DI IORIO ANTONINO

CURRICULUM VITAE
Prof. ANTONINO DI IORIO

email: antonino.diiorio@uninsubria.it

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Mainly research interests focus on the biology of a root axis, in particular the acclimation strategies at root individual and system level in response to abiotic stressors like water availability, heat and mechanical stress. During the last years, interests focused particularly on the fine root vitality and turnover adopting both physiological (respiration, starch and soluble sugars concentrations) morphological, architectural (branching order and 3D localization in the soil environment) anatomical and molecular approaches. The goal was to understand the environmental and endogenous mechanisms determining the fate of a root axis, i.e. ephemeral (one season at most) or permanent (secondary growth).
Side by side this mainstream, other activity focus on a) the root exudates as a biochemical tool in plant-plant and plant-microbe interaction. This aspect acquires even more importance in the context of the interaction between native and alien species; b) the mechanical acclimation strategies, assuming the root system architecture of a species the outcome of the interaction between the endogenous growth strategy linked to the soil condition of the bioclimatic range, and the ontogenetic history resulting from the specific encountered growth condition like steep slopes or wind exposure.

Associate Professor Antonino DI IORIO is an expert on roots and, briefly, on the longitudinal and radial development of roots in response to various environmental factors/stimuli of an abiotic nature (water availability, high temperature, mechanical). This interest aims to understand both the environmental conditions and the internal control mechanisms that attribute a lateral root to an existence that is a) sustainable and therefore constitutive of the future root system, or b) ephemeral and prolonged up to a maximum vegetative season. He has studied the vitality and renewal of fine roots of woody plants, using both physiological (respiration, metabolism of starch and soluble sugars) and morphological, anatomical and architectural (topology - hierarchical order of branches; geometric arrangement in 3D space) approaches. He has a multitude of publications on these research topics, which is to measure root adaptations (interspecific and environmental) and their effect on nutrient cycling.

EDUCATIONS
 1995 - Graduate degree in Natural Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza"
 2002 - Ph.D. in Agro-food Crops Protection, University of Molise - Campobasso

POSITIONS
 Nov 2016 - present: Permanent Position (Associate Professor), Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Varese -University of Insubria
 Jan 2014 : Italian National Scientific Habilitation as Associate Professor
 Mar 2005 - Oct 2016: Permanent Position (Senior Researcher, Assistant Professor), School of Sciences, Como - University of Insubria
 Jan 2000 - Feb 2005: Permanent Position (Graduated Technician), Department of Environment and Territory Technologies and Sciences, Isernia - University of Molise
 May 2001 - Visiting scholar at the Université de Bordeaux - INRA, UMR1202 BIOGECO, F-33610 Cestas, France, supervised by Dr. Alexia Stokes e Dr. Fred Danjon
 Oct-Nov 1999: Research fellow on Vegetation Science, Department of Environment and Territory Technologies and Sciences, Isernia - University of Molise
 1996 - 1998: Research fellow on Vegetation Science, Department of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso

SCIENTIFIC BOARD MEMBER OF NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH PROJECTS
- 09/2016 - PRIN 2015: PI of an eligible project
- 10/2013 - PRIN 2012: PI of an eligible project
- 03/2010 - 09/2012 - MIUR PRIN 2008: Deputy Head of the Operative Unit
- 01/2006 - 03/2008 - MIUR PRIN 2005: Task Leader for Phase 1, 2
- 06/2001 - 09/2004 - EU FP5 Project QLK5-CT-2001-00289 "ECO-SLOPES": Task Leader for WP 3
- 02/1998 - 03/2001 - EU Project EV5V-CT95-0139 "ModMED III": Task Leader for Task B
- 02/1996 - 02/1999 - EU Project FAIR1-CT-95-0497: Task Leader for Tasks A, B

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
- 2024 - present. University of Insubria, Lecturer in Environmental Botany
- 2016 - present. University of Insubria, Lecturer in Plant secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical interest
- 2016 - 2023. University of Insubria, Lecturer in Plant Biology
- 2005 - 2013. University of Insubria, Lecturer in Systematic Botany, Phytogeography, Vegetation and Climate Change
- 2000 - 2005. University of Molise, Lab lecturer in Systematic Botany and Plant Morphologies and Physiology
- 1998 - 1999. University of Molise, lecturer in Systematic Botany

SUPERVISION for LAUREA DEGREES and DOCTORAL/PhD THESES
He is and has been tutor or co-tutor for many experimental thesis for students of the Dept. of Biotecnology and Life Sciences at the University of Insubria - Varese, Dept. of Chemical and Envirnmental Sciences at the University of Insubria - Como, and the Dept. of Environment and Territory Tecnologies and Sciences at the University of Molise – Isernia
PhD. Dissertation advisee: Mattia Terzaghi (University of Insubria), Alireza Amoli Kondori (University of Lorestan, Iran)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
- 2024 - present: Associate Editor per la rivista Frontiers in Plant Science - Functional Ecology
- Member of the Management Committee for the Cost Action FP0803 - Belowground Carbon Turnover in European Forests”, 2009-2013
- Reviewer of many international ISI journals in the areas: Plant physiology, Plant morphology and anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, Botany, Forestry Sciences, Ecology, Dendroecology

MEMBERSHIP
- Member of the Italian Botanical Society


Bibliometrical Indicators at 05/02/2026
H-index al 05/02/2026:
(Scopus) 23 Total citations: 1288
(Scholar) 25 Total citations: 2051


Book Chapter contribution
• Lupini A., Araniti F., Mauceri A., Princi M., Di Iorio A., Sorgona A., Abenavoli M. R. (2018). Root morphology. In: (a cura di): A.M. Sánchez-Moreiras M.J. Reigosa, Advances in Plant Ecophysiology Techniques. vol. /, p. 15-28, Springer International Publishing, ISBN: 978-3-319-93232-3, doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-93233-0_2

• J.E. Norris, Di Iorio A., A. Stokes, B.C. Nicoll, A. Achim (2008). Species Selection for Soil Reinforcement and Protection. In: J.E. Norris; A. Stokes; S.B. Mickovski; E. Cammeraat; L.P.H. Van Beek; B. Nicoll; A. Achim. Slope Stability And Erosion Control: Ecotechnological Solutions. p. 167-210, Dordrecht:Springer, ISBN: 9781402066757

• A. Stokes, J.E. Norris, L.P.H. Van Beek, T. Bogaard, E. Cammeraat, S.B. Mickovski, A. Jenner, A. Di Iorio (2008). How Vegetation Reinforces Soil on Slopes. In: J.E. Norris; A. Stokes; S.B. Mickovski; E. Cammeraat; L.P.H. Van Beek; B. Nicoll; A. Achim. Slope Stability and Erosion Control: Ecotechnological Solutions. p. 65-118, Dordrecht:Springer, ISBN: 9786527997818


Publications in peer-reviewed International Proceedings
• Chiatante D., A. Baraldi, A. Di Iorio, M. Sarnataro, G.S. Scippa (2003). Root response to mechanical stress in plants growing on slopes: an experimental system for morphological, biochemical and molecular analysis. In: Jun Abe. Roots: the dynamic interface between plants and the earth. p. 427-439, Kluwer Academic Publishers

• Chiatante D., Scippa G.S, Di Iorio A., Sarnataro M. (2001). The stability of trees growing on slope depends upon a particular conformational structure imposed by mechanical stress in their root system. In: K. Radouglou. Proceedings of the International Conference- Thessaloniki Greece-. p. 477-482, Thessaloniki: Editor K. Radoglou

• Chiatante D., Maiuro L, Scippa G.S, Di Iorio A. (2001). Effect of water stress upon root meristems of pea seedlings: the role of quantitative and qualitative changes in protein patterns. In: O.Gasparikova; Ciamparova; Mistrik; Baluska. Recent Advances of Plant Root Structure and Function. p. 151-158, Kluwer Academic