Mauro Commisso

Mauro Commisso is a Temporary Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona. His academic role includes teaching modules in Plant Biology, Metabolomics, and Pharmaceutical Botany across undergraduate and graduate programs, including the Bachelor's in Biotechnology, Master's in Agri-Food Biotechnology, and Combined Pharmacy Program. He actively contributes to interdisciplinary research in plant biodiversity and metabolomics, focusing on the biological roles of indolamines like tryptamine and serotonin in crops such as tomatoes, and the application of metabolomic approaches for bioprospecting Italian flora.

Research interests span plant secondary metabolism, phytochemical analysis, and the valorization of plant biodiversity for pharmaceutical and agricultural purposes. He leads or collaborates on projects like the PRIN 2022 initiatives exploring microbial-induced plant resilience and the roles of tryptamine/serotonin in tomato biology. His work bridges fundamental plant science with applied biotechnology, including studies on stress responses, ethylene-auxin crosstalk in fruit ripening, and the development of in vitro plant culture systems for bioactive compound production.

Dr. Commisso holds administrative roles in academic governance, including membership in the PhD Board of Smart Agrifood Sciences and the Biotechnology Teaching Committee. His teaching activities emphasize hands-on laboratory modules (e.g., metabolomics theory and practice, fluorescence microscopy for plant biologists) and the integration of cutting-edge research into curricula. His research group, 'Plant Biology and Metabolomics,' focuses on metabolomic strategies to explore plant chemical diversity and functional genomics approaches to uncover metabolic pathways.

Recent publications highlight advancements in metabolomic profiling of plant extracts, elucidation of enzyme functions in pigmentation pathways, and the exploration of natural compounds for therapeutic applications. Dr. Commisso's work often involves collaborations with industry partners (e.g., Microbion S.r.l., EDIVITE S.r.l.) to translate research into practical applications, such as sustainable production of high-value metabolites and functional foods.