Carmen Sica

Professional Experience

31/10/2022 – Present
PhD Candidate (38th cycle)
University of Catania – Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (Hygiene Sector)
Project: In silico study for the evaluation of oncoprotective activity by analysis of highly purified algal phycocyanin through miRNAs regulation

6 months of research activity abroad at Universidad de Vigo, Ourense Campus (Spain) – Department of Chemical Engineering

18/01/2022 – 16/07/2022
Research Fellow
Laboratory of Cytology and Histology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences – University of Catania

01/09/2021 – 17/01/2022
Qualified Tutor of Developmental Biology
Bachelor’s Degree Course in Biological Sciences – University of Catania

08/01/2021 – 05/06/2021
Intern
Poliambulatorio Medisan (Catania) – RNA extraction, PCR, biochemical tests

01/09/2020 – 01/11/2020
Intern with job placement
Acoset S.P.A. – Quality control of drinking water

Education and Training

05/01/2021 – 10/01/2022
Advanced Course in Biotechnology and Assisted Reproduction Techniques
University of Naples Federico II

2018 – 2021

Master’s Degree in Reproductive Biology of Aquatic Environments – Grade: 100/110
University of Naples Federico II & University Parthenope

Experimental Thesis: Toxicity evaluation of TiO₂ nanoparticles on Zebrafish larvae using DanioScope (at University of Catania)

Skills acquired: ichthyopathology, developmental biology, oceanography, reproduction, physiology, biochemistry, hygiene

2013 – 2018
Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology and Ecology – Grade: 94/110
University of Messina

Skills: molecular biology, histology, physiology, chemistry, zoology, algae systematics, cartography

• Oct 1, 2013 – Jul 16, 2018
  Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology and Ecology, grade: 94/110
  University of Messina
  Skills acquired: molecular biology, general and organic chemistry, mathematics, physics, zoology, botany, cytology and histology, coastal dynamics, algal systematics, cartography.
• Jan 2016 – Sep 5, 2016
  Erasmus+ (Traineeship and Studium)
  University of Murcia, Spain
  Thesis internship in Aquaculture. Exams in Spanish: Aquaculture, Theoretical and Practical Geology.
• October 14–15, 2016
  Educational Internship “Sommergiamoci”
  University of Messina and University Federico II of Naples
  Activities in the Marine Protected Areas of Gaiola (Naples).
• 2007 – 2013
  High School Diploma in Socio-Psycho-Pedagogical Studies, grade: 78/100
  Regina Elena High School, Acireale
  Main subjects: pedagogy, philosophy, psychology, sociology, Italian, Latin.
• Professional Registration
• Jan 5, 2021 – Jan 10, 2022
  Registered in the Professional Biologists’ Board – Section B, reg. no. AB_088317
• Apr 27, 2022
  Transferred to Section A of the Professional Biologists’ Board, reg. no. AA_093153
• PERSONAL SKILLS

Mother Tongue

• Italian
• Other Languages

• English: Certified C2 level by e-labor@ndo (certified training agency)
• Spanish: Self-declared level
• CEFR Scale: A1/A2 = Basic User, B1/B2 = Independent User, C1/C2 = Proficient User

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Communication Skills

• Strong ability to work in a team and interact with diverse individuals, developed through university study groups and internships in both private and public analysis laboratories.
• Excellent interpersonal skills aimed at constructive dialogue, problem-solving, and collaborative comparison of laboratory test results.

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Organizational and Managerial Skills

• Proven ability to work independently and take responsibility both in personal and professional environments.
• Experience in both individual and team settings, acquired through university projects and various professional roles.

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Professional Skills

• Evaluation of various sperm parameters (concentration, motility, vitality, acrosomal damage, DNA fragmentation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, mitochondrial activity).
• Toxicity assays on gametes of different animal models (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Paracentrotus lividus, Danio rerio, human).
• Toxicity tests on embryos of various species (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Paracentrotus lividus, Danio rerio, Artemia salina).
• Preparation of histological slides: fixation, dehydration, paraffin embedding, microtome sectioning, histological and histochemical staining.
• Sample embedding techniques for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).
• Extraction of bioactive compounds from microalgae and cyanobacteria (phenolics, carotenoids, fatty acids, antioxidants) using both chemical and green extraction methods.

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Digital Competence (Self-assessment)

• Additional Digital Skills:
  • Good command of office software (word processor, spreadsheets, presentation tools)
  • Good command of digital image editing software, acquired as an amateur photographer

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Digital Courses and Certifications

• Course: Didactic Use of Tablets – 200 hours
• Course: PL200 – Didactic Use of Interactive Whiteboards (LIM) – 200 hours
• Course: Introduction to Coding – Programming with Scratch

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Driving License

• Categories A and B
•  
• Laboratory instrument use:
  • Spectrometry (ICP-OES)
  • Mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)
  • Spectrophotometry
  • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
  • Book Chapters
  • Co-author of the university textbook “Environmental Hygiene”, First Edition, 2024.
    ISBN: 9788836232031

  • Awards

  • 1st Prize – Euro-Mediterranean Journal Paper Award, 2nd International One Health Conference (2023)
    The DECARB project as One Health approach in the industrial symbiosis
    Authors: Sica C., Oliveri Conti G., Copat C., Bonfante G., Nicotra P., Scollo M., Falqui L., Ferrante M.

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    Conferences

  • ICEB 2021, Cairo (Egypt)
    Effect of electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz on sperm quality of Mytilus galloprovincialis.
    Sica C., et al.
  • ICEB 2021, Cairo (Egypt)
    Non-invasive technique for heartbeat measurement in zebrafish embryos exposed to EMF at 27 GHz.
    Ignoto S., Sica C., et al.
  • XXVI SIPI National Congress, Messina, June 2022
    Biological effects of non-ionizing EMFs on reproduction in Mytilus galloprovincialis.
    Sica C., et al.
  • XXVI SIPI National Congress, Messina, June 2022
    Embryotoxicity assessment of TiO₂ nanoparticles in zebrafish larvae.
    Ferruggia G., Sica C., et al.
  • 1st National Conference on Emerging Contaminants, ONB Catania
    Toxicity evaluation of brookite TiO₂ nanoparticles combined with CeO₂ on marine invertebrate sperm.
    Indelicato S., Sica C., et al.
  • 1st National Conference on Emerging Contaminants, ONB Catania
    Toxicity of polystyrene nanospheres on human spermatozoa.
    Contino M., Sica C., et al.
  • 2nd International One Health Conference, Barcelona, October 2023
    The DECARB Project as One Health Approach in Industrial Symbiosis.
    Sica C., et al.
  • 2nd International One Health Conference, Barcelona, October 2023
    Conversion of CO₂ emissions into algal biomass for the production of anti-cancer bioactives.
    Copat C., Sica C., et al.
  • International Conference: Climate Change and Environmental Pollutants, Sousse, Tunisia, November 2023
    Microalgae solutions to fight climate change: cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis.
    Copat C., Sica C., et al.
  • VII Annual Meeting, UVigo Campus, Vigo, Spain, July 2024
    From Photobioreactors to Preventive Medicine: The Role of Microalgae in the Energy Transition.
    Sica C., et al.
  • 3rd Iberian Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, Ourense, Spain, July 2024
    Supercritical-CO₂ extraction of lipids, phenolics, and pigments from Rugulopteryx okamurae.
    Inoubli S., Sica C., et al.
  • 5th Ibero-American Congress on Biorefineries (5-CIAB), Jaén, Spain, October 2024
    Arthrospira platensis biorefinery for production of green cosmetics.
    Sica C., et al.
  • 3rd International One Health Conference, Athens, Greece, October 2024
    Innovative method in microalgae processing for environmental and health applications.
    Sica C., et al.
  • Feb 14, 2025
    62nd Course – International School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”
    Topic: Water and food in light of climate change: resilience and public health interventions
  • Mar 27–28, 2025
    1st National Conference – Italian Ministry of Health
    National Prevention System for Health Protection from Environmental and Climate Risks (SNPS)
  • Nov 25–29, 2024
    “eXXperimenta en femenino” – Spain
  • Sep 20, 2024
    VI Xornadas de Biomas de Desenvolvemento Sostible (BioDSpst24) – Spain

  • Conferences and Scientific Presentations

    1. Sica C., Scalisi E.M., Ignoto S., Palmeri L., Contino M., Ferruggia G., Salvaggio A., Pavone S.C., Sorbello G., Di Donato L., Pecoraro R., Brundo M.V.
    Effect of electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz on sperm quality of Mytilus galloprovincialis.
    ICEB 2021 – 15th International Conference on Environment and Bioengineering, December 13–14, 2021, Cairo (Egypt).

    2. Ignoto S., Scalisi E.M., Sica C., Contino M., Ferruggia G., Salvaggio A., Pavone S.C., Sorbello G., Di Donato L., Pecoraro R., Brundo M.V.
    Non-invasive technique for measuring heartbeat in zebrafish embryos exposed to electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz.
    ICEB 2021 – 15th International Conference on Environment and Bioengineering, December 13–14, 2021, Cairo (Egypt).

    3. Sica C., Pecoraro R., Pavone C.S., Sorbello G., Di Donato L., Ignoto S., Scalisi E.M., Ferruggia G., Contino M., Salvaggio A., Brundo M.V.
    Biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields on reproduction of Mytilus galloprovincialis.
    XXVI National SIPI Congress, June 23–25, 2022, Messina (Italy).

    4. Ferruggia G., Pecoraro R., Contino M., Ignoto S., Sica C., Truglio E., Ilaria C., Brundo M.V., Salvaggio A.
    Traditional and innovative techniques for evaluating the embryotoxicity of TiO₂ nanoparticles on zebrafish larvae.
    XXVI National SIPI Congress, June 23–25, 2022, Messina (Italy).

    5. Indelicato S., Sica C., Contino M., Ferruggia G., Pecoraro R., Scalisi E.M., Brundo M.V., Pennisi S., Coppa F., Giuffrida G.
    Toxicity evaluation of Brookite-phase TiO₂ nanoparticles combined with CeO₂ on sperm cells of marine invertebrates.
    1st National Conference “Emerging Contaminants: Environment, Nutrition, Health”, ONB, Catania (Italy).

    6. Contino M., Ferruggia G., Sica C., Indelicato S., Pecoraro R., Scalisi E.M., Brundo M.V.
    Toxicity of polystyrene nanospheres on human sperm cells.
    1st National Conference “Emerging Contaminants: Environment, Nutrition, Health”, ONB, Catania (Italy).

    7. Sica C., Oliveri Conti G., Copat C., Bonfante G., Ferrante M.
    The DECARB Project as a One Health approach in industrial symbiosis.
    2nd International One Health Conference, October 19–20, 2023, Barcelona (Spain).

    8. Copat C., Grasso A., Falqui L., Scollo M., Favara C., Sica C., Cristaldi A., Fiore M., Oliveri Conti G., Ferrante M.
    Conversion of greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂) into algal biomass for the production of bioactive antitumor compounds: Implementing green industrial symbiosis to support preventive medicine (GrEEnoncoprev – REACT-EU).
    2nd International One Health Conference, October 19–20, 2023, Barcelona (Spain).

    9. Copat C., Scollo M., Bonfante G., Favara C., Sica C., Grasso A., Oliveri Conti G., Ferrante M.
    Microalgae solution to fight climate change and support green economy: new challenges with Haematococcus pluvialis cultivation.
    International Conference: Climate Change and Environmental Pollutants – Main Drivers of Biodiversity Decline, November 2023, Sousse (Tunisia).

    10. Sica C., Inoubli S., Favara C., Copat C., Torres M.D., Bonfante G., Falqui L., Scollo M., Oliveri Conti G., Dominguez H., Ferrante M.
    From Photobioreactors to Preventive Medicine: The Role of Microalgae in the Energy Transition.
    VII Annual Meeting, July 18–19, 2024, University of Vigo, Campus of Marcosende (Spain).

    11. Inoubli S., Sica C., Florez-Fernandez N., Diaz-Reinos B., Torres M.D., Dominguez H.
    Supercritical-CO₂ extraction of lipidic, phenolic, and pigment fractions from Rugulopteryx okamurae.
    3rd Iberian Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, July 22–24, 2024, Ourense (Spain).

    12. Sica C., Favara C., Copat C., Torres M.D., Florez-Fernandez N., Bonfante G., Falqui L., Scollo M., Oliveri Conti G., Dominguez H., Ferrante M.
    Arthrospira platensis biorefinery for the production of green cosmetics-based products.
    5th Iberoamerican Congress on Biorefineries (5-CIAB), October 2–4, 2024, Jaén (Spain).

    13. Sica C., Favara C., Inoubli S., Copat C., Torres M.D., Bonfante G., Falqui L., Scollo M., Oliveri Conti G., Dominguez H., Ferrante M.
    Innovative method in microalgae processing for environmental and health applications.
    3rd International One Health Conference, October 15–17, 2024, Athens (Greece).

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    Thesis Supervision (Co-Supervisor)

  • Stefania Indelicato – Toxicity evaluation of brookite TiO₂ nanoparticles combined with CeO₂ on marine invertebrate spermatozoa.
    MSc in Health and Cellular-Molecular Biology, University of Catania
  • Miriam Ficicchia – Effects of non-ionizing EMFs at 27 GHz on spermatozoa of Mytilus galloprovincialis.
    MSc in Health and Cellular-Molecular Biology, University of Catania