Nicolò Cultrera

Nicolò Cultrera is a Researcher at the Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) in Perugia. He holds a PhD in 'Productivity of Cultivated Plants' from the University of Perugia (2004) and graduated in Agricultural Sciences from the same university (1999). His academic career progressed through fellowships at CNR-IRO (2000-2004), postdoctoral contracts at CNR-IGV (2004-2012), and as Researcher III Level at IBBR/CNR since 2012.

Dr. Cultrera's research focuses on molecular biology of tree crops, particularly olive genetics and genomics. His work spans plant genetics, biochemistry, functional genomics, biotechnology, and breeding. Key areas include the molecular characterization of olive cultivars, development of molecular markers (SNP and SSR), DNA testing for olive oil authentication, analysis of flower incompatibility systems, and study of metabolic pathways related to olive fruit development and oil quality.

His publication record shows consistent research output with significant contributions to olive genomics, particularly in understanding genetic diversity, self-incompatibility mechanisms, and molecular markers for cultivar identification. Recent work has increasingly focused on olive oil traceability and authentication, with his 2023 publications examining triterpenoid biosynthesis in olive fruits and plant metabolism genetics.

Dr. Cultrera currently serves as CNR-IBBR Task Leader for 'Pilot 3 - Rapid Traceability of Greek and Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil' in the WATSON project (2023-2026), a Horizon Europe initiative focused on combating food fraud through advanced traceability technologies. He is also a co-inventor of a patent for nucleic acid extraction from oily matrices.

His collaborative work spans multiple international research groups, with frequent co-authorship with researchers like Baldoni, Mariotti, Alagna, and Mousavi. His research has practical applications in olive breeding programs, olive oil authentication, and understanding the genetic basis of important agronomic traits in olive cultivation.