Francesco Scollo graduated in 2012 in Agricultural Biotechnology at the University of Catania and there he obtained his doctorate in "Productivity of plants grown in the Mediterranean environment" XXVIII Cycle in 2016, discussing a thesis entitled "MOLECULAR TRACEABILITY OF THE MAIN VARIETIES OF OLIVE TREE (OLEA EUROPAEA L.) AND EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OILS OF SICILIANS ". His scientific activity has focused on various topics concerning the genetic improvement of arboreal plants, genetic characterization and molecular traceability. In particular, Dr. Scollo has investigated the genetic relationships of Sicilian autochthonous accessions focusing the work on molecular traceability on compressed matrices such as extra virgin olive oil, publishing a work of interest for approach and innovation, such as the absolute quantification of DNA extracted from extra virgin olive oil by digital PCR droplet (ddPCR), using it for the first time on olive oil. Other aspects of the activity of research concerned the collection, description and enhancement of plant genetic resources, both local and of foreign origin, of fruit tree species. This activity, aimed in particular at olive and carob accessions, was mainly pursued through molecular characterization works using different techniques (AFLP, SSR and SNPs) by capillary and High electrophoresis Resolution Melting (HRM). He carries out his research activity at the Di3A of the University of Catania. He is the author of several scientific publications.
Winner of the 2018 Antico Fattore Award - Accademia dei Georgofili in the category "Biology, genetics, chemistry and plant biochemistry, molecular biological to design the olive tree of the future", with the work entitled "Absolute quantification of olive oil DNA by droplet digital-PCR (ddPCR): Comparison of isolation and amplification methodologies" (DOI: 10.1016 / j.foodchem.2016.06.086), published in the magazine FoodChemistry in 2016.
Updated on July 2020
His current fields of research are:
- molecular characterization of species, varieties and clones of several fruit tree crops;
- study on the genetic relationships of indigenous Sicilian olive accessions focusing the work on molecular traceability on compressed matrices such as extra virgin olive oil.
- germplasm collection and exploitation.