Rosario Iacono grew up in Sicily, Italy where she developed a passion for nature and agriculture working on her family's organic farm. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Sciences and worked in sensory evaluation of cheese. She then earned a Master's degree focusing on plant pathology. For her PhD, she studied molecular biology of bioremediation and sulfur use in plants. She has worked in Italy and the UK, gaining skills in molecular biology techniques, teaching, bioinformatics, and teamwork. She now lives in London seeking new career opportunities while continuing to study languages and enjoy traveling, martial arts, and acting.
2. I grew up in the countryside
near Ragusa (Sicily, Italy).
Since when I was a kid I have
been having a great fondness
for nature and natural
sciences.
All my lifelong I walked along the path
of this fondness
3. I lived in the countryside untill I was 21 and I worked for ten years in my
family multifunctional, diverse, organic and traditional farm
Then I learnt how to...
• Autonomously manage
the farm
• Make traditional
P.O.D. Ragusano
cheese
• Take care, graft and prune
carobs and olive trees
• Feed cattles
• Face calving and
animal diseases
• Drive a tractor and
use a chainsaw
• Milk cows
4. Continuing to work in the farm, in 2001 I started a
University course in Agricultural Sciences and
Technologies in the University of Catania
In 2006 I gained a Bachelor Degree in “Agricultural Sciences and
Technologies in tropical and Subtropical Areas”.
In 2004 I worked for 6 months as an University trainee in the Sensory
Evaluation Laboratory in CoRFiLaC (International Reasearch Institute
for Ragusano PDO).
5. In 2006 I moved to
Catania.
I attended a course in
Agricultural Sciences and
Technologies at Faculty of
Agricultural Sciences in
University of Catania
6. I was fascinated by plant pathology...
As Master’s candidate I worked for a year at
Department of Agri-food and environmental
Systems Management – Division of Plant
Pathology with the team of Professor
Giancarlo Polizzi.
On July 2010 I defended my thesis on
the first use of trunk injection
techniques on Cycads against
manganese deficiency.
And I got a Master of
Sciences in Agricultural
Sciences and Technologies
7. In 2010 I moved to
Milan...
...where I successfully
applied for a PhD in
Molecular Biology at
Faculty of Agricultural
Sciences in University of
Milan
8. With a public scholarship in
2011 I started to work on a a
PhD project on Molecular
Basis of Bioremediation and
Sulfur Use Efficiency in Plants
at Parco Tecnologico
Padano
There I had the opportunity of
working in a multidisciplinary
and multicultural environment,
9. With the team of Prof Gian Attilio Sacchi and Fabio Nocito I gained gratifying
results
Such as...
• An innovative hydroponic method for growing Arabidopsis in
differential nutritional conditions
• A new method for assess the affinity for sulfate of some Arabidopsis and
Brassica sulfate transporters. Avoiding the use of radiolabeled ions.
• The evidence of a differential regulation of sulfur metabolism under sulfate
deficiency and cadmium exposion in Brassica juncea
10. And acquired some skills such as...
• Several basics and advanced
molecular biology techniques
• Teaching skills to students of
secondary school
• Bioinformatics skills through
transporters genomic
analyses
• Team working and
multidisciplinary thinking
• Problem solving and
results critical analises
11. In 2013 I moved to
London to improve my
English, looking for a new
career development and
new challenges
12. I love languages
Italian is my mother tongue
But I speak English as well and I
recently gained a ESOL L2
certificate in English
And in my spare time I
am studying Chinese
14. In my spare time I
love...
Acting
Practicing martial
arts
Travelling
(After a performance with my
acting class mates Milan in
2012)
Reading
Watching
movies
15. Unbelievable? Call my referees
Prof. Giancarlo Polizzi
As Thesis Tutor
Department of Agri-food and environmental Systems Managment –
Division of Plant Pathology – University of Catania
Ph. : +39 0957147348
E-mail: gpolizzi@unict.it
Dr. Fabio Francesco Nocito
As PhD Tutor
University of Milan – Department of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences
Ph.:+39 02503 16526
E-mail: fabio.nocito@unimi.it
Prof. Gian Attilio Sacchi
As PhD Co-Tutor
University of Milan – Department of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences
+39 02503 16525
gianattilio.sacchi@unimi.it