Teodoro Cardi

Teodoro Cardi is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), based in Portici. He has been affiliated with the CNR since 1986 and previously served as Director of the CREA Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (2010–2021). He is currently an Associated Researcher at CREA and holds an Adjunct Professor position at the University of Naples Federico II and the University of Molise (1994–2009). He has also been a Visiting Scientist in the Netherlands, USA, and Ireland.

Dr. Cardi holds a degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Naples Federico II (1983) and qualified as a Dr. Agronomist in 1984. He obtained the Italian National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor of Agricultural Genetics in 2014. His research spans plant genetics, biotechnology, and breeding, with a strong focus on vegetable crops like tomato, pepper, and rocket. He has coordinated numerous national and international projects funded by the EU, NATO, Italian Ministry of Agriculture, and others.

His research interests include genome editing (especially CRISPR-based methods), molecular marker development, plastid and mitochondrial transformation, resistance to parasitic weeds, organic farming systems, and precision agriculture using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning. Recent work emphasizes DNA-free editing, stress resilience, and nutritional quality in crops.

The analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward innovative biotechnologies for sustainable agriculture. His work integrates genomics, phenomics, and artificial intelligence to improve vegetable crops under low-input and organic conditions. There is a clear focus on tomato and other Solanaceae, with applications in disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and quality trait enhancement.

• Italian National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor of Agricultural Genetics (2014)
• Foreign honorary member of the Romanian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (ASAS) - Section of Horticulture

Dr. Cardi has authored over 300 publications and serves as Current Associate Editor of Plant Cell Reports. He was formerly Associate Editor of In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant and BMC Biotechnology. He has coordinated or participated as Principal Investigator in multiple national and international research grants from the EU Commission, MIUR, Ministry of Agriculture, Campania Region, and NATO. He has led major projects such as the H2020 BRESOV initiative focused on breeding resilient vegetable crops.

He is actively involved in research teams focusing on plant genome editing, molecular breeding, and sustainable crop production. His lab has developed efficient protocols for plastid transformation in potato and DNA-free editing in tomato. He collaborates widely across Europe and has contributed to germplasm characterization, GWAS studies, and the development of disease-resistant hybrids.