Curriculum Vitae

CURRICULUM VITAE

http://www.santannapisa.it/it/personale/luca-sebastiani

Current Academic positions and responsibilities

 June 2016 – present. Director of the Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.  22nd December 2014 – present. Full Professor, Horticultural Sciences (AGR/03), Section of Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.  May 2012 – March 2017. Coordinator of the PhD Course in AgroBioSciences (http://www.santannapisa.it/it/formazione/phd-agrobiosciences) Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.  2014-2015-2016. Coordinator of the “Undergraduate Student Guidance” activities (http://www.santannapisa.it/it/orientamento) at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.

Past Employment Records and responsibilities

 1st November 2002 – 21st December 2014. Associate Professor, Horticultural Sciences (AGR/03), Section of Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.  1st September 1998 – 31st October 2002. Assistant Professor, Horticultural Sciences (AGR/03), Section of Agricultural Science, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.  2003-2010. Scientific Coordinator BioLabs Laboratories (http://albolaboratori.miur.it) - Polo Sant'Anna Valdera, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, Pisa.

Education

 30th May 1996 – 30th May 1998. Post Doctorate in: "Innovative technologies in agricultural science: use of biotechnology for investigations on biotic and abiotic stress on cultivated plants." Section of Agricultural Science, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.  29th February 1996: Ph.D. In the area: “Functional Relationships Between Plant Biology, Agriculture and Environment” at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (http://www.santannapisa.it/it), Pisa, Italy. Dissertation title: “Selection to chilling-resistance by qualitative and quantitative analysis of calcium ion in plant cells” - Marks 50/50.  11th December 1991: M.Sc. in Agricultural Sciences. University of Pisa (https://www.unipi.it/), Pisa, Italy. Thesis title:”Somaclonal variation for resistance to Verticillium dahliae in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants regenerated from callus” - Marks 110/110 cum laude.

Statement of research interests

1. Physiological and molecular interactions among plants and the environmental constrains In this research area, I tried to disclose some of the biological and molecular mechanisms involved in woody plant’s reaction to abiotic stresses moving from cell/tissue to whole crop level. At cell/tissue level I studied the molecular and biochemical involved in the reaction to temperature (chilling and freezing stress), drought and salinity, mineral nutrient deficiencies (Fe), pollution effects (ozone, heavy metals, and organic pollutant stress) and global change (increasing CO2 levels) aspects. In these types of studies, I used woody plant having an immediate interest for agricultural production such as olive, peach, kiwifruit, and poplar. The basic idea was to understand how these crops for fruit (olive, peach, kiwifruit) and wood (poplar) production resist to abiotic stresses and how we can improve by crop management or genetic improvement strategies their resistance traits.

1 2. Fruit composition and antioxidant compounds In this research area, my studies were aimed to prove the health promoting effects of woody plant fruits (apple, grape, olive) and derivate products (juices, oil, …) since them are an important source of nutraceutical compounds.

3. Woody plant germplasm conservation Plant biodiversity recovery, conservation and valorization strategies are crucial processes for the preservation of ancient crop varieties and production practices in small and marginal agricultural areas. Moreover, a detailed knowledge of plant genetic variability is important to correctly preserve the germplasm and eventually use it for future genetic improvement program.

4. ICT and DSS technologies in agriculture. In this area, I supervise field activities dealing with the application at regional level (Toscana and Liguria) of ICT and DSS technologies for the monitoring of grapevine and olive fruit maturation dynamics and plant phenology.

Research Activity

 2011-present. Research activity at Life Science Institute, Sant'Anna University, Pisa.  1992-2010. Research activity at BioLabs, Sant'Anna University, Pisa.  November-December 2016. Invited Lecture at the College of the Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University. Contact prof. Huafang Wang.  2010-2012. Visiting Scientist (2-3 short time visits per year) at the Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava for the activities of the Bilateral project Italy-Slovack “Progetto di Rilevante Interesse MAE” contact prof. Alexander Lux (http://www.fns.uniba.sk/index.php?id=3209).  July 2012. Visiting Scientist at the Kruger National Park - Professor J. Van Staden - Director, Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, South Africa.  June-July 2005. Visiting Scientist at the "Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia de Sevilla (http://www.irnase.csic.es), Espana.  August 2005. Visiting Scientist at the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture http://www.hort.purdue.edu) Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.  March 1999. Guest researcher at the Department of Plant Science, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.  June-July 1997. Guest researcher at the Department of Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden with a grant from CNR/SJFR.  July 1996. Guest researcher at the Department of Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.  August-October 1995. Guest researcher at the Department of Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.  April-July 1995. Research training at MOGEN International nv - The Agricultural Bio-engineers - Leiden, The Netherlands with a grant from European Community (COMETT Project).  1988-1991. Research activity at the Dept of Plant Biology - Section of Genetics, University of Pisa.

Editorial Board of International Journals with IF

1. July 2014-present. Associate Editor - Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier (2015 Impact Factor = 2.603). 2. October 2011-present. Editorial Board - Plant Growth Regulation, Springer (2015 Impact Factor = 2.333). 3. August 2013-present. Editorial Board - South African Journal of Botany, Elsevier (2015 Impact Factor = 1.244)

Scopus Author ID: 7005330276 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8536-3569 h-index:26 https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=nogtuoIAAAAJ

Pisa, November 23, 2017