Anna Torelli

Anna Torelli is a University Researcher in the Department of Chemical, Life and Environmental Sustainability Sciences at the University of Parma, Italy. Appointed in 2006 following a competitive examination, she conducts research in General Botany (BIO/01) with expertise in environmental plant physiology, heavy metal tolerance, and plant developmental biology. She teaches Botany in the undergraduate Biology program.

Her educational background:

• Degree with honors in Biological Sciences from the University of Parma

Dr. Torelli's research focuses on three main areas:

• Heavy Metal Tolerance: Mechanisms of chromium VI effects on algae and aquatic plants, particularly interactions with sulfate uptake and detoxification pathways.
• Molecular Authentication: Development of molecular markers for identifying contaminants in commercial aromatic and medicinal plant preparations.
• Somatic Morphogenesis: Primary events in in vitro plant tissue culture related to plant hormone activity.

Analysis of her recent publications shows a strong emphasis on chromium tolerance mechanisms in Scenedesmus acutus, involving sulfur metabolism, DNA methylation, and phytochelatin synthase, alongside research on microalgal biotechnology for omega-3 production.

Dr. Torelli has taught Botany in the Biology undergraduate program for multiple years, including the upcoming 2025/2026 academic year, and previously taught specialized courses in Plant Physiology, Evolutionary Botany, and Biotechnology of Medicinal Plants.

Her research is conducted at the Laboratory of Plant Developmental Biology, where she investigates plant responses to environmental stressors and developmental processes.