Dr. Elisa Garuglieri is a member of Daniele Daffonchio’s Extreme Microbiology Laboratory at KAUST. In 2011 she graduated in BSc General Biology at the University of Florence (Italy) with a thesis on forensic and ancient DNA (in partnership with UNESCO World Heritage), under the supervision of Professor David Caramelli. In 2012 she concluded her MSc in Environmental Biology at the University of Florence, under the supervision of Professor Claudio Ciofi, with a thesis on Komodo dragon conservation by means of population genetic studies on monitor lizards (in partnership with UNESCO World Heritage). 

In 2017 she achieved the Ph.D. title at the University of Milan, with a thesis project (granted by Cariplo Foundation) on silver nanoparticles effects on human gut epithelium by means of a novel in vitro interactive gut model, of her invention, composed by both human cells and bacterial biofilm.

Before joining KAUST, she worked as a freelance life science consultant with the most valuable experiences in the world of contemporary art (Biennale di Venezia, 2017; Fuorisalone Milano & Luiss University 2018, Biennale di Salerno, 2018), private and public education (Milan Conservatory, 2018; IGCSE - Biology courses for high schools, 2019) and research (University of Milan, 2019; KAUST, 2019).

She is interested in symbiotic host-microbial interactions and emergent properties of metaorganism-like systems.

Intertidal microbiology Bacterial symbiosis in animals Biofilms Oxidative stress Metaorganism Evolutionary biology