Andrea Rossi

Andrea Rossi is a Research Group Leader at the Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medical Research (IUF) in Düsseldorf, Germany, where they lead the Environmental Adaptation and Cellular Resilience research group. Their work bridges environmental science and molecular biology, focusing on how pollutants influence cellular resilience and disease expression. The research group collaborates extensively with national and international institutions including Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology, and ETH Zürich.

Dr. Rossi's research interests center on understanding phenotypic plasticity in monogenic inherited diseases, particularly how environmental pollutants affect cellular resilience and trigger compensatory genetic mechanisms. Their work explores how cellular systems adapt under environmental stress with genetic mutations, develops advanced iPSC models for studying disease mechanisms, and employs whole-genome CRISPR screening to identify novel genetic modifiers. A significant aspect of their research investigates how cellular resilience mechanisms impaired during aging may contribute to age-related diseases.

The research group's publications over the past five years demonstrate a strong focus on stem cell technology, genome editing, and environmental toxicology. Their work spans from basic molecular mechanisms to translational applications, with particular emphasis on developing precise genome editing techniques like Prime Editing and improving quality control standards for induced pluripotent stem cells. The research has important implications for understanding environmental influences on genetic diseases and developing new therapeutic approaches.

Dr. Rossi's team includes postdocs Stephanie Binder and Jochen Dobner, scientific staff member Marianthi Papadopoulou, several master's students, and technical assistance from Vanessa Baltruschat. Their research is supported by multiple funding sources including the Leibniz Association, German Research Foundation (DFG), AFM Téléthon, and the European Union.

The Environmental Adaptation and Cellular Resilience group operates several cutting-edge projects including modeling environmental pollution effects on taste perception using organoids, investigating genetic buffering mechanisms, improving Prime Editing efficiency, analyzing genome editing risks, studying epilepsy in mitochondrial diseases, and enhancing hiPSC quality control standards. These projects employ advanced techniques including iPSC modeling, CRISPR screening, and multi-omics approaches.