New Availability of Experimental Thesis DEB – Prof. Laura Zucconi

We inform students enrolled in our Master’s degree programs that a new experimental thesis is available in the Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Mycology, starting in December 2024/January 2025.

The experimental thesis project, titled “Resistance of fungal microorganisms to simulated space conditions,” focuses on studying various fungal microorganisms as model organisms for space exploration and the preparation of future Mars exploration missions.

The thesis involves studying the survival, DNA damage, and molecular adaptations of microfungi following prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation, with doses equivalent to potential exposure during future long-duration space journeys to Mars. The exposure phase, which lasted six months and took place in Colorado, USA, has just concluded, and the laboratory experimental activities are now set to begin. This thesis will also help clarify the metabolic responses of eukaryotic organisms to the extreme conditions of a long-term space journey. The microorganisms under study are of particular interest since similar strains have already been isolated from the interiors of spacecraft, and the findings will also help assess the potential consequences of their presence on long-duration space missions.