Research Topics

The scientific activity, documented by different publications in high impact factor journals, book chapters and patents, addresses various research topics that deepen the basic knowledge necessary for the design of processes essentially based on microbial cell factories. These researches are now classifiable in the field of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biotechnology and focus on the mechanisms underlying natural phenomena, preferably, but not exclusively through an analysis at the molecular level. The main objectives are pursued through the integration of biological, molecular, computer, engineering and chemical-pharmaceutical basic sciences. The research is aimed to the understanding the mechanisms underlying the production of molecules of industrial and pharmaceutical interest. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to genomic, proteomic and metabolomic studies applied to the study of these mechanisms. The research includes the genetic improvement of microbial strains of industrial interest, metabolic engineering, the control and validation of bioprocesses and of the products obtained, with particular reference to biotechnological processes in use in the pharmaceutical, chemical, food and environmental protection industries. The research activities allowed the development of 11 different patent families. 8 patent families have been sold. The ultimate goal of the research activities is to lead to an improvement in the quality of life.

Danilo Porro has been and/or he is the holder of numerous grants and coordinator of research activities associated with sponsorships from private non-profit organizations and national and international companies. He has been a consultant for various companies in the industrial biotechnology sector and evaluator of international projects and research centers. He is a member of different Editorial Boards and Ad hoc Reviewer for several high impact factor magazines.

Selected recent publications

M. Brambilla, GM. Adamo, G, Frascotti, D. Porro and P. Branduardi.
Physiological Effects of GLT1 Modulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains Growing on Different Nitrogen Sources.
J Microbiol Biotechnol. 26(2),326-36, 2016
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NM. Berterame, D. Porro, D. Ami and P. Branduardi.
Protein aggregation and membrane lipid modifications under lactic acid stress in wild type and OPI1 deleted Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.
Microb Cell Fact 15(1),39, 2106.

L. Signori, D. Ami, R. Posteri, A. Giuzzi, P. Mereghetti, D. Porro and P. Branduardi.
Assessing an effective feeding strategy to optimize crude glycerol utilization as sustainable carbon source for lipid accumulation in oleaginous yeasts. Microb Cell Fact. 15,75, 2016.

P. Branduardi and D. Porro.
n-butanol: challenges and solutions for shifting natural metabolic pathways into a viable microbial production.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 363(8), 2016.

N. Kuanyshev, D. Ami, L. Signori, D. Porro, JP. Morrissey and P, Branduardi.
Assessing physio-macromolecular effects of lactic acid on Zygosaccharomyces bailii cells during microaerobic fermentation.
FEMS Yeast Res. 16(5), 2016.

AR Provenzano, R. Posteri, F. Giansanti, F. Angelucci, DJ Flavell, SU Flavell, MS Fabbrini, D. Porro, R. Ippoliti, A. Ceriotti, P. Branduardi and R. Vago.
Optimization of construct design and fermentation strategy for the production of bioactive ATF-SAP, a saporin based anti-tumoral uPAR-targeted chimera.
Microb Cell Fact 15(1),194, 2016.

NM Berterame, S Bertagnoli , V Codazzi , D Porro and P. Branduardi.
Temperature-induced lipocalin (TIL): a shield against stress-inducing environmental shocks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
FEMS Yeast Research, 17 (6), Fox056, 2017.

F Martani, F Beltrametti, D Porro, P Branduardi and M Lotti.
The importance of fermentative conditions for the biotechnological production of lignin modifying enzymes from white-rot fungi.
FEMS Microbiology Letters, 364(13), FnX134, 2017.

N Kuanyshev, GM Adamo, D Porro and P Branduardi.
The spoilage yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii: Foe or friend?
Yeast, 34(9), 359-370, 2017.

RA Ortiz-Merino, N Kuanyshev, S Braun-Galleani, KP Byrne, D Porro, P Branduardi and KH Wolfe.
Evolutionary restoration of fertility in an interspecies hybrid yeast, by whole-genome duplication after a failed mating-type switch.
PLoS Biol. 15(5): e2002128, 2017.

D Porro and P Branduardi.
Production of Organic Acids by Yeasts and Filamentous Fungi.
Biotechnology of yeasts and filamentous fungi, Editors: Sibirny, Andriy (Ed.) (pp.205-223), Springer-Verlag GmbH.

RA Ortiz-Merino, N Kuanyshev, KP Byrne, JA Varela, JP Morrissey, D Porro, KH Wolfe and P Branduardi.
Transcriptional response to lactic acid stress in the hybrid yeast Zygosaccharomyces parabailii.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 14, 84(5), 2018.

NM Berterame, F Martani, D Porro and P Branduardi.
Copper homeostasis as a target to improve Saccharomyces cerevisiae tolerance to oxidative stress. Metab Eng. 46, 43-50, 2018.

V Tatangelo, I Mangilia, P Caracino, G Bestetti, E Collina, M Anzano, P Branduardi, R Posteri, D Porro, M Lasagni, A Franzetti.
Microbial desulfurization of ground tire rubber (GTR): Characterization of microbial communities and rheological and mechanical properties of GTR and natural rubber composites (GTR/NR). Polymer Degradation and Stability. 160, 102-109, 2019.

S Bertacchi, M Bettiga, D Porro, P Branduardi.
Camelina sativa meal hydrolysate as sustainable biomass for the production of carotenoids by Rhodosporidium toruloides. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 13(1), 47, 2020.