Francesca Taranto

Dr. Francesca Taranto is a Senior Researcher at the National Research Council of Italy's Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (CNR-IBBR) in Bari, Italy, since November 2019. Her work focuses on plant breeding, genomics, and biodiversity conservation for Mediterranean crops like olive, durum wheat, and grapevine, with a focus on genetic markers and bioinformatics applications.

• Education:
  • Master’s in Food and Vegetable Biotechnologies, University of Bari Aldo Moro (2009)
  • PhD in Plant Breeding and Forestry Plant Pathology, University of Bari Aldo Moro (2013)

Research Interests center on genomic approaches to enhance crop resilience and quality. Key areas include marker-assisted selection for agronomic traits, population genetics of cultivated species, and conservation of genetic resources threatened by climate change and pathogens like Xylella fastidiosa. Her work bridges genetic diversity analysis and applied breeding strategies, leveraging high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics tools.

Recent publications highlight her contributions to SNP discovery in olive and wheat, clonal diversity in grapevine, and genomic selection for climate-resilient crops. Her studies often integrate genetic mapping, population structure, and functional marker development.

Scientific Awards include:

• 2021 UNASA Michele Stanca Award
• 2017 UNASA Poster Prize for GWAS in peppers
• 2019 Best Poster at Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics Conference

Teaching and Supervision encompass mentoring PhD and Master’s students in Italy and Tunisia, and leading international genotyping workshops. She serves as Review Editor for Frontiers in Genetics and Frontiers in Plant Science, and contributes to PRIN and HORIZON-INFRA research projects.