Gerardo Picazio

Self-presentation:

I currently work as a health researcher at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno in Portici in the department of Virology. My expertise focuses on zoonoses and exotic and vector-borne diseases.

Project:

In vitro study on the effects of co-exposure to environmental chemical contaminants and viral pathogens

Chemical contaminants can alter the immune system of organisms, facilitating the development and progression of infectious diseases. Contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins, bisphenols and micro/nanoplastics, mainly introduced through diet, increase intestinal permeability, causing inflammation, oxidative stress and tissue changes that favour the action of pathogens. The project will study, by means of molecular and cellular biology techniques, the effects of co-exposure of cell lines to contaminants and viruses (e.g. rotavirus, SARS-CoV-2), to assess any implications for public health in a One Health approach.

Supervisior:

Prof. Maria Carmela Ferrante - Professor of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology - DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION