Lorena REBECCHI

Lorena REBECCHI is a Full Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Her research focuses on tardigrade biology, particularly their survival mechanisms under extreme conditions such as desiccation, temperature extremes, and radiation. She explores phylogenetic relationships, symbiotic microbiota, and evolutionary adaptations of these organisms. REBECCHI's work integrates morphological, molecular, and physiological approaches, contributing to understanding anhydrobiosis, stress responses, and tardigrade ecology.

Key research areas include tardigrade phylogeny (e.g., resolving their position within Panarthropoda), environmental adaptations (e.g., thermal tolerance and acid resistance), and astrobiology applications (e.g., space flight experiments). She has described multiple new species and revised taxonomic classifications within Tardigrada. REBECCHI collaborates internationally, evidenced by conferences like the 2024 IADCI meeting hosted at her institution.

Publications emphasize comparative transcriptomics, symbiont evolution, and the structural basis of tardigrade feeding mechanisms. Her lab's work on Antarctic tardigrades highlights climate change impacts and genetic diversity. REBECCHI's research has practical applications in biotechnology (e.g., space food systems) and environmental monitoring.