Professor Scarlato started his scientific activity at
International Institute of Genetics and Biophysics (IIGB) in
Naples, carrying out research on computer DNA sequences and gene
identification criteria (1978-82). In 1982, he approached molecular
genetics and role of anti-sense RNAs in phage T4. He carried out
his second post-doctoral fellow (1985-87) in the laboratory of Dr
EP Geiduschek (University of California, San Diego) studying
transcriptional regulation of Bacillus subtilis phage SPO1
and self-splicing of group I introns. In 1988 Dr Scarlato obtained
a position as Researcher Scientist at Sclavo Research Center
(Siena, Italy) where he started studies on transcriptional
regulation in pathogenic bacteria. The major effort was directed to
the understanding of the transcriptional regulation of virulence
genes in Bordetella pertussis. His research has been
fundamental for the comprehension of this bacterium pathogenesis'
and has placed Dr Scarlato among the International experts in the
field. Since 1992, he is a group leader studying regulation of
virulence genes in Bordetella and Helicobacter
pylori. In 1998-2000 he also coordinated a group working on
genome sequence analyses of bacterial pathogens, including
Neisseria meningitidis. In 1998 he has been appointed
associate professor, and in 2002, full professor of Molecular
Biology at the University of Bologna. His research is currently
focused to the comprehension of the transcriptional regulation in
response to environmental changes (such as temperature, iron,
nickel) in H. pylori and N. mengintidis.
Professor Scarlato is member of 4 scientific societies: SIBBM
(Società Italiana di Biofisica e Biologia Molecolare), ASM
(American Society for Microbiology), SIMGBM (Società Italiana di
Microbiologia Generale e Biotecnologie Microbiche), and SGM
(Society of General Microbiology). He has served as referee to
international scientific journals (Mol Microbiol, J. Bacteriol,
MGG, NAR, Res Microbiol, Arch Virol, Microbiol, Gene, FEBS Letters,
and others), to several funding agencies (UK, Ireland, The
Netherlands, USA), in 1998-2006 has been Associate Editor of
"Microbiology" (SGM), and in 2008-2011 has been member of "Faculty of
1000 Biology". Since 2018 he is Associate Editor of the journal "Frontiers in Molecular Bacterial Pathogenesis" and of the journal "Microorganisms". Dr Scarlato's research was partially funded by
Chiron (now Novartis), by a grant from the Human Frontier Science
Program Organization (1993-1996), a grant from the European Union
(1998-2002), by MURST (1999-2004; 2012-2015), and by a Strategic
project (2006-2008).
During his scientific career, he published 93 papers on
international scientific journals, 16 book chapters, and attended
several national and international meetings.
