Amanda Vaccalluzzo

Dottore di ricerca
Dottorato in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science - XXXIV Ciclo
Tutor: Cinzia Lucia Randazzo
  • 4 Novembre 2021. Assegnista di ricerca, AGR/16, presso il Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3a), Università di Catania: Progetto di ricerca: "Messa a punto di una coltura microbica di origine vegetale ad attività proteolitica e funzionale per la realizzazione di un formaggio Halal".
  • 13th Dicember 2021: PhD qualification in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science (International PhD XXXIV Cycle).
  • 2018-2021: PhD course in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, University of Catania. Research project: “Omics approach to explore microbial interaction of table olives consortium”.
  • 1st July- 30th October 2021: Research Activity: Facultad de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spagna; supervisor: Prof. Joaquin Bautista-Gallego. Research activities related to the PhD project: Technological characterisation of yeasts isolated from table olives for use in fermentation processes; extraction of mannoprotein substances from yeasts to promote the growth of lactic acid bacteria.
  • 15th April-15th June 2021: Research Activity: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaLaboratory of Biotechnology of Yeasts and Bacteria, supervisor: Prof. Lisa Solieri. Research activity related to the PhD project: "Transcriptional profiling of candidate genes for the β-glucosidase phenotype
    β-glucosidase positive phenotype in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum".
  • 13th Jenuary-13th March 2020: Research Grant: Borse di mobilità per soggiorni di ricerca per giovani ricercatori soci SIMTREA non strutturati. Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy. Supervisor: Prof. Maria De Angelis. Project title: Proteomic characteristics of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain under simulated table olives brine conditions.
  • Feb 2018-Jun 2018: Postgraduate Research Activities, Department of Food Biotechnology of Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Seville (Spain), supervisors: Dr. Bautista-Gallego J. and Dr. Arroyo-Lopez N. F. Research activities: isolation of yeasts from hyposodic and probiotic brines; application of molecular technique (rep-PCR) for identification and characterization of yeasts; study of β-glucosidase activity of lactobacilli and yeasts.
  • Oct 2017-Feb 2018: Postgraduate Internship, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, supervisor: Prof.ssa Cinzia Caggia. Research activities: phenotypic and genotypic identification of foodborne yeasts and bacteria.
  • 2015-2017: Master’s Degree in Food Science and Technology, University of Catania; supervisors: Prof.ssa Cinzia Lucia Randazzo and Dr.ssa Alessandra Pino. Degree thesis: “Selection of Lactobacillus plantarum strains to use as starter cultures in fermented table olives”.  Final mark: 110/110 e lode.
  • 2011-2015: Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and Technology, Univeristy of Catania; supervisor: Prof. Cosimo Gianluca Fortuna. Degree thesis: “Alimenti e sostanze indesiderate: Alcaloidi. Aspetti biochimici, farmacologici e loro tossicità". Final mark: 102/110.

The aim of the PhD project is to study the microbial assembly and metabolism as affected by abiotic factors, during table olive fermentation, to understand the microbial interaction with the food matrix and to investigate, at last, the metabolic activities of table olives microbiota on gastrointestinal tract and their positive interaction with the human host. For the achievement of proposed goals multi-omics approaches, such as metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic, will be applied. These culture-independent techniques will allow a higher sophisticated level of microbial and metabolic investigation to identify new biomarkers that could improve the product quality and the human health.

  • Vaccalluzzo, A., Pino, A., De Angelis, M., Bautista-Gallego, J., Romeo, F. V., Foti, P., Caggia, C., & Randazzo, C. L. (2020). Effects of different stress parameters on growth and on oleuropein-degrading abilities of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains selected as tailored starter cultures for naturally table olives. Microorganisms8(10), 1607. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8101607
  • Vaccalluzzo, A., Pino, A., Russo, N., De Angelis, M., Caggia, C., & Randazzo, C. L. (2020). FoodOmics as a new frontier to reveal microbial community and metabolic processes occurring on table olives fermentation. Food Microbiology, 103606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2020.103606
  • Pino, A., Vaccalluzzo, A., Solieri, L., Romeo, F. V., Todaro, A., Caggia, C., Arroyo-Lopez FN., Bautista-Gallego J. & Randazzo, C. L. (2019). Effect of sequential inoculum of beta-glucosidase positive and probiotic strains on brine fermentation to obtain low salt table olives. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10, 174. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00174.
  • Poster Abstract: A. Vaccalluzzo, A. Pino, J. Bautista-Gallego, F. V. Romeo, C. Caggia, C.L. Randazzo. Selection of β-glucosidase positive strains from naturally fermented table olives. 5th International Conference on Microbial Diversity. Microbial Diversity as a Source of Novelty. September 25-27, 2019. Catania, Italy..
  • Poster Abstract: B. Benkaddour, A. Pino, A. Vaccalluzzo, R. Inturri, M. Haddadji, G. Blandino, C. Caggia, C.L. Randazzo. Isolation and characterization of promising probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria from stools of breast-fed infants and honeybees’ gut. 5th International Conference on Microbial Diversity. Microbial Diversity as a Source of Novelty. September 25-27, 2019. Catania, Italy.
  • Poster Abstract: B. Benkaddour, A. Vaccalluzzo, A. Pino, R. Inturri, G. Blandino, C. Caggia, C.L. Randazzo. Identification and characterization of strains belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus isolated from faeces of breast-fed infants and honeybees’gut. Conference: 47° Congresso Nazionale della Società Italiana di Microbiologia (SIM). Semptember 18-21, 2019. Rome, Italy.
  • Poster Abstract: Vaccalluzzo A., Benitez-Cabello A., Pino A., Caggia C., Arroyo-Lopez FN., Randazzo CL., Bautista-Gallego J. 2018. Produccion de aceituna de mesa siciliana con caracteristicas funcionales. XXI Congreso Nacional de Microbiologia de Alimentos (XXI National Congress of Food Microbiology). Tarragona, Spagna. 17-20 Settembre.
  • Poster Abstract: Pino A., Vaccalluzzo A., Casabona G., Russo N., Caggia C., Randazzo CL. 2018. Impiego di   lattobacilli probiotici e β-glucosidasi positivi per la messa a punto di olive da tavola funzionali a basso tenore di sodio. Partecipazione al XII Convegno Nazionale Biodiversità, Ambiente e Salute. Università degli   Studi di Teramo. Campus A. Saliceti 15-15 Giugno 2018.Poster Sessione Biodiversità microbica e microbica negli ecosistemi e nei processi agroindustriali. P. 204. Edagricole, Ciserano (BG).
  • Poster Abstract: Russo N., Vaccalluzzo A., Casabona G., Pino A., Randazzo CL., Caggia C., 2018. Biodiversità e antibiotico-resistenza di ceppi di Enterococcus durans isolati da formaggio Ragusano DOP e Pecorino Siciliano. Partecipazione al XII Convegno Nazionale Biodiversità, Ambiente e Salute. Università degli Studi di Teramo. Campus A. Saliceti 15-15 Giugno 2018. Poster Sessione Biodiversità microbica e microbica negli ecosistemi e nei processi agroindustriali. P 204. Edagricole, Ciserano (BG).