Personal details
Name and Surname: Giulia Tabanelli
Gender: Female
Place of birth: Faenza (RA)
Nationality: Italian
e-mail: giulia.tabanelli2@unibo.it
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8693-1716
Education
Bachelor degree in Food Science and Technology (University of Bologna) in 2004. She got, at the same university, the Master Degree in Food Science and Technology in 2007 and the PhD in Food Science and Biotechnology in 2011, defending a research thesis titled "Use of sub-lethal high pressure homogenization (HPH) treatment to enhance functional properties of lactic acid bacteria probiotic strains”. In 2010 he had a 4- months research stay at the laboratory of food microbiology of Instituto de Lactología Industrial (INLAIN, UNL-CONICET), Facultad de Ingeniería Química, National University of the Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina, under the supervision of prof. Jorge Reinheimer and Dr. Gabriel Vinderola. The studies concerned in vivo (in mice) effects of probiotic strains treated with sub-lethal pressure levels (with high homogenization pressure technique).
Academic career
After several years as research fellow at the Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Agrofood Research at the University of Bologna, in 2019 she becomes Junior assistant professor at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the University of Bologna. From 2022 she is Senior assistant professor at the same Department in the field of food microbiology.
In March 2017 (-April 2026), she reached the National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor, sector 07/F2, Agricultural microbiology. She is a member of the Italian Society for Agricultural, Food and Environmental Microbiology (SIMTREA, since 2014).
Teaching activities
- From 2020 she have the course “Advanced and predictive food microbiology” of the International Interuniversity MSc Degree “Food safety and food risk management [https://www.unipr.it/ugov/degree/4706] ” (in collaboration between University of Parma, University of Bologna - Alma Mater, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Catholic University of Piacenza, University of Ferrara).
- From 2020 she have the course “Predictive Microbiology” for the Master Degree in Food Science and Technology
- In 2019-2020 she had Laboratory of Microbiology in the Bachelor Degree of Viticulture and Enology;
- From 2014 to 2018, she was contract Professor in the course of Laboratory of Microbiology in the Bachelor Degree of Food Technology (University of Bologna);
- As part of the PhD course in "Nutrición y Ciencias de los Alimentos" of the Universidad de Granada, she was awarded a teaching assignment for 2018 on the topic "Fermentation microorganisms as a" cell factory ": risks and benefits ".
- She is active in tutoring and co-tutoring of undergraduate/graduate students within the Bachelor Degree of Food Technology, the Master Degree in Food Science and Technology (University of Bologna) and the Master Degree in Food Safety and Foos Risk Management (in collaboration between University of Parma, University of Bologna - Alma Mater, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Catholic University of Piacenza, University of Ferrara).
- She is the co-supervisor for PhD thesis of Chiara Angelucci, PhD Programme in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science (University of Bologna), XXXVIII cycle. Thesis title: “Use of Non-Thermal Treatments to Improve the Safety, Quality, and Shelf-Life of Products of Animal Origin”.
- She was co-supervisor for PhD thesis of Federica Barbieri, PhD Programme in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science (University of Bologna), XXXV cycle. Thesis title: Sustainable approaches for improving quality and safety of fresh or fermented products: use of bioactive compounds and bioprotective cultures.
Scientific activities
Participation in numerous national and international research programs including:
- PRIMA section 2 – 2022: “Innovative sustainable solutions for ready-to-eat traditional Mediterranean products and non-conventional healthy foods - InnoSol4Med” (2023-2026). (Role: Vice-Coordinator);
- PRIN 2022 (national project): “A 50 years evolutionary history of Lactobacillus helveticus from traditional dairy environments: biodiversity of strains as an opportunity for technological exploitation and new products - Helv4DairHy” (October 2023 – September 2025). (Role: Coordinator);
- PRIN PNRR (national project): “miCrObial COnsortia for New plant-based fermented prodUcTs – COCONUT” (November 2023 – November 2025). (Role: Vice-Coordinator).
- Prima 2019: “Bio-Protective Cultures And Bioactive Extracts As Sustainable combined strategies to improve the shelf-life of perishable Mediterranean food -BioProMedFood, 2 March 2020 – 1 March 2022 (Role: Scientific Manager).
- NoTEAgro, BioSustainable recovery of bioactive compounds from spanish agro-food residues using non-thermal technologies, in collaboration with University of Granada (01/01/2019-31/12/2021)
- POR FESR project 2014-2020 Emilia Romagna Region: Regional microbial collections: biodiversity at the service of the agri-food industry -MicroEmiRo (CUP: J12F16000010009), June 2015 - May 2018.
- POR FESR project 2014-2020 Emilia Romagna Region: Sustainability And Innovation Of The Wine-Production Value Chain – Sostinnovi, June 2015 - May 2018.
- AGER project "Novel strategies meeting the needs of fresh-cut vegetable sector-STAYFRESH" (2012-2014).
- Technology transfer and industrial research activities within projects eligible for regional funding or commissioned by companies in the sector.
Technology transfer
Giulia Tabanelli is involved in the research activities of the Inter-Department Centre of Food Industrial Research (CIRI), specifically dedicated to the technological transfer to food industry. She participated and is responsible of several collaboration through research contracts between the University of Bologna and agri-food companies.
Prizes and awards
- Award for best publication by SIMTREA young researcher members concerning research topics on Food Microbiology, for the work Tabanelli et al. (2015), Frontiers in Microbiology 6: 1006)
- 2013: FEMS Young Scientist Meeting Grant (YSMG) award for participation in the Microbial diversity conference, MD2013 (Turin, 23-25 October).
- 2015: SIMTREA - FEMS Grant Award for participation in the Microbial diversity conference, MD2015 (Perugia, 7-29 October).
Editorial responsibilities:
- Review Editor of the peer-reviewed Journal Frontiers in Microbiology, section Food Microbiology (Electronic ISSN: 1664-302X;
- Editorial board member in Foods (ISSN 2304-8158; CODEN: FOODBV) (MDPI).
- Editorial board member in European Journal of BioMedical Research (E-ISSN: 2428-5544, EJBMR)
- Guest Editor in the Special Issue "Bioactive Components in Fermented Foods and Food By-Products", Foods (MDPI).
Referee for several international and Italian journals in the field of Food Science and Technology and Food Microbiology.
Publications and bibliometric parameters:
She is the author and co-author of 80 publications in scientific journals indexed with Impact Factor contained in the ISI WEB and SCOPUS databases. ISI WEB databases: 80 documents, h index 26 and 2168 total citations on 27 of December 2023. (27 of December 2023). (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8693-1716; Scopus Author ID: 35171516600; Loop Profile: 213306).
She is co-author of 6 chapters in national and international books.
She presented several oral communications and posters at national and international scientific meetings and symposia.