SHORT SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC LIFE

Serena Falcioni (Poggibonsi – SI, Italy, 1993) is a PhD student in Environmental Engineering at the University of Florence, co-supervised by the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Her research interests focus on the selection of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulating bacteria, particularly under high salinity conditions. Previously, she worked as a research fellow at the Cuoiodepur wastewater treatment plant in Pisa (Italy), utilizing an Online Differential Titrimeter, an inventive instrument to assess online the Ammonium Oxidation Rate, to perform continuous and batch tests.  

Serena holds a master's degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florence.

During her bachelor’s degree, she completed an internship at Pupliacqua S.p.A., where she conducted laboratory activities for assessing granulometry of an aerobic granular sludge. Later, during the master degree, Serena undertook an Erasmus internship at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, explaining respirometric and titrimetric techniques to study sulfur-oxidizing and nitrate-reducing communities.

His current research interests include:

• Understanding the mechanisms underlying the selection of PHA-accumulating microbial communities.
• Investigating the performance and the microbial structure of PHA-accumulating communities.
• Exploring predation role in PHA-accumulating microbial communities.
• Studying the influence of salinity on PHA-accumulating microbial communities.