- United Kingdom
- 2012 - 2015 PhD student at the University of Strathclyde Techniques learned and utilised include: GC-MS for the identification and quantification of organic compounds in complex organic matter; Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) using GC-IRMS for carbon and hydrogen isotopes in mixture of hydrocarbons; Accelerated Solvent Extraction Techniques (ASE) of organic compounds for CSIA and GC-MS; qPCR techniques ... more2012 - 2015 PhD student at the University of Strathclyde
Techniques learned and utilised include: GC-MS for the identification and quantification of organic compounds in complex organic matter; Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) using GC-IRMS for carbon and hydrogen isotopes in mixture of hydrocarbons; Accelerated Solvent Extraction Techniques (ASE) of organic compounds for CSIA and GC-MS; qPCR techniques for the quantification of bacteria and Archaebacteria.
Jun 2012 - Sept 2012 Visiting student at the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester (University Collaboration)
Techniques learned and utilised include: High-Throughput 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis such as 454-pyrosequencing and bioinformatics tools for the de-novo assembly of metagenomic analysis; MPN experiments for the identification of microbial processes in the deep subsurface; Bioaugmentation and biostimulation in anaerobic microcosms experiments.
Jan 2012 - Sept 2012 Internship in the Chemistry Laboratories of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Facoltà di Scienze Matematiche, Fisiche e Naturali
Industrial Placement
Techniques learned and utilised include: GC-MS analysis of chlorinated solvents; GC-FID of gaseous hydrocarbons; Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) of Dehalococcoides ethenogenes; evaluation of the abiotic and biotic reductive dechlorination through column experiments.
Field Work experience: Anaerobic sampling procedures of produced water and cores for chemical and microbial analyses. In situ chemical analyses for the characterisation of contaminated soils.
Sept 2006 - Jan 2007 Internship in the Biochemistry laboratory of the Research National Council in Pisa, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
University Placement
Techniques learned and utilised include: PCR, Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE), Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) for the identification and characterization of microorganisms in soils; examination of chitin content in different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Solid state fermentation of the antagonistic fungus Trichoderma virens; mutant induction of microorganisms using Ultraviolet (UV) light; plant cells transformation using GUS gene.edit
Concerns about climate change and food productivity have spurred interest in biochar, a form of charred organic material typically used in agriculture to improve soil productivity and as a means of carbon sequestration. An innovative... more
Concerns about climate change and food productivity have spurred interest in biochar, a form of charred organic material typically used in agriculture to improve soil productivity and as a means of carbon sequestration. An innovative approach in agriculture is the use of agro-forestry waste for the production of soil fertilisers for agricultural purposes and as a source of energy. A common agricultural practice is to burn crop residues in the field to produce ashes that can be used as soil fertilisers. This approach is able to supply plants with certain nutrients, such as Ca, K, Mg, Na, B, S, and Mo. However, the low concentration of N and P in the ashes, together with the occasional presence of heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Cd, Se, Al, etc.), has a negative effect on soil and, therefore, crop productivity. This work describes the opportunity to create an innovative supply chain from agricultural waste biomass. Olive (Olea europaea) and hazelnut (Corylus avellana) pruning residues represent a major component of biomass waste in the area of Viterbo (Italy). In this study, we evaluated the production of biochar from these residues. Furthermore, a physicochemical characterisation of the produced biochar was performed to assess the quality of the two biochars according to the standards of the European Biochar Certificate (EBC). The results of this study indicate the cost-effective production of high-quality biochar from olive and hazelnut biomass residues.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Biogenic CH 4 generation has been observed in many shallow, low temperature shale gas basins and coal seams. The depletion of conventional resources and the increasing demand of natural gas for human consumption have spurred the... more
Biogenic CH 4 generation has been observed in many shallow, low temperature shale gas basins and coal seams. The depletion of conventional resources and the increasing demand of natural gas for human consumption have spurred the development of so-called unconventional gas resources such as shale gas (SG) and coal-bed methane (CBM). Such unconventional systems represent the opportunity for the stimulation of biogenic CH 4 generation. Biogenic CH 4 in shale and coal is produced by anaerobic biodegradation of organic matter (OM): methanogenic Archaea represent only the final step of biogenic CH 4 generation. Several communities of microorganisms are involved in the initial breakdown of complex geopolymers and the production of intermediate compounds used by methanogens. There are several key knowledge gaps on biogenic CH 4 production in unconventional gas systems, such as the exact fraction of bioavailable OM, the microbial communities involved and how they can be stimulated to enhance microbial methanogenesis. Progress on biodegradation studies, isotopic signatures, as well as DNA analyses and proteomics could help unravel interactions within the syntrophic community involved in the me-thanogenic biodegradation of OM. Questions also remain regarding the environmental impact of unconventional gas production, such as water quality and the mobility of toxic metals and radionuclides. The answers to these questions might have implications for both recovery practices and a sustainable development of unconventional resources. This review summarises the current knowledge regarding biogenic CH 4 in SG and CBM: from the nature of the rocks to the producing microbial community and the indicators of biogenic CH 4 , illustrating how these two environments show remarkably similar opportunities for the stimulation of biogenic CH 4 generation.