PROF. MARCO VENTURA
Full Professor of microbiology
Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
University of Parma
Degrees and Professional Qualifications
2003. PhD. in Natural Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland.
1990-1995 Master in Agriculture Sciences, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore Piacenza, Italy, Laurea in Scienze Agrarie 110 e lode.
Brief outline of academic history
Present Post:
2018-present. Full Professor of Microbiology at the Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma
2017-present Head of the Interdepartmental Centre “Microbiome Research Hub”, University of Parma, Italy.
2014-2018. Associate Professor of Microbiology, at the Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma.
2010-2014. Assistant Professor of Microbiology, at the Department of Genetics, Biology of Microorganisms, Anthropology and Evolution, Faculty of Science, University of Parma.
Previous Post held:
2005-2009 Non tenure Track Lecture (Professor with contract in Microbial Biotechnology) at the Department of Genetics, Biology of Microorganisms, Anthropology and Evolution, University of Parma, Italy, Date of appointment of the present grade: November 1st, 2005.
2003-2005 Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Department of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland.
2000-2003. PhD. graduate student, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Switzerland.
Recognition and Awards
2005 Italian Reintegration Award for Outstanding Italian Scientists (“Rientro dei Cervelli”).
1997 "Agostino Gemelli" Award 1995 (as the best graduate in the Faculty of Agriculture Sciences, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy).
Learned Societies/Journals
Member of the editorial board of the following scientific journals:
Microbiome (associate editor)
Scientific Reports (associate editor)
Applied Environmental Microbiology (member of the editorial board)
Microbial Biotechnology (member of the editorial board)
Microorganisms (associate editor)
BMC Microbiology (section editor for Applied Microbiology)
Referees of Research projects/Professorship
Prof. Ventura receives regular requests to review grant application from a variety of research funding agencies.
Panel members of the ERC Advanced Grants Evaluation Panel (2019-2020).
Member of the Scientific Committee for the evaluation of the research projects presented in the Joint Programming Initiatives (European Commission), Call INTIMIC 2017.
Member of the Scientific Advisor Board of the project EU GENOBOX (2013-2015).
Member of the Scientific Committee for the evaluation of the research projects “ETH Grant funding programme”, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland (2015).
Member of the Scientific Committee for the evaluation of the research projects “Danish Council for Independent Research | Technology and Production Sciences” (dal 2014).
“Habilitation” Committee for the evaluation of the scientific quality of applicants to Associate Professorship ETH, Zurich, Switzerland (2017).
Research activities
The overall research topic in Prof. Ventura’s team can be described as omics (genomics bioinformatics and functional genomics) of probiotic bacteria and human gut commensals. This theme does not only encompass the current research activities but is also compatible with the scientific activities of Prof. Ventura prior to move to the University of Parma. Prof. Ventura spent twelve years of his research activity in the key European LAB/bifidobacterial laboratories in an academic (as a postdoctoral research scientist from 2003 to 2005 at the Department of Microbiology/Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland) as well as an industrial (as a microbiologist and Ph.D. student from 1999 to 2003 at the Nestle Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland) research setting. Moreover, Prof. Ventura has been involved in research collaborations with the most prestigious institutes in the field of probiotic bacteria.
The research activities of Prof. Ventura’s team entails the following area:
Genomics of high G+C Gram positive bacteria and lactic acid bacteria.
Genomics of probiotic bacteria (probiogenomics).
Bioinformatics applied to probiotics.
Metagenomics of the human intestinal microbiota.
Genetics of stress response in bacteria.
Molecular biology of bacteriophage infecting lactic acid bacteria.
Bacterial phylogeny, particularly focusing on high G+C Gram positive bacteria.
Probiotic functionality of commensal bacteria.