Marco Mariotti

Marco Mariotti is a Research Professor at the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Biology, affiliated with the Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics. He leads the Molecular Evolutionary Genetics research group, focusing on comparative genomics of selenocysteine, stop codon readthrough mechanisms, and computational methods for evolutionary analysis. His lab, established in 2021, combines bioinformatics and molecular biology to study translational recoding processes and their evolutionary implications. Mariotti holds a Ramon y Cajal Investigator Fellowship (2019) and has secured grants from agencies like the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and AGAUR. His work includes developing tools like SECISearch3 and Seblastian for selenoprotein annotation. Key research themes include selenoproteome evolution, genetic code variations, and aging-related molecular mechanisms. He collaborates internationally, particularly on projects involving selenium metabolism and translational recoding in diverse organisms.

Education: Bachelor's in Biotechnologies (University of Bologna, 2006), PhD in Biomedicine (Centre de Regulació Genòmica, 2013), and Master in Bioinformatics (University of Bologna, 2008). Research grants span studies on stop codon readthrough therapies, selenoprotein annotation, and aging biology. His team explores applications in biotechnology and genetic medicine, including strategies to treat nonsense mutations in diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy.