Gaetano Distefano

Professor Gaetano Distefano is an Associate Professor in the scientific sector of "General Arboriculture and Tree Crops" at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Catania. His work focuses on genetic transformation, molecular characterization, and reproductive biology of citrus and other fruit trees.

• Graduated in Agricultural Sciences (2000) with full marks and laude
• PhD in "Cropped Plant Productivity" (2004)
• MSc in "Plant Breeding" (2006) from CIHEAM

His research spans genetic improvement of tree plants, including in vitro culture, histology, gene expression analysis, and molecular marker development (AFLP, SSR, SNPs). He specializes in citrus stress response, self-incompatibility mechanisms, and fruit ripening processes, integrating traditional breeding with MAS and NGS technologies.

Currently, he serves as scientific advisor for European PRIMA and Sicilian SIRPA projects, and leads the spin-off company AgriUniTech. He has participated in international collaborations in Spain, Australia, China, and the UK.