NOSTRO Antonia

GENERAL INFORMATION
Full Professor of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology (SSD MEDS-03) Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science - University of Messina, Italy - Phone: 0039 090 6766443 - E-mail: anostro@unime.it
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4280-7895 Scopus ID 6701571604

EDUCATION
• 1986 Degree in Biology Faculty of Science, University of Messina
• 1990 Specialization in Applied Microbiology, University of Messina
• 1995 Ph.D. degree in Biopharmaceutical Microbiology
• 1998 Researcher SSD MED/07 Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, University of Messina
• 2016 National Scientific Certification to the functions of Associated Professor SSD MED07, AREA06/A3 (ASN, D.D. 222/2012)
• 2017 National Scientific Certification to the functions of Full Professor SSD MED07, AREA06/A3 (ASN, D.D. 1532/2016)
• 2019 Associated Professor SSD MED/07 Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, University of Messina
2024 Full Professor

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATION
• Member of Joint Commission of the Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science - University of Messina, from 2016/present.
• Member of the Academic Board of the PhD in:
Pharmacognosy, University of Messina from 2006 to 2010;
Toxicology, University of Messina 2012-13;
Applied Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina from 2013/present
• Member of Commissions for selective procedures for RTI, RTDA - SSD MED/07
• Member of the Board of the Italian Society for Research on Essential Oils (SIROE)
• Member of the Italian Society of Microbiology (SIM)
• Member of the Italian Society of Pharmaceutical Microbiology (SIMiF ETS)

TEACHING ACTIVITY
• Microbiology in Master Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from 2012/present
• Microbiology in Master Degree in Pharmacy from 2018/present
• Microbiology in Degree in Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences to Health Products 2009-10 and 2011-12; Degree in Herbal Science and Technology from 2001 to 2008 and Degree in Environmental Toxicology from 2001 to 2003
• Applied Microbiology in Postgraduate Course Hospital Pharmacy from 2001 to 2003 and from 2018/present
• Hygiene in Master Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from 2006 to 2008; Degree in Herbal Science and Technology from 2001 to 2009
• Teaching in the School of Science and Technologies of Materials - Materials science and technologies approaches to biomedical challenges - “New perspectives on the use of essential oils: development of polymeric systems for the control of bacterial growth and biofilm”. INSTM, Ischia 2017
• Teaching in the Postgraduate Course in Herbal Medicine of Essential Oils (advanced level) "Essential Oils and Gram-Positive Infections" 29/11/2020 and 28/11/2021. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY
• Main research topics: Antimicrobial and anti-virulence activity of conventional and natural molecules against microorganisms of particular relevance for pathogenesis and drug resistance - Effects of conventional and non-conventional molecules on the characteristics of microbial pathogenicity and virulence factors - Study of the dynamics of biofilm formation on surfaces and materials in different growing conditions - New approaches and systems for the surveillance of biofilm development and its eradication - Study of micro- and nano-structured antimicrobial delivery systems for the control of microorganisms in biomedical and food fields
• Bibliometric indicators (Scopus): h-index: 34; Total citations: 4662; Articles: 88
• Scientific Corordinator Unit Research Progetto PRIN PNRR 2022 Novel biomedical devices combining antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity by embedding bioactive-loaded nanoconstructs in polymer films for more effectiveness in infectious disease treatment. ACRONYM: BIONANOF
Coordinator Research projects University of Messina (PRA) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006-07, 2008-09
• Scientific Responsible of Research Project “Valutazione delle proprietà antimicrobiche di una soluzione per uso oftalmico a base di argento colloidale nei confronti di stipiti isolati da infezioni oculari antibiotico-resistenti e/o abili a formare biofilm” Alfa Intes, Industria Terapeutica Splendore S.r.l. Casoria (NA) - 2018
• FFABR-ANVUR Funding of basic research activities 2017 e 2020
• Collaborator in the following granted projects:
HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01 (MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021) Polymeric Cyclodextrin-Based Supramolecular Constructs Photoreleasing Nitric Oxide for Combating Antibiotic Resistance (SUPREME);
MIUR 2016 PNRA16_00020 Unità Ricerca “Batteri produttori di biofilm associati a Poriferi Antartici e valutazione delle potenzialità biotecnologiche”;
MIUR - PRIN 2007 “Ruolo del biofilm di Helicobacter pylori nella esaltazione della variabilità genetica e sviluppo di sistemi innovativi eradicanti ”;
MIUR - PRIN 2005“ Aspetti fenotipici e genotipici della resistenza ai macrolidi e ai lincosamidi nei generi Streptococcus, Mycoplasma e Ureaplasma ”;
Agrivet - PO FESR 2007-2013 Linea 412° - “Centro per l’innovazione dei sistemi di Qualità, Tracciabilità e Certificazione dell’Agroalimentare”;
Research & Mobility 2016 “Chemical characterization by means of advanced analytical techniques of compounds of nutraceutical interest in different food real-world samples and evaluation of their biological activity”

ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
• 2021 Member of Scientific and Organizing Committee of 13th National Congress of Pharmaceutical Microbiology 28/29 June 2021 XIII Congress of the Italian Society of Pharmaceutical Microbiology SIMiF – Napoli

INVITED PUBLICATIONS
• Review. Scaffaro R, Maio A, Nostro A. Poly(lactic acid)/carvacrol-based materials: preparation, physicochemical properties, and antimicrobial activity. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2020, p. 1-13, ISSN: 0175-7598
• Review. Scaffaro R, Lopresti F, Marino A, Nostro A. Antimicrobial additives for poly(lactic acid) materials and their applications: current state and perspectives. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2018, vol. 102, p. 7739-7756, ISSN: 0175-7598
• Review. Nostro A, Papalia T. Antimicrobial Activity of Carvacrol: Current Progress and Future Prospectives. Recent Patents of Anti-Infective Drug Discovery 2012; 7, 28-35
• Book Chapter In: Modern Phytomedicine. Turning Medicinal Plants into Drugs. Ed. Ahmad I., Aqil F., Owais M. "Activity of Plant Extracts and Plant-Derived Compounds against Drug-Resistant Microorganisms". 2006, 10, 199-231. WEINHEIM: WILEY-VCH V Verlag Gmbh & Co. KGaA GERMANY.ISBN: 3-527-31530-6
• Book Chapter In: Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo G., Bonaccorsi I. "Antimicrobial Activity of Citrus bergamia Risso & Poiteau". 2013, 20, 491-498, CRC Press ISBN: 9781439862278

EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
• Member of Editorial Board of “Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery”, Bentham Science Publishers Ltd 2006/present
• Member of Editorial Board of “Coatings”, Sections: Surface Coatings for Biomedicine and Bioengineering and Bioactive Coatings and Biointerfaces; MDPI Basel, Switzerland Science Publishers Ltd, 2018/presaent
• Member of Editorial Board of “ISRN Microbiology" Publishing Corporation from 2011 to 2017
• Guest Editor Special Issue in Antibiotics "Development and Application of Plant Antimicrobial Substance" - Team: G. Tempera, C. Genovese, A. Nostro. In progress 2021
• Guest Editor Special Issue in Front Bioeng Biotechnol - “Combating bacterial infections through biomimetic or bioinspired materials design and enabling technologies” - Team: G. Ciardelli - Politecnico di Torino, I. Roy - University of Westminster UK, J. Salber - Universitätsklinikum Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum - Germany, A. Nostro - Università di Messina, A. Boccaccini, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, 2018-2020
• Referee "AD HOC" for several international scientific journals

AWARD
• Marini E, Magi G, Cimarelli ME, Piersimoni C, Nostro A, Ginestra G, Di Giulio M, Cellini L, Facinelli B. 2016. Attività antimicrobica di oli essenziali e principi attivi vegetali nei confronti di un ceppo clinico di Mycobacterium abscessus multi-resistente e produttore di biofilm. Poster, IV Congresso Nazionale SIROE, Roma
• Nostro A, Scaffaro R, Botta L, Filocamo A, Marino A, Bisignano G. 2014. Sustained release of carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde from polymeric films to control the monospecies and dual-species biofilm development by E. coli and S. aureus”. Poster, 42° Congress of National Society of Microbiology SIM. Torino
• Marino A, Nostro A, Mandras N, Ginestra G, Ruberto G, Mancuso A, Bisignano G, Tullio V. 2014. Attività antimicrobica dell'idrolato di Coridothymus capitatus L. Richb. F. (Lamiaceae) di Sicilia. Poster, II Congresso Nazionale SIROE, Terni
• Stanford University 2022. Ranked ‘Microbiology’ category (3 November 2022 DOI:10.17632/btchxktzyw.5); https://www.unime.it/notizie/classifica-mondiale-dei-migliori-ricercatori-i-docenti-unime-nella-top-195000-degli.