Salvatore Saccone
Full Professor of [BIOS-14/A]
Membership Section: Animal Biology
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- Full professor of Genetics - University of Catania, Italy
- President of the CBUI (College of Italian University Biologists).
- President of the Biological Area Steering Committee (Dept. Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Italy)
- Director of the section Animal Biology “M. La Greca”
- Director of the Genetic laboratory and the Confocal Microscopy laboratory
- Member of the Gioenia Academy of Catania (Italy)
- President of the degree course in "Biological Sciences" (2017÷2021 and 2021÷2025)
- President of the Commission for the State Exams for the qualification to the profession of Biologist (2016 - 2018 - 2021 - 2024)
- Member of the A.S.N. national committee for the Genetic scientific sector (SC 05/I1 - Genetics) (2018÷2021)
- President of the Master degree course in "Cell and Molecular Biology" (2012÷2017)
- Coordinator of the Master course in “Bio-molecular techniques for bio-medical and forensic investigations” (2014÷2016)
- Coordinator of the PhD program in "Evolutionary and Environmental Biology" (2010÷2014)
- Deputy-Director of the Dept. Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Italy (2010÷2012)
- Deputy-Director of the Dept. Animal Biology “M. La Greca”, University of Catania, Italy (2008÷2010)
QUALIFICATIONS AND LONG-TERM WORK PLACES
- 1989: graduate in Biological Sciences - University of Catania, Italy
- 1992: ERASMUS PhD student and EMBO fellowship - University of Leiden, The Netherlands
- 1993: PhD in Genetic Sciences – University of Pavia, Italy
- 1993-1994: post-doc - Institute J. Monod, Paris, France
- 1995: post-doc - University of Catania, Italy
- 1995-1998: researcher of Genetics - University of Catania, Italy
- 1998-2001: associate professor of Genetics - University of Bologna, Italy
- 2001-2018: associate professor of Genetics - University of Catania, Italy
- 2018-present: full professor of Genetics - University of Catania, Italy
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
- 1989: "A. Marzullo Award” assigned by the University of Trieste on the Degree Thesis and the University Curriculum
- 1990: "Degree Award” assigned by "Consorzio Catania Ricerche" on the Degree Thesis
- 1992: ERASMUS fellowship (Leiden, The Netherlands)
- 1992: Short term EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Fellowship (Leiden, The Netherlands)
- 1993-1994: Post-doc fellowship (Institute J. Monod, Paris, France)
- 1994: “PhD Award” assigned by “Italian Association of Genetics” for the best doctoral thesis of Genetics
- 1995: AIRC (Italian Association Cancer Research) fellowship
KEY LESSONS HELD (current lessons in bold)
- In the "Experimental and applied biology" Master Degree course: 1) Structural and functional genomics; 2) Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics.
- In the "Biological Sciences" degree course: 1) Genetics; 2) Molecular and Cytogenetic techniques; 3) Molecular evolution; 4) Environmental mutagenesis
- n the "Biotechnology" degree course:1) Genetics.
- In the "Environmental and Natural Sciences" Degree course: Environmental mutagenesis
- In the "Human Nutrition" Master Degree course: 1) Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics.
- In the "Environmental Biology" Master Degree course: Environmental mutagenesis
- In the "Environmental Sciences" degree course: Genetics and Mutagenesis
- In the "Health and Cell-Molecular Biology" Master Degree course: Structural and functional genomics
- In the "Cell and Molecular Biology" Master Degree course: 1) Genomics of the Eukaryotes; 2) Developmental genetics
- In the "Environmental Protection Sciences" Master Degree course: Genetic methods
TUTORSHIP
From 2001 he was tutor of 12 PhD thesis, more than 80 master degree thesis, and an high number of degree final dissertation.
AREA OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
- Genome organization and evolution
- Chromatin architecture and gene regulation
- Genetic diseases related to epigenetic modifications of the chromatin
- Nuclear Tau protein and its involvement in aging and Alzheimer's disease
- Environmental mutagenesis
- Forensic genetics
SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION (bibliometric indicators from Scopus)
From 1991 he was co-author of more than 170 scientific articles published on international journals with referees, and a high number of abstracts presented to scientific national/international meeetings. The h-index (Jul-2026) is 39 and considering the last 10 years is 27.
In the last 5 years he was co-author of more than 50 scientific articles.
See also:
VIEW THE PUBLICATIONS
N.B. the number of publications can affect the loading time of the information
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
GENOME ORGANIZATION AND EVOLUTION
- Genomic DNA organization in the chromosomal bands and in interphase nuclei from mammalian cells
- Chromatin organization during cell differentiation
- Bio-molecular investigations of the genome of parasites responsible for the transmission of leishmaniasis in humans
GENETIC DISEASES RELATED TO CHROMATIN EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS
- Ectopic gene repositioning in cell nuclei
- HLXB9/MNX1 gene in myeloid leukemias and breast cancer
- TAU gene in cell aging and in Alzheimer's disease
ENVIRONMENTAL MUTAGENESIS
- In vitro mutagenesis assays of environmental pollutants
- Analyses of the biomarkers of effect and of susceptibility on human populations exposed to environmental pollutants
- Polymorphisms of the DNA repair genes and of the xenobiotic metabolism genes
FORENSIC GENETICS
- Molecular identification of Insect species with forensic interest
- Molecular identification of the larval stages of scavenger Diptera
RESEARCH GROUP
| NAME | POSITION |
| SACCONE Salvatore | Full professor of Genetics |
| FEDERICO Concetta | Associated professor of Genetics |
| BRUNO Francesca | Researcher of Genetics (collaboration University of Enna Kore) |
| BRANCATO Desiree | Post-doc in Genetics |
| STURIALE Valentina | Post-doc in Genetics (external collaborator) |
| CONIGLIO Elvira | PhD student in Genetics |