Maria Stefania Grillo
Role: Research Director
Section: Researchers and Technologists
Division: Portici
Tel: (39) 081-2539213
E-mail: stefania.grillo@ibbr.cnr.it
Born: Naples (Italy), September 12 1957
Nationality: Italian
Professional Address:
Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, UOS Portici
Via Università 133
80055 Portici (Italy)
Job position: Research Director
Education and Training ( selected , 2013-1980)
Oct 2013 Head of IBBR UOS Portici
Dic 2002-Nov 2010 Head of IGV UOS Portici
Jan 2002 - Senior Scientist of the CNR- Plant Genetics Institute, UOS Portici
Jul 1991-Nov 1992 Research Fellow at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC, US
June-September 1990 Visiting Scientist at Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana , US
1986 Researcher at CNR - Institute of Breeding for Vegetables and Flowers, Portici
March 1982-1984 Research fellow of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei at the University of Naples , Faculty of Agriculture
Jan 1980 Graduated in Biology , magna cum laude, at University of Naples Federico II
Research Projects 2018-today
- Genome Editing in Plants, PlantED - Cost Action 18111 (2020-2023) Role: Action Partecipant Member -Project MIUR PNR 2015-2020 -E-crops - Technologies for Sustainable Digital Agriculture ARS01fl01136 (2020-2023). Role: Project Participant of the CNR Unit , PI of IBBR Portici -Project PSR Campania 2014-2020- ABC -AgroBiodiversità Campana: moltiplicazione, conservazione e caratterizzazione di risorse genetiche vegetali erbacee autoctone (2019-2023) - Misura 10, Sottomisura 10.2, Tipologia 10.2.1 .Role: Project Participant of the CNR Unit |
-Project CISGET - "Cisgenesi e genome editing in pomodoro, Programma "BIOTECH", supported by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry policies (2020-2022). Role: Project Participant of the CNR Unit
-Project EU H2020 SFS-01-2016 TOMRES - A Novel And Integrated Approach To Increase Multiple & Combined Stress Tolerance In Plants Using Tomato As A Model (2017-2020). Role: Project Participant
-Project EU H2020 SFS-7a-2014 TRADITOM - Traditional Tomato Varieties and Cultural Practices: A Case For Agricultural Diversification with Impact on Food Security and Health of European Population (2014-2018) Role: Project Participant
-Project Bilateral Agreement CNR- COREA DEL SUD - NRF “Non canonical & non housekeeping functions of RNA splicing factors in plants (2021-2023) Role: Project Participant
-MIUR PNRR- Missione 4 Componente 2 Investimento 1.4National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies (Agritech) ( 2022-2025) - Role in Spoke 1- Plant, animal and microbial genetic resources and adaptation to climatic changes : Workpackage leader, Scientific responsible for IBBR; PI of IBBR Portici
PRIN (2023-2025)
Professional Activities (selected 2014-present )
- 2015-2017- Member of the Board of the Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics (SIGA)
- 2010-2017 -Member of the Doctorate School Committee ‘Biologia dei Sistemi’ of University of Salerno
- 2010-present - Member of the Scientific Committee of the Portici Camps Foundation
- 2010-2020 Member of the Scientific and Management Board of the Public-Private Laboratory on ‘Genomics for innovation and valorization of Tomato’ - MIUR PON02_00666
- Tutor and supervisor of undergraduate and PhD students and national/international post-doc and fellow
- Ad hoc Reviewer for journals in Plant Science area
Research Interest
Research activities are in the area of plant genetics and biotechnologies applied to breeding of vegetable crops and the development of sustainable agriculture systems S. Grillo coordinates a research group focused on the identification and characterization of genes with key role in the plant response to stress signals using integrated approaches of functional genomics and advanced plant phenotyping in Solanacee ( omato, pepper, potato) and in the model species Arabidopsis. In recent years, by large scale transcriptomic analyses and functional approaches, the group identified genes involved in RNA regulatory mechanisms as important players of the osmotic stress response pathway impacting plant developmental processes.
Recent Publications ( selected 2018-present)
Landi S , Punzo P, Nurcato R, Albrizio R, Sanseverino W, Aiese Cigliano R, Giorio P , Fratianni , Batelli G, Esposito S, Grillo S (2023) Transcriptomic landscape of tomato traditional long shelf-life landraces under low water regimes. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 201 . DOI 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107877
Genangeli A, Avola G, Bindi M, Cantini C, Cellini F, Grillo S, Petrozza A, Riggi E, Ruggiero A, Summerer S, Tedeschi A, Gioli B (2023) Low-Cost Hyperspectral Imaging to Detect Drought Stress in High-Throughput Phenotyping .PLANTS 12: 1-19.DOI 10.3390/plants12081730
Pons C, Casals J, Palombieri S, Fontanet L, Riccini A, Rambla JL, Ruggiero A, Figás M, Plazas M, Koukounaras A, Picarella ME, Sulli M, Fisher J, Ziarsolo P, Blanca J, Cañizares J Cammareri M, Vitiello A, Batelli G, Kanellis A, Brouwer M, Finkers R, Nikoloudis K, Soler S, Giuliano G, Grillo S, GrandilloS, Zamir D, Mazzucato A, Causse M, et al. (2022). Atlas of phenotypic, genotypic and geographical diversity present in the European traditional tomato. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH, vol. 9, uhac112, ISSN: 2052-7276
Ruggiero A, Punzo P, Van Oosten MJ, Cirillo V, Esposito S, Costa A, Maggio A, Grillo S, Batelli G (2022). Transcriptomic and splicing changes underlying tomato responses to combined water and nutrient stress.. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, ISSN: 1664-462X
Blanca J., Pons C., Montero-Pau J., Sanchez-Matarredona D., Ziarsolo P., Fontanet L., Fisher J., Plazas M., Casals J., Rambla J. L., Riccini A., Pombarelli S., Ruggiero A, Sulli M., Grillo S., Kanellis A., Giuliano G., Finkers R., Cammareri M., Grandillo S., Mazzuccato A., Causse M., Diez M. J., Prohens J., Zamir D., Canizares J., Monforte A. J., Granell A. (2022). European Vintage tomatoes galore: a result of farmers combinatorial assorting/swapping of a few diversity rich loci. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY, vol. 73, p. 3431-3445, ISSN: 0022-0957
Akrimi R, Hajlaoui H, Batelli G, Ruggiero A, Badri M, Grillo S., Mhamdi M (2020). Electromagnetic water enhanced metabolism and agro-physiological responses of potato (Solanum tuberosumL) under saline conditions. JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, ISSN: 0931-2250, doi: 10.1111/jac.12449 EA OCT 2020
Fratianni F, d’Acierno A, Cozzolino A, Spigno P, Riccardi R, Raimo F, Pane C, Zaccardelli M, Lombardo VT, Tucci M, Grillo S., Coppola R, Nazzaro F (2020). Biochemical Characterization of Traditional Varieties of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuumL.) of the Campania Region, Southern Italy (2020) . ANTIOXIDANTS, vol. 9, ISSN: 2076-3921, doi: 10.3390/antiox9060556
Giorio P, Cirillo V, Caramante M, Oliva M, Guida G, Venezia A, Grillo S., Maggio A, Albrizio R (2020). Physiological Basis of Salt Stress Tolerance in a Landrace and a Commercial Variety of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). PLANTS, vol. 9, ISSN: 2223-7747, doi: 10.3390/plants9060795
Punzo P, Grillo S., Batelli G (2020). Alternative splicing in plant abiotic stress responses. BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS, vol. 48, p. 2117-2126, ISSN: 0300-5127, doi: 10.1042/BST20200281
Punzo P, Ruggiero A, Possenti M, Perrella G, Nurcato R, Costa A, Morelli G, Grillo S., Batelli G (2020). DRT111/SFPS Splicing Factor Controls Abscisic Acid Sensitivity during Seed Development and Germination. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, vol. 183, p. 793-807, ISSN: 0032-0889, doi: 10.1104/pp.20.00037
Ruggiero A, Landi S, Punzo P, Possenti M, Van Oosten MJ, Costa A, Morelli G, Maggio A, Grillo S., Batelli G (2019). Salinity and ABA Seed Responses in Pepper: Expression and Interaction of ABA Core Signaling Components. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, vol. 10, ISSN: 1664-462X, doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00304
Tranchida-Lombardo V, Mercati F, Avino M, Punzo P, Fiore MC, Poma I, Patane C, Guarracino MR, Sunseri F, Tucci M, Grillo S. (2019). Genetic diversity in a collection of Italian long storage tomato landraces as revealed by SNP markers array. PLANT BIOSYSTEMS, vol. 153, p. 288-297, ISSN: 1126-3504, doi: 10.1080/11263504.2018.1478900
Castiglia D, Leone S, Tamburino R, Sannino L, Fonderico J, Melchiorre, Carpentieri A, Grillo S, Picone D, Scotti N (2018). High-level production of single chain monellin mutants with enhanced sweetness and stability in tobacco chloroplasts. PLANTA, vol. 248, p. 465-476, ISSN: 0032-0935, doi: 10.1007/s00425-018-2920-z
Giorio P, Guida G, Mistretta C, Sellami MH, Oliva M, Punzo P, Iovieno P, Arena C, De Maio A, Grillo S., Albrizio R (2018). Physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to water stress and rehydration in Mediterranean adapted tomato landraces. PLANT BIOLOGY, vol. 20, p. 995-1004, ISSN: 1435-8603, doi: 10.1111/plb.12891
Mazzeo MF, Cacace G, Iovieno P, Massarelli I, Grillo S., Siciliano RA (2018). Response mechanisms induced by exposure to high temperature in anthers from thermo-tolerant and thermo-sensitive tomato plants: A proteomic perspective. PLOS ONE, vol. 13, ISSN: 1932-6203, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201027
Punzo P, Ruggiero A, Grillo S., Batelli G (2018). TIP41 network analysis and mutant phenotypes predict interactions between the TOR and ABA pathways. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR, vol. 13, ISSN: 1559-2316, doi: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1537698
Punzo P, Ruggiero A, Possenti M, Nurcato R, Costa A, Morelli G, Grillo S., Batelli G (2018). The PP2A-interactor TIP41 modulates ABA responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLANT JOURNAL, vol. 94, p. 991-1009, ISSN: 0960-7412, doi: 10.1111/tpj.13913
Tranchida-Lombardo V, Aiese Cigliano R, Anzar I, Landi S, Palombieri S, Colantuono C, Bostan H, Termolino P, Aversano R, Batelli G, Cammareri M, Carputo D, Chiusano ML, Conicella C, Consiglio F, D’Agostino N, De Palma M, Di Matteo A, Grandillo S, Sanseverino W, Tucci M, Grillo S (2018). Whole-genome re-sequencing of two Italian tomato landraces reveals sequence variations in genes associated with stress tolerance, fruit quality and long shelf-life traits. DNA RESEARCH, vol. 25, p. 149-160, ISSN: 1340-2838, doi: 10.1093/dnares/dsx045
Selected Publications
(full list available at CNR People)
Electromagnetic water enhanced metabolism and agro-physiological responses of potato (Solanum tuberosum L) under saline conditions
Akrimi R, Hajlaoui H, Batelli G, Ruggiero A, Badri M, Grillo S, Mhamdi M
Year: 2020
Physiological basis of salt stress tolerance in a landrace and a commercial variety of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
Giorio P, Cirillo V, Caramante M, Oliva M, Guida G, Venezia A, Grillo S, Maggio A, Albrizio R
Year: 2020
Alternative splicing in plant abiotic stress responses
Punzo P, Grillo S, Batelli G
Year: 2020
TOMRES: identifying tomato varieties with higher resource use efficiency
Ruggiero A, Cirillo V, Batelli G, Van Oosten MJ, Costa A, Grillo S, Maggio A
Year: 2019
Preliminary study of the effect of bacterial inoculation on the response of Lycium species under saline condition
Tedeschi A, Aurilia V, Grillo MS, Nurcato R, Huang C, Jing P, Xue X
Year: 2019
Physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to water stress and re-hydration in Mediterranean adapted tomato landraces
Giorio P, Guida G, Mistretta C, Sellami MH, Oliva M, Punzo P, Iovieno P, Arena C, De Maio A, Grillo S, Albrizio R
Year: 2018
Response mechanisms induced by exposure to high temperature in anthers from thermo-tolerant and thermo-sensitive tomato plants: A proteomic perspective
Mazzeo MF, Cacace G, Iovieno P, Massarelli I, Grillo S, Siciliano RA
Year: 2018
TIP41 network analysis and mutant phenotypes predict interactions between the TOR and ABA pathways
Punzo P, Ruggiero A, Grillo S, Batelli G
Year: 2018
The PP2A-interactor TIP41 modulates ABA responses in Arabidopsis thaliana
Punzo P, Ruggiero A, Possenti M, Nurcato R, Costa A, Morelli G, Grillo S, Batelli G
Year: 2018
TOMRES: screening of traditional tomato varieties for water use efficiency and nutrient use efficiency
Ruggiero A, Batelli G, Van Oosten MJ, Costa A, Grillo S, Maggio A
Year: 2018
Chloroplast-to-nucleus communication in response to drought in tomato
Tamburino R, Castiglia D, Sannino L, Guida G, Giorio P, Albrizio R, Grillo MS, Costa A, Scotti N
Year: 2018
Distinct gene networks drive differential response to abrupt or gradual water deficit in potato
Ambrosone A, Batelli G, Bostan H, D’agostino N, Chiusano ML, Perrotta G, Leone A, Grillo S, Costa A
Year: 2017
Living in harsh environments: what we have learnt from comparing plant acclimation versus shock response to osmo-stress
Ambrosone A, Costa A, Grillo S, Leone A
Year: 2017
G6PDH expression and activity correlates with drought tolerance in a long shelf life tomato landrace
Landi S, Ruggiero A, Nurcato R, De Lillo A, Batelli G, Grillo S, Esposito S
Year: 2017
An integrated study of morphophysiological and molecular responses to combined salt/low nutrient stress of long storage tomato landraces
Ruggiero A, Batelli G, Venezia A, Lupini A, Ruggiero M, Nurcato R, Costa A, Van Oosten MJ, Palombieri S, Vitiello A, Abenavoli MR, Cammareri M, Sunseri F, Grandillo S, Grillo S
Year: 2017
Improving plant water use efficiency through molecular genetics
Ruggiero A, Punzo P, Landi S, Costa A, Van Oosten M, Grillo S
Year: 2017
Chloroplast proteome response to drought stress and recovery in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
Tamburino R, Vitale M, Ruggiero A, Sassi M, Sannino L, Arena S, Costa A, Batelli G, Zambrano N, Scaloni A, Grillo S, Scotti N
Year: 2017
Transcriptomic changes drive physiological responses to progressive drought stress and rehydration in tomato
Iovieno P, Punzo P, Guida G, Mistretta C, Van Oosten MJ, Nurcato R, Bostan H, Colantuono C, Costa A, Bagnaresi P, Chiusano ML, Albrizio R, Giorio P, Batelli G, Grillo S
Year: 2016
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase plays a central role in the response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants to short and long-term drought
Landi S, Nurcato R, De Lillo A, Lentini M, Grillo S, Esposito S
Year: 2016
Identification of pepper ABA core signaling components and their role in seed germination
Ruggiero A, Landi S, Nurcato R, Costa A, Van Oosten M, Grillo S, Batelli G
Year: 2016
Genetics of drought stress tolerance in crop plants
Van Oosten MJ, Costa A, Punzo P, Landi S, Ruggiero A, Batelli G, Grillo S
Year: 2016
The Arabidopsis AtRGGA RNA binding protein regulates tolerance to salt and drought stress.
Ambrosone A, Batelli G, Nurcato R, Aurilia V, Punzo P, Bangarusamy DK, Ruberti I, Sassi M, Leone A, Costa A, Grillo S
Year: 2015
EMS mutagenised population of Eutrema salsugineum: a new tool to discover mechanisms of tolerance to extreme environment
Ruggiero A, Nurcato R, Costa A, Aurilia V, Van Oosten M, De Palma M, Grillo S, Batelli G
Year: 2015
La cellula vegetale e i suoi genomi
Cardi T, Aversano R, D’Agostino N, Grillo S, Leone A, Scossa F, Scotti N
Year: 2014
Role of arabidopsis UV resistance locus 8 in plant growth reduction under osmotic stress and low levels of UV-B
Fasano R, Gonzalez N, Tosco A, Dal Piaz F, Docimo T, Serrano R, Grillo S, Leone A, Inze D
Year: 2014
Meccanismi molecolari della risposta a stress abiotici e aumento della tolleranza nelle piante
Grillo MS, Leone A
Year: 2014
Identification of early induced genes upon water deficit in potato cell cultures by cDNA-AFLP
Ambrosone A, Di Giacomo M, Leone A, Grillo MS, Costa A
Year: 2013
Microsatellite and morpho-agronomic polymorphisms in eggplant and pepper: genotyping and identification of traditional cultivars
Tranchida-Lombardo V, Spigno P, Riccardi R, De Palma M, Nunziata A, Nurcato R, Grillo S, Tucci M
Year: 2013
Beyond transcription: RNA-binding proteins as emerging regulators of plant response to environmental constraints
Ambrosone A, Costa A, Leone A, Grillo S
Year: 2012
Asg1 is a stress-inducible gene which increases stomatal resistance in salt stressed potato
Batelli G, Massarelli I, Van Oosten M, Nurcato R, Vannini C, Raimondi G, Leone A, Zhu J-k, Maggio A, Grillo S
Year: 2012
Asg1 is a stress-inducible gene which increases stomatal resistance in salt stressed potato
Batelli G, Massarelli I, Van Oosten M, Nurcato R, Vannini C, Raimondi G, Leone A, Zhu JK, Maggio A, Grillo S
Year: 2012
Asg1 is a stress-inducible gene which increases stomatal resistance in salt stressed potato
Batelli G, Massarelli I, Van Oosten M, Nurcato R, Vannini C, Raimondi G, Leone A, Zhu JK, Maggio A, Grillo S
Year: 2012
Genome-wide analysis of plastome sequence variation and development of plastidial CAPS markers in common potato and related Solanum species
Gargano D, Scotti N, Vezzi A, Bilardi A, Valle G, Grillo S, Cozzolino S, Cardi T
Year: 2012
Differential gene regulation in potato cells and plants upon abrupt or gradual exposure to water stress.
Ambrosone A, Costa A, Martinelli M, Massarelli I, De Simone V, Grillo S, Leone A
Year: 2011
La genomica del pomodoro
Monti L, Grillo S
Year: 2010
La pianta come biofabbrica per la produzione di prodotti naturali e proteine eterologhe di interesse farmaceutico
Leone A., Scotti N., Grillo S., Monti L., Cardi T.
Year: 2009
High-level expression of the HIV-1 Pr55gag polyprotein in transgenic tobacco chloroplasts
Scotti N, Alagna F, Ferraiolo E, Formisano G, Sannino L, Buonaguro L, De Stradis A, Vitale A, Monti L, Grillo S, Buonaguro FM, Cardi T
Year: 2009
Genome-Wide Analysis of Plastid Gene Expression in Potato Leaf Chloroplasts and Tuber Amyloplasts: Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Control
Valkov VT, Scotti N, Kahlau S, Maclean D, Grillo S, Gray JC, Bock R, Cardi T
Year: 2009
Transplastomic tobacco plants expressing a fatty acid desaturase gene exhibit altered fatty acid profiles and improved cold tolerance
Craig W, Lenzi P, Scotti N, De Palma M, Saggese P, Carbone V, Mcgrath Curran N, Magee AM, Medgyesy P, Kavanagh TA, Dix PJ, Grillo S, Cardi T
Year: 2008
Translational fusion of chloroplast-expressed human papillomavirus type 16 L1 capsid protein enhances antigen accumulation in transplastomic tobacco
Lenzi P, Scotti N, Alagna F, Tornesello ML, Pompa A, Vitale A, De Stradis A, Monti L, Grillo S, Buonaguro FM, Maliga P, Cardi T
Year: 2008
SOS2 Promotes Salt Tolerance in Part by Interacting with the Vacuolar H -ATPase and Upregulating Its Transport Activity
Batelli G, Verslues PE, Agius F, Qiu Q, Fujii H, Pan S, Schumaker KS, Grillo S, Zhu JK
Year: 2007
Molecular tailoring and boosting of bioactive secondary metabolites in medicinal plants
Leone A, Grillo S, Monti L, Cardi T
Year: 2007
Interaction of SOS2 with Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase 2 and Catalases Reveals a Point of Connection between Salt Stress and H2O2 Signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana
Verslues PE, Batelli G, Grillo S, Agius F, Kim YS, Zhu J, Agarwal M, Katiyar-Agarwal S, Zhu JK
Year: 2007
Functional screening of plant stress related cDNAs by random over-expression in Escherichia coli.
Massarelli I; Cioffi R; Batelli G; De Palma M; Costa A; Grillo S; Leone A
Year: 2006
Salt tolerance: Placing advances in molecular genetics into a physiological and agronomic context
Maggio A, Bressan AR, Ruggiero C, Xiong L, Grillo S
Year: 2003
Unravelling the genetic basis of drought tolerance in crops
Tuberosa R, Grillo S, Ellis RP
Year: 2003