Dr. Eugenia Messina, a Research Fellow at the University of Bari “Aldo Moro,” Italy, specializes in industrial and environmental biotechnology with a focus on metabolic engineering of yeasts for sustainable bio-based production. Her research primarily explores the genetic and biochemical modification of Yarrowia lipolytica, aiming to optimize microbial systems for the bioconversion of plastic waste into valuable biochemicals. Dr. Messina’s scientific trajectory reflects strong interdisciplinary expertise spanning biochemistry, molecular genetics, and microbial biotechnology. She has collaborated with renowned research institutions such as INRAE (France) and has actively participated in EU-funded projects promoting circular economy models through biological innovation. Her publication record includes notable contributions to Bioresource Technology, Microbial Cell Factories, and Metabolic Engineering, focusing on mitochondrial transport mechanisms, fatty acid biosynthesis, and microbial platform development. She holds 8 Scopus-indexed publications, 110 citations, and an h-index of 6, underscoring her growing academic influence. Dr. Messina is also a co-inventor on a European patent related to metabolic engineering for isocitric acid production, highlighting her translational research impact. Her excellence has been recognized with the HERITAGE 2024 Award and multiple honors from scientific societies. By integrating molecular biology and sustainable bioprocessing, Dr. Messina’s work contributes significantly to advancing green biotechnology and industrial bioengineering, making her an outstanding nominee for the Best Researcher Award.
Featured Publications
Messina, E., Lazar, Z., Barile, S., Moroz, P., Scarcia, P., Antonacci, Y., Fosso, B., Palmieri, L., Pisano, I., & Agrimi, G. (2026). Acetate co-feeding increases ethylene glycol assimilation and glycolic acid production in Yarrowia lipolytica. Bioresource Technology.
Castellani, S., Iaconisi, G. N., Tripaldi, F., Porcelli, V., Trapani, A., Messina, E., Guerra, L., Di Franco, C., Maruccio, G., Monteduro, A. G., Corbo, F., Di Gioia, S., & Trapani, G. (2024). Dopamine and Citicoline-Co-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as multifunctional nanomedicines for Parkinson’s disease treatment by intranasal administration. Pharmaceutics.
Di Noia, M. A., Ocheja, O. B., Scarcia, P., Pisano, I., Messina, E., Agrimi, G., Palmieri, L., & Guaragnella, N. (2024). Lack of mitochondrial DNA provides metabolic advantage in yeast osmoadaptation. Biomolecules
Khozov, A. A., Bubnov, D. M., Plisov, E. D., Vybornaya, T. V., Yuzbashev, T. V., Agrimi, G., Messina, E., Stepanova, A. A., Kudina, M. D., Alekseeva, N. V., & Netrusov, A. I. (2023). A study on L-threonine and L-serine uptake in Escherichia coli K-12. Frontiers in Microbiology.
Yuzbasheva, E. Y., Scarcia, P., Yuzbashev, T. V., Messina, E., Kosikhina, I. M., Palmieri, L., Shutov, A. V., Taratynova, M. O., Amaro, R. L., & Palmieri, F. (2021). Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica for the selective and high-level production of isocitric acid through manipulation of mitochondrial dicarboxylate–tricarboxylate carriers. Metabolic Engineering.