Current position
Researcher at DIMEC- Department of Medical and Surgical Science
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna
Bologna, Italy
PNRR PE8: Age-it (A novel public-private alliance to generate socioeconomic, biomedical and technological solutions for an inclusive Italian ageing society (01/01/2023 - 31/12/2025)
Education and Training
2013 Training at MRC-ARUK Centre of Excellence for MUSCULOskeletal Ageing Research of Derby Royal Hospital-UK for studies on skeletal muscle physiology by ultrasound technique. Responsible: Prof. Marco Narici.
2009 PhD in Molecular Biotechnology – Research Doctorate School in BIOmolecular Sciences (BIOS School), Title research project “Molecular Mechanisms of stress response in planarian stem cells” – University of Pisa-Italy
2008 Training at Department of Biological Science – USC Davis School of Gerontology of Los Angeles for studies on Longevity and Stress Resistance in S. cevesiae. Responsible: Prof. Valter Longo.
2007 Licence to practice the Biologist Profession – University of Pisa-Italy.
2005 Degree with honours (110/110 cum laude) in Biological Science – University of Pisa-Italy.
2000 Scientific High School Diploma – Liceo Scientifico Statale-“B. Marzolla” – San Vito dei Normanni (BR)-Italy.
Professional experience
Research activity in the field of Cellular and Molecular Biology, with particular focus on studies on the role of mitokines and perilipins in the inflammatory modulation associated with aging (inflammaging) and age-associated pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, Type II diabetes, Sarcopenia and tumors.
2009-2022 Post-Doctoral Research Associate – Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES) and Interdepartmental Centre "L.Galvani" (CIG) – University of Bologna-Italy.
2013-to date Reviewer of scientific articles in international scientific journals (including: Aging Cell, Frontiers in Endocrinology, Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle, GeroScience, Journal of Gerontology, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences)
2012-to date Member of the Editorial Board as Review Editor in the Aging section for the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology (Editor Frontiers Media SA)
2011-to date Co-supervisor of experimental theses in Immunogenetics and Immunology at the University of Bologna for the degree courses in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Molecular and Cellular Biology.
2018-to date Collaboration with Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-environmental Sciences of the University of Pisa. Responsible Prof. Marcello Mele.
2014-2015 Collaboration with Department of Chemistry CIAMICIAN – University of Bologna-Italy. Responsible Prof. Stefania Rapino.
2013-2016 Visiting researcher at Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) of Padua for molecular studies in mouse model system. Responsible: Prof. Marco Sandri.
2009-2012 Participation to FP7 EU project MYOAGE (Understanding and combating age-related muscle weakness – 2008-2012. Coordinator: Prof. Gillian Butler-Browne, INSERM, Paris, France).
2007-2009 Teaching activity for “Cellular Biotechnology Course”, degree course: Biological Science - University of Pisa-Italy.
February 2022 Achievement of the national scientific qualification for the role of Professor teacher for the disciplinary scientific sector MED04 (06/A2).
Skills and competences
Technical skills and competences
- Molecular Biology technique
DNA and RNA manipulation techniques.
Protein manipulation techniques.
In situ hybridization.
RNA interference in animal model system: cell cultures, planaria flatworm and mouse.
Polymorphism determination by Microarray.
Knowledge of the principal online bioinformatic programs: NCBI, BLAST, CLUSTALW, NET PRIMER CALCULATE
- Ultrasound (ESAOTE) Based Techniques for Skeletal muscle studies
Digital skills (advanced user) - Excellent knowledge of the Microsoft Office package (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Outlook). -Adobe Photoshop. - ImageJ. - Use of bioinformatics and data and statistical analysis programs (SPSS, JMP).
Patents: International patent in collaboration with the CIAMICIAN Department of Chemistry for the invention “Compositions, devices and methods for the control of the chemical microenvironment in cell cultures”; application number. 102016000099380, installation date 04 October 2016; Released on: May 15, 2019.
Driving license category B
Scientific publication
- Capri M., Conte M., Ciurca E., Pirazzini C., Garagnani P., Santoro A., Longo F., Salvioli S., Lau P., Moeller R., Jordan J., Illig T., Villanueva M.M., Gruber M., Bürkle A., Franceschi C., Rittweger J. Long-term human spaceflight and inflammaging: Does it promote aging? AGEING RES REV. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101909.
- Chiariello A., Valente S., Pasquinelli G., Baracca A., Sgarbi G., Solaini G., Medicini V., Fantini V., Poloni T.E., Tognocchi M., Arcaro M., Galimberti D., Franceschi C., Capri M., Salvioli S., Conte M. The expression pattern of GDF15 in human brain changes 1 during aging and in Alzheimer’s disease. FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE, doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1058665.
- Conte M., Giuliani C., Chiariello A., Iannuzzi V., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. GDF15, an emerging key player in human aging. (2022). AGEING RES REV, doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101569.
- Tognocchi M., Conte M., Testai L., Martucci M., Serra A., Salvioli S., Calderone V., Mele M., Conte G. (2022). Supplementation of Enriched Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and CLA Cheese on High Fat Diet: Effects on Lipid Metabolism and Fat Profile. FOODS, doi: 10.3390/foods11030398.
- Conte M., Medici V., Malagoli D., Chiariello A., Cirrincione A., Davin A., Chikhladze M., Vasuri F., Legname G., Ferrer I., Vanni S., Marcon G., Poloni T.E., Guaita A., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2021). Expression pattern of perilipins in human brain during aging and in Alzheimer’s disease. NEUROPATHOLOGY & APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY.
- Conte M., Santoro A., Collura S., Martucci M., Battista G., Bazzocchi A., Morsiani C., Sevini F., Capri M., Monti D., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2021). Circulating perilipin 2 levels are associated with fat mass, inflammatory and metabolic markers and are higher in women than men. AGING, doi: 10.18632/aging.202840.
- Conte M., Conte G., Salvioli S. VOCs profile can discriminate biological age. (2021) AGING, doi: 10.18632/aging.202959.
- Conte M., Sabbatinelli J., Chiariello A., Martucci M., Santoro A., Monti D., Arcaro M., Galimberti D., Scarpini E., Bonfigli A.R., Giuliani A., Olivieri F., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2021). Disease-specific plasma levels of mitokines FGF21, GDF15, and Humanin in type II diabetes and Alzheimer's disease in comparison with healthy aging. GEROSCIENCE, doi: 10.1007/s11357-020-00287-w.
- Foggi G., Ciucci F., Conte M., Casarosa L., Serra A., Giannessi E., Lenzi C., Salvioli S., Conte G., Mele M. (2021). Histochemical characterisation and gene expression analysis of skeletal muscles from maremmana and aubrac steers reared on grazing and feedlot systems. ANIMALS, doi: 10.3390/ani11030656.
- Morsiani C., Terlecki-Zaniewicz L., Skalicky S., Bacalini M.G., Collura S., Conte M., Sevini F., Garagnani P., Salvioli S., Hack M., Grillari J., Franceschi C., Capri M. (2021). Circulating miR-19a- 3p and miR-19b- 3p characterize the human aging process and their isomiRs associate with healthy status at extreme ages. AGING CELL.
- Narici M., McPhee J., Conte M., Franchi M.V., Mitchell K., Tagliaferri S., Monti E., Marcolin G., Atherton P.J., Smith K., Phillips B., Lund J., Franceschi C., Maggio M., Butler-Browne G.S. (2021). Age-related alterations in muscle architecture are a signature of sarcopenia: the ultrasound sarcopenia index. JOURNAL OF CACHEXIA, SARCOPENIA AND MUSCLE.
- Conte M., Martucci M., Chiariello A., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2020). Mitochondria, immunosenescence and inflammaging: a role for mitokines? SEMINARS IN IMMUNOPATHOLOGY, doi: 10.1007/s00281-020-00813-0.
- Ponti F., Santoro A., Mercatelli D., Gasperini C., Conte M., Martucci M., Sangiorgi L., Franceschi C., Bazzocchi A. (2020). Aging and Imaging Assessment of Body Composition: From Fat to Facts. FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY, doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00861.
- Conte M., Conte G., Martucci M., Monti D., Casarosa L., Serra A., Mele M., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2020). The smell of longevity: a combination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) can discriminate centenarians and their offspring from age-matched subjects and young controls. GEROSCIENCE, doi: 10.1007/s11357-019-00143-6.
- Martucci M., Conte M., Ostan R., Chiariello A., Miele F., Franceschi C., Salvioli S., Santoro A., Provini F. (2020). Both objective and paradoxical insomnia elicit a stress response involving mitokine production. AGING, doi: 10.18632/aging.103274.
- Conte M., Martucci M., Mosconi G., Chiariello A., Cappuccilli M., Totti V., Santoro A., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2020). GDF15 Plasma Level Is Inversely Associated with Level of Physical Activity and Correlates With Markers of Inflammation and Muscle Weakness. FRONT IMMUNOL. Vol.11, p. 915. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00915.
- Santoro A., Martucci M., Conte M., Capri M., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2020). Inflammaging, hormesis and the rationale for anti-aging strategies. AGEING RESEARCH REVIEWS, doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101142.
- Martucci M., Conte M., Bucci L., Giampieri E., Fabbri C., Palmas M.G., Izzi M., Salvioli S., Zambrini A.V., Orsi C., Brigidi P., Santoro A., Capri M., Monti D., Franceschi C. (2020). Twelve-Week Daily Consumption of ad hoc Fortified Milk with ω-3, D, and Group B Vitamins Has a Positive Impact on Inflammaging Parameters: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial. NUTRIENTS, doi: 10.3390/nu12113580.
- Conte M., Armani A., Conte G., Serra A., Franceschi C., Mele M., Sandri M., Salvioli S. (2019). Muscle-specific Perilipin2 down-regulation affects lipid metabolism and induces myofiber hypertrophy. JOURNAL OF CACHEXIA, SARCOPENIA AND MUSCLE, doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12355.
- Conte M., Ostan R., Fabbri C., Santoro A., Guidarelli G., Vitale G., Mari D., Sevini F., Capri M., Sandri M., Monti D., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2019). Human aging and longevity are characterized by high levels of mitokines. JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES, doi: 10.1093/gerona/gly153.
- Franceschi C., Garagnani P., Gensous N., Bacalini M.G., Conte M., Salvioli S. (2019). Accelerated bio-cognitive aging in Down syndrome: State of the art and possible deceleration strategies. AGING CELL, doi: 10.1111/acel.12903.
- Capri M., Morsiani C., Santoro A., Moriggi M., Conte M., Martucci M., Bellavista E., Fabbri C., Giampieri E., Albracht K., Flück M., Ruoss S., Brocca L., Canepari M., Longa E., Di Giulio I., Bottinelli R., Cerretelli P., Salvioli S., Gelfi C., Franceschi C., Narici M., Rittweger J. (2019). Recovery from 6-month spaceflight at the International Space Station: muscle-related stress into a proinflammatory setting. FASEB JOURNAL, doi: 10.1096/fj.201801625R. IF: 4.966
- Conte M., Martucci M., Sandri M., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2019). The Dual Role of the Pervasive "Fattish" Tissue Remodeling With Age. FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY, doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00114.
- Matarrese P., Tieri P., Anticoli S., Ascione B., Conte M., Franceschi C., Malorni W., Salvioli S., Ruggieri A. (2019). X-chromosome-linked miR548am-5p is a key regulator of sex disparity in the susceptibility to mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. CELL DEATH & DISEASE, doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1888-3.
- Franceschi C., Garagnani P., Morsiani C., Conte M., Santoro A., Grignolio A., Monti D., Capri M., Salvioli S. (2018). The Continuum of Aging and Age-Related Diseases: Common Mechanisms but Different Rates. FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE, doi: 10.3389/fmed.2018.00061.
- Tezze C., Romanello V., Desbats Ma., Fadini Gp., Albiero M., Favaro G., Ciciliot S., Soriano Me., Morbidoni V., Cerqua C., Loefler S., Kern H., Franceschi C., Salvioli S., Conte M., Blaauw B., Zampieri. S., Salviati L., Scorrano L., Sandri M. (2017). Loss of OPA1 in Muscle Impacts Muscle Mass, Metabolic Homeostasis, Systemic Inflammation, and Epithelial Senescence. CELL METABOLISM, doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.04.021.
- Mercken E.M., Capri M., Carboneau B.A., Conte M., Heidler J., Santoro A., Martin Montalvo A., Gonzalez F., [...] (2017). Conserved and species-specific molecular denominators in mammalian skeletal muscle aging. NPJ AGING AND MECHANISMS OF DISEASE, doi: 10.1038/s41514-017-0009-8.
- Conte M., Franceschi C., Sandri M., Salvioli S. (2016). Perilipin 2 and Age-Related Metabolic Diseases: A New Perspective. TRENDS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM, doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2016.09.001.
- Conte M., Vasuri F., Bertaggia E., Armani A., Santoro A., Bellavista E., Degiovanni A., D'Errico-Grigioni A., Trisolino G., Capri M., Franchi M.V., Narici M.V., Sandri M., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2015). Differential expression of perilipin 2 and 5 in human skeletal muscle during aging and their association with atrophy-related genes. BIOGERONTOLOGY. Erratum in: Biogerontology. 2015 16:341.
- Kristensen M., Pötzelsberger B., Scheiber P., Bergdahl A., Hansen Cn., Andersen Jl., Narici M., Salvioli S., Conte M., Müller E., Dela F. (2015). Alpine Skiing With total knee ArthroPlasty (ASWAP): metabolism, inflammation, and skeletal muscle fiber characteristics. SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS, doi: 10.1111/sms.12478.
- Narici M., Conte M., Salvioli S., Franceschi C., Selby A., Dela F., Rieder F., Kösters A., Müller E. (2015). Alpine Skiing With total knee ArthroPlasty (ASWAP): impact on molecular and architectural features of musculo-skeletal ageing. SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS, doi: 10.1111/sms.12458.
- Conte M., Vasuri F., Trisolino G., Bellavista E., Santoro A., Degiovanni A., Martucci E., D’Errico-Grigioni A., Caporossi D., Capri M., Maier A.B., Seynnes O., Barberi L., Musarò A., Narici M., Franceschi C., Salvioli S. (2013) Increased Plin2 expression in human skeletal muscle is associated with sarcopenia and muscle weakness. PLOS ONE.
- Salvioli S., Lanzarini C., Conte M., Pirazzini C., Bacalini M.G., Garagnani P., Giuliani C., Fontanesi E., Ostan R., Bucci L., Sevini F., [...] (2013). Immune system, cell senescence, aging and longevity - Inflamm-aging reappraised. CURRENT PHARMACEUTICAL DESIGN, doi: 10.2174/1381612811319090015.
- Barberi L., Scicchitano B.M., De Rossi M., Bigot A., Duguez S., Wielgosik A., Stewart C., McPhee J., Conte M., Narici M., Franceschi C., Mouly V., Butler-Browne G., Musarò A. (2013). Age-dependent alteration in muscle regeneration: the critical role of tissue niche. BIOGERONTOLOGY.
- Isolani M.E., Conte M., Deri P., Batistoni R. (2012). Stem cell protection mechanisms in planarians: the role of some heat shock genes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY.
- Conte M., Isolani M.E, Deri P., Mannini L., Batistoni R. (2011). Expression of hsp90 mediates cytoprotective effects in the gastrodermis of planarians. CELL STRESS & CHAPERONES.
- Seppet E., Paasuke M., Conte M., Capri M., Franceschi C. (2011). Ethical aspects of aging research. BIOGERONTOLOGY, doi: 10.1007/s10522-011-9340-9.
- Conte M., Deri P., Isolani M.E., Mannini L., Batistoni R. (2010). Characterization of hsp genes in planarian stem cells. BELG. J. ZOOL.
- Conte M., Deri P., Isolani M.E., Mannini L., Batistoni R. (2009). A mortalin-like gene is crucial for planarian stem cell viability. DEV BIOL. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.07.010.
