Bio

Alessandro is a pharmacologist with a keen interest in biotechnological interventions on the gut microbiota using genome editing technologies. During his Ph.D., Alessandro developed and tested genetically engineered probiotics for the in situ release of therapeutic molecules and as a platform for orally delivered bacterial-based vaccines. In the final year of his Ph.D., he conducted research at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), focusing on the development of novel CRISPR-Cas9 technologies for in situ genome editing in bacterial communities.

In February 2024, Alessandro joined the Valenzano Lab, where he is dedicated to unraveling the intricacies of how the intestinal innate immune response influences the composition of the gut microbiota. Using genome editing techniques, he aims to comprehend how age-related misregulation of direct immune mediators leads to dysbiosis and subsequent local and systemic pathological outcomes.

Education

Sapienza University | Rome, Italy

Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology | October 2020 – October 2023

Sapienza University | Rome, Italy

Master’s Degree in Pharmacy | October 2013 – September 2020

Experience

NextBiomics S.r.l. | Research and Development | October 2020 – October 2023

Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research | Visiting researcher | January 2023 – October 2023

Leibniz Institute on Aging | Postdoc | February 2024 - Present