معرفی
Aba LOSI is an Associate Professor in Biophysics at the University of Parma's Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences, teaching Physics, Photobiophysics, and Applied Physics across Biology, Physics, and Veterinary Medicine programs. With over 25 years of academic service since her 1997 PhD, she directs research on bacterial photoreceptor mechanisms and applications.
- Bachelor's Degree in Biology, University of Parma (1992)
- Professional Qualification in Biology (1993)
- PhD in Biophysics, University of Parma (1997)
Her research investigates visible-light photoreceptors in bacteria, focusing on structure-function relationships, energy landscapes, and physiological roles using time-resolved photoacoustics and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Current work explores optogenetic applications, protein engineering for imaging, and evolutionary aspects of photosensing systems.
Recent publications (2020-2024) reveal three dominant trends: (1) Advanced biophysical characterization of channelrhodopsins and cyanobacteriochromes for photoacoustic imaging; (2) Molecular dynamics studies of LOV domain mutations affecting oxygen diffusion and photocycle kinetics; (3) Interdisciplinary work bridging photobiology with science education, gender equity in STEM, and public engagement through initiatives like the European Researchers' Night.
- Photocite-B award (2014) for most cited review on Photochemistry and Photobiology (2010-2013)
Professor LOSI has supervised 3 PhD theses and 15 bachelor/master theses while securing competitive funding including DFG Forschergruppe FOR 526 (2004-2010) as Guest Scientist, Vigoni Programme coordination (2012-2013), and PRIN 2010-2011 participation. She serves as referee for H2020, ANVUR, and French National Research Agency.
Her laboratory maintains active international collaborations with Max Planck Institutes (Germany), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, and universities in Argentina, China, and Denmark, focusing on advanced spectroscopic techniques to decode photoreceptor mechanisms and develop novel biotechnological tools.
