Nicoletta La Rocca is currently Associate Professor of Plant Physiology at the Department of Biology, University of Padova. Her research activity, carried out in different laboratories of both Italian and foreign Universities, always aimed at investigating the effects of environmental factors on the photosynthetic apparatus structure and function in organisms with different position of the evolutionary scale, from plants to microbes. Collaborating at research projects considering extremophile photoautotrophic microorganisms she contributed to the discovery and description of 7 new species.
Main current research topics concern:
1) the investigation of environmental factors effects such as light, temperature and drought on the photosynthetic apparatus structure and function in organisms with different position in the evolutionary scale
2) the photosynthetic characterization of microalgae and cyanobacteria from extreme environments, like cold (Alps and Antartica) or hot (thermal springs and muds) habitats.
She has been recently PI in a PRAT project and a research contract from a private company (undisclosed name) aiming at the selection of microalgae and cyanobacteria for the production of high added value compounds such as pigments, lipids and polysaccharides.
She is presently the PI of a research project financed by Centro Studi Pietro d’Abano for the characterization of the microbiota, cyanobacteria in particular, conferring healthy properties to the Euganean Thermal Districts muds.
3) the growth and photosynthetic performances analyses of selected strains of cyanobacteria exposed to simulated star lights and atmospheres of exoplanets.
Within the last two years Nicoletta La Rocca started a peculiar collaboration in the field of astrobiology with researchers of the National Institute of Astrophysics (Astronomic Observatory Padova) and of the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology (CNR Padova) aiming to define the ability of photosynthetic microorganisms, cyanobacteria in particular, to growth and perform oxygen evolution when exposed to the light of red dwarf stars, generated by a custom made illuminator. This is a really cutting edge research topic, as recently earth-like planets, like those of the Trappist-1 planet system, have been discovered orbiting around this type of stars.

The research currently ongoing in the laboratory concerns:

1) studies on photosynthetic microorganisms of extreme environments
- characterization of the microbiota, with particular attention to the cyanobacterial population, from the natural thermal springs and mud used for the therapies at the Euganean District of Abano and Montegrotto Terme;
- physiological characterization and optimization of the growth of some strains isolated from the Euganean District and of particular importance for the production of high-value compounds that confer anti-inflammatory therapeutic properties to thermal muds.
- physiological characterization of microalgae from Alpine and Antarctic environments

2) studies on growth and photosynthetic responses of cyanobacteria exposed to stellar lights and atmospheres of exoplanets simulated by specially designed instruments, realized in collaboration with researchers of the National Institute of Astrophysics (Padua Astronomical Observatory) and the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology (CNR Padova). Research is focused on dwarf red stars and oxygen-free, CO2-rich atmospheres.

Interested students can contact me for more information on current projects.

If you want to get an idea of ​​how it is working with us, visit this link edited by our collaborators
https://www.instagram.com/plant.lab.unipd/