Author Profile

Dr. Nicola Luchi is researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR, Florence, Italy). His studies are focused on early detection of latent pathogen in asymptomatic plants and of invasive plant pathogen species by using molecular techniques, mainly based on real-time PCR. Dr. Luchi is working on biology, epidemiology and detection of invasive fungal pathogens in Mediterranean area. All his studies aim to detect the pathogens along different pathways as plant tissues, soil and airborne inoculum to prevent the possible spread of invasive pathogens in natural ecosystems. At the present he is working on development of new assay based on portable LAMP and qPCR assays to detect the last new emerging pathogens.

Dr. Alberto Santini is a senior research fellow with the Institute of Sustainable Plant Protection of the Italian National Research Council (IPSP-CNR, Florence, Italy). His work focuses on dynamics of arrival and spread of forest pathogens in Europe. His research encompasses pathogens early detection and diagnosis and forest tree species breeding and conservation. He is interested in the analysis and management of the risk of introducing plant pathogens through international trade and the ecological impacts of invasive alien species.