Team leader
Prof. Angelo Vianello, professor of plant biochemistry

Scientists and student tutors
Prof. Enrico Braidot, associate professor of plant physiology
Prof. Marco Zancani, associate professor of plant physiology
Dott. Valentino Casolo, scientist
Dott. Elisa Petrussa, scientist

Research
The major research topics concern bioenergetics and oxidative stress in plants. In particular: 
1. Bioenergetics

• pyrophosphate and pyrophosphatases in plant cells;
• energetic metabolism during somatic embryogenesis of conifers;
• Regulation of the mitochondrial metabolism by K+ATP channels and the permeability transition pore;
• role of mitochondria in the manifestation of programmed death of plant cells.

2. Oxidative stress

• non-coupled and uncoupled respiration in plants;
• mitochondrial ferritin;
• anthocyanin transport in grapewine cells and their role in the response to stress;
• oxidative stress in post-harvest physiology.

Lab facilities 
Bench refrigerated ultra- and supercentrifuges, thermostatic preparative chambers, thermostatic cell chambers for plant growth and cell cultures, autoclave for sterilization, deep freezer at -80 °C, apparatus for analytical and preparative electrophoresis and Western blotting, spectophotometers and spectrofluorimeters, HPLC integrated with UV/VIS diode detector, UV/VIS and chemiluminescence plate reader, UV/VIS microscope.

Topics offered for thesis

• Programmed cell death in grape cell cultures in relation to their capacity to produce anthocyanins.
• Purification and characterization of flavonoid transporters in grape.
• Oxidative stress in recalcitrant seeds.
• Evolutionary relationships of permeability transition in mitochondria from plants and other organisms.
• Effects of light irradiance on plant organs stored at low temperature.