Gabriele Adornato

Gabriele Adornato obtained his Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology at the University of Urbino and his Master's degree in Molecular and Medical Biotechnology at the University of Verona, Italy. He is currently a PhD student in Biotechnology at the Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB), in the department of Crop Quantitative Genetics. His PhD research focuses on the genetic, molecular and physiological responses of tomato and pepper to biotic stress, in particular to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea and the bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis. The aim of his work is to identify genes responsible for the different levels of resistance among genotypes and to use this information for the development of tomato and pepper varieties with enhanced resistance, reducing yield losses and the use of chemical treatments.
During his secondment at BioAtlantis, he is evaluating a spray-induced gene silencing approach against Botrytis cinerea on whole tomato plants under controlled conditions. Double-stranded RNA targeting fungal genes is applied as a foliar spray before inoculation and its protective effect is assessed by scoring disease incidence and severity over time. The aim is to evaluate the potential of RNA-based treatments as a sustainable alternative to chemical fungicides.