معرفی
Valeria Taurisano is a Research Fellow and PhD candidate in the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Bologna. Her research applies genetic and genomic tools to livestock species (pigs, cattle, rabbits) and wild organisms (sea cucumbers, honeybees) for conservation management, food authentication, and environmental monitoring.
Key innovations include environmental DNA analysis from honey for entomological authentication and population monitoring, genomic characterization of local livestock breeds for conservation, and development of molecular methods for food traceability. She employs diverse molecular techniques including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR-RFLP, Sanger and NGS sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis.
Publications demonstrate consistent advancement in conservation genomics applications, particularly non-invasive monitoring using environmental DNA from food matrices. Recent work develops reference databases for honeybee subspecies identification, NUMT characterization in pig genomes, and genomic selection for disease resistance in rabbits.
Active in multiple projects characterizing Italian autochthonous breeds including Mora Romagnola pigs and Reggiana cattle. Supervised by Professor Luca Fontanesi, her doctoral research investigates genetic factors influencing meat quality traits in Italian heavy pigs.
