Martina Cappelletti

Since October 2022, Martina Cappelletti is Associate Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Genomics at the University of Bologna and Principal Investigator of the Molecular Environmental Microbiology Laboratory (MEMlab).

MEMlab Research Website: https://site.unibo.it/molecular-environmental-microbiology-lab/en

In December 2023, she obtained the Italian National Scientific Qualification (ASN) for Full Professor in General Microbiology (Academic Sector 05/I2 – BIO/19).

The research activities of MEMlab focus on the genomic, molecular, and biotechnological aspects of microbial interactions with organic and inorganic substrates, bacterial responses to environmental stress, microbial ecology, environmental microbiology, microbial genomics, synthetic biology, and microbial biotechnology.

Particular attention is devoted to:

• microbial interactions with pollutants, metals, and engineered materials;

• microbial communities in natural and extreme environments;

• functional and comparative genomics of environmentally relevant microorganisms;

• microbial biofilms and cell-to-cell communication;

• bioremediation and biodegradation processes;

• synthetic microbiology and microbial biotechnology.

Martina Cappelletti is author or co-author of:

• 81 peer-reviewed scientific publications;

• 5 book chapters;

• 8 conference proceedings.

Her scientific production has received more than 2,000 citations, with an H-index of 26 (updated June 2026).

• ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6238-8296

• ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martina-Cappelletti-2

Recent funded projects include:

• BIO-COATCH (PRIN-PNRR 2022, 2023–2025) – Principal Investigator. Development of sustainable bioactive coatings for the preservation of metal surfaces in cultural heritage and healthcare applications.

• MethDNActinoBio (PRIN 2022, 2023–2025) – Co-Principal Investigator. Investigation of the role of epigenetics in the biosynthesis of industrially valuable compounds in Actinobacteria.

• AlmaIdea 2022 (University of Bologna, 2022–2023). Gene expression regulation in bacteria of biotechnological relevance.

• National Geographic Grant (2022–2023). Microbiological investigation of microbial communities inhabiting the lava tubes of the Fagradalsfjall volcano (Iceland).

• ENOCHAR Project (2023–ongoing). Microbiological characterization of agricultural soil microbiota under innovative compost and biochar applications.

• ELECTRA – Horizon 2020 (2019–2022). Leader of the University of Bologna research unit working on molecular tools for the study and monitoring of dehalogenating microbial communities in contaminated sediments.

• Europlanet Transnational Access Grants (2017, 2019, 2021) for metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic characterization of microbial communities and biofilms in extreme environments.

Since 2019, she has coordinated several research contracts with public and private partners in the fields of environmental biotechnology, antimicrobial materials, contaminated site monitoring, agricultural microbiology, biodeterioration, and biomedical materials.

Research activities include:

• microbial community characterization using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing;

• qPCR-based monitoring of biomarker genes;

• evaluation of antibacterial properties of innovative materials;

• microbial ecology studies of contaminated environments;

• genomic and phenotypic characterization of microorganisms with agricultural and industrial applications.

Her research career has focused on environmental microbiology, microbial genomics, microbial ecology, biodegradation, biofilms, and biotechnological applications of microorganisms.

Previous positions include:

• Associate Professor, University of Bologna (2022–present);

• RTD-B Researcher, University of Bologna (2019–2022);

• RTD-A Researcher, University of Bologna (2016–2019);

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Bologna (2010–2015).

She has also conducted research activities abroad at:

• University of Calgary (Canada);

• Osaka University (Japan);

• Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Oxford (United Kingdom).

Fellowships and Awards

• 2022 – AlmaIdea Grant, University of Bologna.

• 2013–2015 – Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, funded by the Giovanni & Vasco Rossi Foundation.

• 2012–2013 – Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, University of Bologna.

• 2011 – Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation and Holger & Friederun Jannasch Scholarship in Microbial Diversity, Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, MA, USA.

• 2011 – Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis, University of Bologna, for the dissertation “Construction of Heterologous Expression Systems in Gram-positive Bacteria”.

• 2010–2011 – Research Fellowship, funded by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MIPAAF).

• 2009–2010 – Marco Polo Grant for International Research Mobility, University of Bologna.

• 2007–2010 – PhD Research Fellowship, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR).

• 2009 – G-COE Internship Program Grant, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Osaka University, Japan.

• 2006 – Leonardo da Vinci Programme Grant for International Internship Mobility, University of Bologna.

• DOE-JGI Microbial Genomics & Metagenomics Workshop (Spain, 2012).

• Microbial Diversity Summer Course, Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, USA (2011).

She has delivered more than 50 oral presentations, posters, and conference communications at national and international meetings, including conferences on environmental microbiology, microbial biotechnology, metagenomics, biodegradation, and bioremediation.

She has also been invited speaker at institutions including:

• University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy);

• University of Sydney (Australia);

• University of Calgary (Canada).

Martina Cappelletti currently serves as:

• Associate Editor, Scientific Reports;

• Associate Editor, Frontiers in Systems Biology.

She is also a member of the Editorial Boards of:

• Canadian Journal of Microbiology;

• Folia Microbiologica.

She has served as Guest Editor for several international journals, including Frontiers in Microbiology, Life, Molecules, and Microorganisms.

She is co-inventor of international patents in applied microbiology.

Her research activities have been featured in national and international media, including ZDF (Germany), RAI, Sky TG24, La Repubblica, and UNIBO Magazine, particularly for studies on cave microbiology, environmental microbiology, and antimicrobial materials.

• X (Twitter): @martycap_micro

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-cappelletti-24385b4

• ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martina_Cappelletti