Oscar Wallnoefer

I am a PhD Student in Earth, Life and Environmental Sciences, under the supervision of Prof. Marco Passamonti.
My primary research investigates the in vivo functionality of smithRNA, a newly discovered class of small non-coding RNAs mitochondrially encoded that may influence nuclear transcription. The Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is the model species used in this research.
More broadly, my interests encompass mitonuclear ecology, including the coevolution of mitochondrial and nuclear proteins , as well as the origins the eukaryotic cell.

I graduated with Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Bologna in 2021, followed by a Master's degree in Biodiversity and Evolution in 2023.