Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology

Dr. Federica Calabrese was born and raised in Italy, in a small costal city where she developed the interest and passion for environment and the natural cycles. She started her career studying biology and soon became interested in microbes and their interactions with the surrounding environment. After completing BS and MS in Sicily, she moved to Germany for her PhD where she investigated microbial populations' adaptation to ever-changing environmental conditions. She then moved to US as postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University to investigate biotic and abiotic microbial interactions and how these shape the ecosystems. Specifically, she is studying the physical and metabolic interactions of bacteria with minerals and their spatial distribution to identify specific patterns of microbial colonization and their potential role in biogeochemical cycles. Her research is focused on microbes-rocks interactions and how these can help studying the biology of extreme environments and predicting the search for life in other planets.