reviewed Journal Frontiers in Microbiology/Food Microbiology

OTHER RESPONSABILITIES:

She was involved in several national and international projects: jointed Research Project SECYT-MAE, Italy, Argentina, 2006-2007; HighQ RTE Innovative non thermal processing technologies to improve the quality and safety of ready-to-eat-RTE-meals; Joint Research Italia-Korea, AGER-STAY FRESH, ATENA-Made in Italy project. Among POR-FESR projects, she has been involved in ECOPACKLAB, INNOFRUVE, MICROEMIRO, SMARTWHEAT. She is invlved in the project INGREEN (H2020-BBI-JTI-2018-DEMO). “Production of functional innovative ingredients from paper and agro-food side-streams through sustainable and efficient tailor-made biotechnological processes for food, feed, pharma and cosmetics (01/06/2019 - 31/12/2022).

She received an international award (Scientific Excellence Poster) given by INRA during the symposium “Fruit and Veg Processing”, Avignon 2016.

AREA OF EXPERTISE: INGREEN (H2020-BBI-JTI-2018-DEMO). “Production of functional innovative ingredients from paper and agro-food side-streams through sustainable and efficient tailor-made biotechnological processes for food, feed, pharma and cosmetics (01/06/2019 - 31/12/2022).

Her research topics deal with i) high pressure homogenization as alternative to thermal treatment for microbial inactivation; ii) physiology and metabolism of lactic acid bacteria and non-conventional yeasts; iii) high pressure homogenization, applied at sub-lethal level, to improve functional features of lactic acid bacteria; iv) study of microbial cell responses to sub-lethal stresses; v) antimicrobial properties of essential oils against pathogenic and spoilage species and their use in food; vi) study of the effects of physico-chemical and compositional parameters on the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in model and real systems.

PUBLICATIONS AND BIBLIOMETRIC PARAMETERS:

Francesca patrignani is co-author of 180 publications, 84 published in peer reviewed journals (h index on Scopus =26), 4 book chapter. She presented 11 oral presentations in international symposia, 8 as presenter.

PATENTS/SPIN OFF/Technology transfer

Francesca Patrignani is one of the inventors of the national (n. 102015000076561) and international patent (PCT/EP2016/078287) applications focused on “PACKAGING FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS TREATED WITH AN ANTIMICROBIAL SOLUTION”.

She is also involved in the research activities of the Inter-Department Centre of Food Industrial Research (CIRI), specifically dedicated to the technological transfer to food industry and partially financed by EU.

RESEARCH RESPONSABILITIES

Francesca Patrignani is the scientific supervisor of the ALMA IDEA project 2017 titled “biotechnological approaches for the development of a gender food”.

She is also responsible of a research grant titled: “Selection of lactic acid bacteria to use as starter and biocontol agents in foods”