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Cristofori Antonella

Dr. Antonella Cristofori, born in 1970, is a senior researcher at the Research and Innovation Centre of Fondazione Edmund Mach. She achieved a Master Degree in Biological sciences (5ys) at the University of Milano, Italy, and a Specialization Degree in Clinical Pathology (5y) at the University of Pavia, Italy.

She is a highly-motivated, innovative-oriented and practiced researcher with has a strong background in molecular techniques, DNA analysis, aerobiology, palynology, environmental science, human health. Her current research interest is oriented to the biodiversity of aerobiota, with a particular focus on airborne pollen and fungal spores, studied by innovative approaches, mainly DNA metabarcoding and real-time devices, and human health related risk assessment for the exposure to aerobiota. She is experienced in conceiving and designing research activities and projects, as well as in project management, and she has a large scientific network.

She is talented in disseminating and communicating research outputs to the international, national, and local community of scientists and stakeholders, and she is author and co-author of many scientific articles (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6769-2927 ), and reviewer for several scientific journals.

Image: Cristofori Antonella

Research interest

Plant Biodiversity
Aerobiology
Bioindicators

Project contact person

AirBiD – Airborne biological diversity shaped and modelled by Urban Green Elements

(Biodiversa+) Il progetto AirBiD, finanziato attraverso il partenariato europeo per la biodiversità Biodiversa+, si propone di investigare la composizione e la dinamica delle comunità aeromicrobiche e aeropalinologiche in ecosistemi urbani di diverse città europee. L'obiettivo primario è di caratterizzare la biodiversità dell'aria, analizzando la presenza e la distribuzione di bioaerosol (batteri, funghi, virus) e pollini, e di valutare il loro impatto sulla salute umana e sull'ambiente.

Further details

x ADOPT2 - New approaches in detection of pathogens and aeroallergens

(EU COST ACTION) Bioaerosols are among the most complex components in the atmosphere. Bioaerosols are relevant as important pathogens in crops and on trees, as aeroallergens in relation to human health and as catalysts for physical processes in relation to climate such as cloud formation processes. For decades the backbone in the European monitoring network of bioaerosols in relation to crop and human health has been simple impactors that trap the bioaerosols on a sticky surface followed by optical identification using microscopes. This approach is both time consuming, expensive and limiting with respect to the progress of science. The last five to ten years a range of new techniques have become available that enable a number of scientific breakthroughs in the general understanding of bioaerosols and how they interact with the environment.  This COST action will establish an interdisciplinary network of experts currently involved in the detection of bioaerosols using both existing methods as well as upcoming technologies such as real or near real-time technologies from atmospheric chemistry and physics or eDNA methods used in molecular biology. A main objective is to critically address the barriers that limits the penetration of new methods in detection of bioaerosols. The cost action will stimulate both research and technological development, e.g. by developing approaches for integration of multiple methods for detecting bioaerosols and how to handle data using numerical approaches in a big data environment by using fungal spores and pollen as examples.

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x POLLINI TRENTINO - Informazione pollini in digitale per migliorare la qualità di vita dei cittadini allergici

(Fondazione VRT) Obiettivo del progetto è ideare e sviluppare un sistema di comunicazione accessibile, efficace, implementabile ed interattivo per migliorare la comunicazione sul rischio di esposizione ai pollini allergenici in Trentino, attraverso la creazione e sviluppo di un’applicazione mobile.

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