Researcher unique identifier: 013968
Date of birth: 25/08/1975
Nationality: Italian
• EDUCATION
- 16/01/2004 Ph.D in “Horticulture”, Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Palermo, Italy. her thesis was about “The utilization of gametes as innovative tool in the Citrus breeding”, under the supervision of Prof. Luigi Di Marco
- 09/03/1999 Summa cum laude degree, in Agricultural Science, in the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Palermo; her thesis was about “The study of androgenesis in Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan”
• CURRENT POSITION
Since 01/10/2014 Associate Professor; Department of Food Science University of Parma, Italy)
• FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
Since 2005, Prof. Chiancone had earned several Post Doc fellowships, financed with National projects and by the Italian Ministry of University:
- 01/11/2005 - 31/10/2006, University of Palermo, Italy. Title of research: “In vitro morphogenesis and synthetic seed as an innovative tool for propagation and germplasm conservation of Mediterranean fruit tree crops”;
- 01/04/2007 – 30/04/2008, University of Palermo, Italy. Title of research: “Study on the in vitro propagation and conservation in the oliviculture in Sicily”;
- 01/07/2008 – 05/07/2011, University of Palermo, Italy. Title of research: “Applications of in vitro culture to breeding and propagation of fruit tree crops”;
- 14/03/2012 – 13/03/2013, University of Palermo, Italy. Title of research: “Applications of in vitro culture to breeding and propagation of fruit tree crops”;
- 15/05/2013 – 14/02/2014, University of Palermo, Italy. Title of research: “Development of innovative methods for propagation of CTV resistant Citrus rootstocks”;
- 01/03/2014 – 30/9/2014, University of Palermo, Italy. Title of research: “The use of gametic embryogenesis for Citrus breeding”.
In 2004, Prof. Chiancone won the fellowships "L'Oréal Italia for women in science" working on “The characterization of antioxidant components in leaves and fruits of the principal Sicilian olive cultivars, with the aim of an utilization alternative to food, in the pharmaceutics and cosmetics”.
• INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
Prof. Chiancone could improve her personal skills on working independently in research, in an International team during thanking the following international fellowship.
- 06/1999-09/1999 "Leonardo Project "
- 04/2005-05/2005 "Short Term Scientific Mission, COST 851"
• SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
- Academic Year 2013/2014 Co-tutor of a Ph.D thesis. Title: “Study on gametic embryogenesis via anther and isolated microspore culture in fruit crops” Dept. of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences. University of Palermo. Italy
- Academic Year 2010/2011 Co-tutor of a graduate thesis. Title “In vitro culture and encapsulation experiments on Morus genotypes”. Dept. of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences. University of Palermo. Italy.
- - Academic Year 2016/2017 tutor of a graduate thesis. Title “In the pursuit of hoppiness: how to speed up hop breeding”. Dept. of AFood and Drug. University of Parma. Italy.
Moreover, in the last ten years Prof. Chiancone has been supervising:
- more than 20 students during their graduation thesis period;
- 4 Italian and 4 foreigners students during the three years of Ph.D;
- 9 visiting researchers from all over the world, come to Italy to deepen the knowledge on gametic embryogenesis and propagation in woody plants.
• TEACHING ACTIVITIES
- Since Academic Year 2014/2015, at Department of Food Science University of Parma, Italy
Courses of Plant production and Post harvest physiology and technology of horticultural product conservation.
- 18/4/2013 Invited speaker on “In vitro culture in fruit trees” High Academic Performance Group. Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology. Universided Politecnica de Valencia (Spain).
Her experience in the research has been acknowledged by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Palermo, with the title of Teaching Assistant (through this title she was allowed to become an exam committee member) of Plant Biotechnology, Citriculture, Biotechnologies applied to nursery, Plant nursery technique, Biotechnologies applied to fruit crop breeding.
- Academic Year 2009-2010 Laboratory classes of "Plant Biotechnology" and "Citriculture", University of Palermo. Italy.
- Academic Year 2007-2008 Laboratory classes of "Biotechnologies applied to nursery" and "Plant nursery technique", University of Palermo. Italy.
- Academic Year 2005-2006 Laboratory classes of "Biotechnologies applied to fruit crop breeding".
• ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
- 11-13/11/2004 Component of organizational committee of “Technology advancement in gametic embryogenesis of recalcitrant genotypes” organized by the Working Group 1 of the COST Action 851 Palermo, Italy.
- 09/11/2009 Component of organizational committee of the meeting “The encapsulation technology”, Perugia, Italy.
• INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
2000-2014 Person in charge of the Laboratory of Biotechnology at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Palermo.
• TRAINING AND FELLOWSHIP AT INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Prof. Chiancone could improve her knowledge and establish a net of collaborations, attending as visiting researcher several International and National research Institutes.
- 06/1999 09/1999 Horticulture Research International (West Malling, England).
- 02/2003-08/2003 Departamento de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología. Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (Valencia, Spain).
- 02/2005-04/2005 Institute of Plant Genetics (Gatersleben, Germany).
- 15 days every year from 2000 to 2010 at Plant Development and Nuclear Organization Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, C.S.I.C. (Madrid, Spain).
• MAJOR COLLABORATIONS
In the last sixteen years, Prof. Chiancone could collaborate with several International and National research institutes to study the “Gametic and somatic embryogenesis for the breeding and propagation of Mediterranean fruit crops”
- 2000 - 2013 Centro de Investigationes Biologicas CSIC, Madrid (Spain)
- 2003 Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) Moncada (Valencia, Spain).
- 2004-2006 Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research of Gatersleben (Germany)
- 2006-2013 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cordoba
- 2010-2013 Instituto Agroforestal Mediterraneo UPV (Valencia, Spain).
- 2003-2014 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie ed Ambientali, Udine, Italy
- 2004-2014 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Perugia, Italy
To sum up, in the last 16 years Prof. Chiancone has been studying and researching about the several aspects and problems linked with breeding and propagation of Mediterranean woody species, exploiting innovative methods, and above all tissue culture, in vitro morphogenesis and micropropagation. The research on gametic embryogenesis in fruit tree crops could be considered the most important, both for its scientific value and for the practical applications.
The coordination and participation to several National and International projects has given to Prof. Chiancone the expertise to raise and manage research funds, in terms of human resources and laboratory equipment.
Moreover, Prof. Chiancone has developed an excellent capability of laboratory group coordination, thanks to the supervising of such a high number of graduate, Ph.D, and Post Doc students, from all over the world.
