Luca Morelli

Luca Morelli is a Researcher at the Department of Green Technology (IGT), University of Southern Denmark, specializing in plant biotechnology, metabolic engineering, and chloroplast research. His work bridges plant science and marine biotechnology, focusing on isoprenoid metabolism in diatoms and carotenoid biofortification of plant tissues.

• Doctoral Degree in Plant Biology and Biotechnology (2021): Artificial chromoplast systems for isoprenoid vitamin enrichment
• Master's Degree in Plant and Microbe Biotechnology (2017): Chloroplasts in animal cells

Current research explores terpenoid profiles in Phaeodactylum tricornutum strains, metabolic engineering of diatoms, and host-donor compatibility in photosynthetic sea slugs. He leads the SORTED project (2024-2026), a EU-funded initiative for compartmentalized carotenoid storage in diatoms. His work has been featured in Plant Physiology, Journal of Phycology, and Algal Research.

Luca's publications address isoprenoid biochemistry, chromoplast differentiation, and photosynthetic sea slug physiology. Recent media coverage includes a Danish press article on biofabrication using microalgae (2024). His research integrates biochemical pathway engineering, light-regime adaptation, and cross-kingdom organelle integration to advance plant and marine biotechnology applications.