My first approach to algae was at Phycological
Laboratory of the Department of Botanical Sciences in the University
of Messina, as an undergraduate student in Biology, in 1994.
My project focused on a freshwater population of Bangia atropurpurea (Roth)
C. Agardh (Rhodophyta, Bangiales), dealing with both field and culture observations
on growth rate, morphogenesis and life history.
During my PhD (1998-2001), I worked on species of the green algal
genus Bryopsis J.V. Lamouroux (Chlorophyta, Bryopsidales).
Field observations had been carried in concert with laboratory
observations both on diagnostic taxonomic characters and life cycle.
I also had been involved in a project dealing with the karyology
and cytogenesis of freshwater populations of Rhizoclonium Kützing
(Chlorophyta, Cladophorales).
During my post doctoral period, I have worked on distinct research
projects.
The first, funded by a post doctoral fellowship (March 2001- February
2004), was the continuation of my Doctorate project on the taxonomy
of Bryopsis. The development pattern and the biology of
reproduction of two species were described and a critical evaluation
of the taxonomic keys available for the identification of Mediterranean
species was made.
The second research projects relates to the molecular systematics
of Gracilaria species(Rhodophyta, Gracilariales) in the
Mediterranean, a grant (PRA_GR 2002) funded under a program for
promoting research of young scientists. My project was included
in a wider program with the aim of a revision of the family with
a comparative approach including both anatomic and molecular observations.
I was also enrolled in research projects on species of the red
algal genus Porphyra C. Agardh (Rhodophyta, Bangiales),
including taxonomic, karyological and life history observations.
Last but not least, I landed at the Saunders’ Lab, as a recipient
of the Government of Canada Awards (2005-2006), a program for funding
foreign researcher in Canadian Institutions.
Now I work as researcher in Botany at the University of Messina,
Italy, where I’m the manager of the Phycological Lab, and
as aggregate professor, teaching General Botany to first year students
of Marine Biology.
EDUCATION
PhD in Biology of Algae (University of Messina, Italy, 2001)
Degree in Biological Sciences (University of Messina, Italy, 1997)
SPECIALIZATION COURSES
Officinal plants (2001-2002)
Cladistics – Isozymes electrophoresis (2000)
Molecular biology techniques applied to ecology and taxonomy of macroalgae (1999)
Biologist (Botany/ Microbiology) (1997-1998)
Phycology (1996-1998-2000)
SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARDS
Post-doctoral fellowship, Government of Canada Awards, University
of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada (2005-2006)
Grant “PRA_GR 2002”, University of Messina, Italy (2002-2006)
Post-doctoral fellowship, University of Messina (2002-2004)
“Premio Società Botanica Italiana”, award for outstanding
PhD thesis in Botany (2003)
PhD fellowship University of Messina (1998-2000)
Scholarship for specialization in Applied Microbiology (1997) declined
MEMBERSHIPS
Società Botanica Italiana
British Phycological Society
Federation of European Phycological Societies
International Phycological Society
International Seaweed Association
PUBLICATIONS
(contact me for reprints: morabitom (AT) unime.it)
Wilkes R.J., Morabito M. & Gargiulo G.M. 2006. Taxonomic considerations
of a foliose Grateloupia species from the Straits of Messina. Journal
of Applied Phycology 18: 663–669.
Gargiulo G.M., Morabito M., Genovese G. & De Masi F. 2006. Molecular systematics
and phylogenetics of Gracilariacean species from the Mediterranean Sea. Journal
of Applied Phycology 18: 497–504.
Morabito M., Genovese G. & Gargiulo G.M. 2005. A simple and rapid technique
to PCR amplify plastid genes from spores of Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta).
Journal of Applied Phycology 17: 35-38.
Morabito M., De Masi F. & Gargiulo G.M. 2003. Life history of two species
of Bryopsis from the Straits of Messina (Italy). Bocconea 16: 1059-1066.
Gargiulo G.M., Genovese G., Morabito
M., Culoso F. & De Masi F. 2001. Sexual
and asexual reproduction of Bangia atropurpurea (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) from
Eastern Sicily (Italy). Phycologia 40(1): 88-96.
CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS
Gargiulo G.M. , Morabito M. 2007. Reproduction and phylogenesis
in the systematics of Grateloupia C. Ag. (Rhodophyta). XII
OPTIMA Meeting, Pisa (Italy), Book of abstracts: 87
Manghisi A., Morabito M., Ribera M.A., Gargiulo G.M. 2006. To be
or not to be Aeodes?
That’s the matter of A. marginata (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta).
4th European Phycological Congress, Oviedo (Spain), Programme and book of abstracts:
.
Morabito M. & Gargiulo G.M. 2006. Filogenesi molecolare nella sistematica
algale: metodi di analisi e problematiche. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Algology
working group - Società Botanica Italiana, Catania, Italy (invited lecture).
Damino R., Morabito M., De stefano M. & Gargiulo G.M. 2006. Osservazioni
su una popolazione di Nitella opaca (C. Agardh ex Bruzelius) C. Agardh.
Annual Scientific Meeting of the Algology working group - Società Botanica
Italiana, Catania, Italy.
Damino S., Morabito M. & Gargiulo G. M. 2006. Preliminary report on a population
of Nitella C. Agardh (Charophyta) from Sicily, Italy. 14th Meeting of
the Group of European Charophytologists (GEC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Manghisi A., Morabito M., Gargiulo G.M., Ribera M.A. 2006. Morphological
and molecular characterization of a Mediterranean endemic genus: Acrodiscus (J.
Agardh) Zanardini (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta). Unravelling The Algae - The Past,
Present And Future Of Algal Molecular Systematics. The Natural History Museum,
London, UK.
Morabito, M. & Gargiulo, G.M. 2005. Molecular systematics of Grateloupia species
in the Mediterranean Sea. 8th International Phycological Congress, Durban, South
Africa. Phycologia 44.
Gargiulo G.M., Morabito M., Genovese G. & De Masi F. 2004. Molecular phylogeny
and taxonomy of Gracilariaceae species from the Mediterranean Sea. XVIII
International Seaweed Symposium, Bergen, Norway, Programme & abstracts: 124.
Wilkes R.J., Morabito M. & Gargiulo G.M. 2004. Grateloupia “doryphora” from
Sicily: which is its true identity? XVIII International Seaweed Symposium,
Bergen, Norway, Programme & abstracts: 107.
Morabito M., Genovese G., Gargiulo G.M. 2004. A friendly and fast
procedure to PCR amplify plastid genes in spores of Porphyra.
52nd Winter Meeting of the British Phycological Society, University
of Lancaster, England (UK). The Phycologist 66: 34.
Morabito M., Genovese G., Cecere E. and Gargiulo G.M. 2003. Gracilariaceae
(Rhodophyta) from the Gulf of Taranto (Italy). 3rd European Phycological
Congress, Queen's University, Belfast (UK), Programme and book
of abstracts: 88.
Morabito M., De Masi F., Genovese G., Gargiulo G.M. 2003. An alternative
point of view on the life history of Bryopsis species.
51st Winter Meeting of the British Phycological Society, National
University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland). The Phycologist 64: 32.
Genovese G., Battelli C., Morabito M., Gargiulo G.M. 2003. Karyotype
analysis of Porphyra populations (Bangiales, Rhodophyta)
from Mediterranean Sea. 51st Winter Meeting of the British Phycological
Society, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland). The
Phycologist 64: 27.
Morabito M., Genovese G., De Masi F., Gargiulo G.M. 2003. Molecular
differentiation of two species of Gracilaria (Gracilariales,
Rhodophyta). 51st Winter Meeting of the British Phycological Society,
National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland). The Phycologist
64: 33.
Genovese G., Battelli C., Morabito M., Gargiulo G.M. 2002. Systematic
of Mediterranean Porphyra species
(Bangiales, Rhodophyta) based on karyotype analyses. 97° Congresso della
Società Botanica Italiana, University of Lecce (Italy), Book of abstracts:
35.
Morabito M., Genovese G., De Masi F., Gargiulo G.M. 2002. Comparison
of rbcL
gene sequences of Gracilaria longa and Gracilaria gracilis (Gracilariales,
Rhodophyta). 97° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana, University
of Lecce (Italy), Book of abstracts: 37.
Morabito M., De Masi F. & Gargiulo G.M. 2001. Life history of two species
of Bryopsis from the Strait of Messina (Italy). X OPTIMA Meeting, Palermo
(Italy), Book of abstracts: 139.
De Masi F., Morabito M. & Gargiulo G.M. 1999. Karyological studies of freshwater
populations of Rhizoclonium from Sicily (Italy). 2nd European Phycological
Congress, Montecatini (Italy), Book of abstracts: 103.
|
