Ramona Marasco, Ph.D.

Research Scientists

​Research Scientist

Social Profile:

Research Interests

Dr. Marasco is interested in studying plant-microbe interaction in extreme environments, including hot and cold desert, salty system and coastal-marine areas. The main topic of her research is to understand the ecological role of microbial communities naturally associated to plant under stress conditions (i.e. drought and salt) and to use this knowledge to gain information about the functional role of microbes in plant fitness. 

Selected Publications

  • Grapevine rootstocks shape underground bacterial microbiome and networking but not potential functionality 
    Marasco R, Rolli E, Fusi M, Michoud G, Daffonchio D.
    Microbiome, (2018)
  • The stage of soil development modulates rhizosphere effect along a High Arctic desert chronosequence 
    Mapelli F, Marasco R, Fusi M, Scaglia B, Tsiamis G, Rolli E, Fodelianakis S, et al.
    The ISME journal, (2018)
  • Salicornia strobilacea (synonym of Halocnemum strobilaceum) grown under different tidal regimes selects rhizosphere... 
    Marasco R, Mapelli F, Rolli E, Mosqueira MJ, Fusi M, Bariselli P, et al
    Frontiers in Microbiology, (2016)
  • Hydrocarbon pollutants shape bacterial community assembly of harbor sediments 
    Barbato M, Mapelli F, Magagnini M, Chouaia B, Armeni M, Marasco R, et al.
    Marine Pollution Bulletin, (2016)
  • Allochthonous bioaugmentation in ex situ treatment of crude oil-polluted sediments in the presence of an effective ... 
    Fodelianakis S, Antoniou E, Mapelli F, Magagnini M, Nikolopoulou M, Marasco R, et al.
    Journal of Hazardous Materials, (2015)
  • Improved plant resistance to drought is promoted by the root-associated microbiome as a water stress-dependent trai... 
    Rolli E, Marasco R, Vigani G, Ettoumi B, Mapelli F, Deangelis ML, et al.
    Environmental Microbiology, (2015)
  • Oasis desert farming selects environment‐specific date palm root endophytic communities and cultivable bacteria tha... 
    Cherif H, Marasco R, Rolli E, Ferjani R, Fusi M, Soussi A, et al.
    Environmental Microbiology Reports, (2015)
  • Geosphere-biosphere interactions in bio-activity volcanic lakes: evidences from Hule and Rio Cuarto (Costa Rica) 
    Cabassi J, Tassi F, Mapelli F, Borin S, Calabrese S, Rouwet D, Chiodini G., Marasco R. et ...
    PLoS ONE, (2014)
  • Plant growth promotion potential is equally represented in diverse grapevine root-associated bacterial communities ... 
    Marasco R, Rolli E, Fusi M, Cherif A, Abou-Hadid A, El-Bahairy U, et al.
    BioMed Research International, (2013)
  • Potential for plant growth promotion of rhizobacteria associated with Salicornia growing in Tunisian hypersaline so... 
    Mapelli F, Marasco R, Rolli E, Barbato M, Cherif H, Guesmi A, et al.
    BioMed Research International, (2013)

Education

  • ​Ph.D.;  Chemestry, Biochemestry and Ecology of Pesticide, University of Milan, Milan, Italy, 2011
  • M.Sc.;  Plant, food and environmental Biotechnology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy, 2008
  • B.Sc.;  Agriculture Biotechnology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy, 2007

Professional Profile

  • ​July 2016 - Present: Research Scientist, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • April 2014 - June 2016: Postdoctoral fellow, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • October 2013 - April 2014: Postdoctoral fellow in the European ULIXES research project, University of Milan, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Milan, Italy
  • January 2012 - August 2013: Postdoctoral fellow in the National BIOGESTECA research project, University of Milan, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Milan, Italy

Scientific and Professional Membership

  • ​Italian Society of Microbial Ecology (SIMTREA)
  • Tunisian Society for Microbial Ecology (ATEM)

Awards

  • ​SIMGBM-NAICONS award for the best PhD thesis in the field of Microbial Biotechnology (September 2012)

KAUST Affiliations

  • ​Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)​​​
  • Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE)​​

Research Interests Keywords

Environmental microbiology Plant-microbe interaction Microbial ecology of extreme environments Mangrove microbial ecology Agriculture microbiology Microbial biotechnology