Biology subjects

Cerullo, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Cerullo, G..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Liana cutting accelerates tropical forest recovery at a fraction of the cost of tree planting

We urgently need to restore degraded tropical forests to mitigate the climate and biodiversity crises, but how to do so rapidly and cost-effectively remains an open question. Here we provide a long-term, landscape-scale assessment of the effectiveness of enrichment tree planting and liana cutting, the two most common restoration interventions used across many tropical regions. Leveraging one of the worlds largest and longest running forest restoration experiments, we used repeat airborne laser scanning to track the 3D structural recovery of 500 ha of selectively logged rainforest in Borneo. Over an 18-year period, enrichment planting increased mean canopy height by 1.6 m relative to unplanted controls. Remarkably, liana cutting increased canopy height more than four times faster (3.7 m over just 9 years). This recovery was jointly driven by accelerated canopy gap closure, enhanced tree growth, and a 50% reduction in tree mortality. Given that liana cutting is around 10 times cheaper to implement than enrichment planting, our results suggest it provides a cost-effective, scalable solution to accelerate the structural recovery of logged tropical forests.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Persistent declines in forest-dependent birds following active restoration of logged tropical forest in Borneo

O_LITropical forest restoration is critical for mitigating biodiversity loss and climate change, including in forests impacted by selective logging. Active restoration through liana cutting and enrichment tree planting can substantially accelerate carbon recovery, potentially reducing economic pressures to convert logged forests. But its long-term biodiversity impacts remain largely unknown. C_LIO_LIUsing over two decades of bird survey data from Borneos largest logged-forest restoration project, we quantified occupancy patterns for 176 species across primary, naturally regenerating, and actively restored logged forests spanning a 30+ year post-logging chronosequence. C_LIO_LIForest-dependent, threatened and near-threatened species generally declined through time in actively restored areas, whereas many species in naturally regenerating forests progressively recovered toward primary forest levels. Between 17-40% of 66 threatened or near-threatened species had consistently lower occupancies in actively restored than in naturally regenerating forest. Across species of global conservation concern, median occupancies in restored areas remained [~]22% below primary forest even 50 years after harvests, compared with only [~]6% lower under natural regeneration. C_LIO_LIArboreal insectivores, frugivores, and predatory species appeared most negatively affected by active restoration, with 27-49% of arboreal gleaning insectivores (of 62), 13-30% of arboreal frugivores (of 40), and one-third of predatory species (of 15) showing higher occupancy in naturally regenerating forests. Sallying insectivores also showed a possible but uncertain response, whereas ground-associated frugivores and insectivores were largely unaffected by restoration treatment. C_LIO_LIConcerningly, even 50 years post-logging, up to 52% of 50 high forest-dependency species retained distinct occupancies in actively restored compared with primary forest, suggesting persistent negative impacts of vine-cutting and/or tree planting activities on avian populations. C_LIO_LISynthesis and applications. Our findings indicate that despite substantial carbon benefits, active restoration within selectively logged forests may impede the recovery of forest-dependent biodiversity. This challenges the common assumption embedded within nature-based climate solutions that carbon and biodiversity outcomes will necessarily align. Nonetheless, despite the persistent declines in bird communities, actively restored forests continued to provide key habitat for many species. Active interventions may thus still contribute to broader biodiversity conservation objectives if they protect logged areas from conversion, potentially via carbon payments. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Engineering macrophage responses through 3D scaffold microarchitecture

Biomaterial implantation in living organisms triggers a physiological response known as foreign body reaction, leading to the recruitment of macrophages, that can polarize either into a pro-inflammatory (M1) or an anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotype. Currently, there is growing interest in tailoring the physical properties of tissues and biomaterials to promote efficient tissue regeneration. Tridimensionality can profoundly influence macrophage behaviour; however, there is no clear consensus on the underlying mechanisms. 3D microstructures may play a crucial role in modulating immune cells, promoting anti-inflammatory responses, and supporting effective tissue repair and regeneration. In this study, we used two-photon polymerization to fabricate 3D scaffolds with large pores, measuring 50x50x20 m3, and small pores, measuring 15x15x15 m3. Both microstructures effectively influenced macrophage cytoskeletal organization and cellular metabolic activity. Notably, they were not sufficient to induce spontaneous macrophage polarization, indicating that they are intrinsically immunologically inert. When combined with chemical stimulation, as typically occurs in vivo, they elicited distinct responses. Specifically, as evidenced by the slight upregulation of the Arg1 marker, large pore sizes promoted an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Conversely, iNOS expression measurements indicated that small pores, which impose spatial constraints on macrophages, favoured a massive pro-inflammatory state. Our results demonstrate that 3D microstructures are versatile tools for multiple applications. Their precisely tunable architecture enables fine control over macrophage behaviour and immunomodulation, opening new avenues both for tissue engineering, by preventing fibrosis and promoting anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative responses in vivo, and for the development of in vitro platforms to model inflamed tissues for screening anti-inflammatory drugs.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2022

Microlenses fabricated by two-photon laser polymerisation for intravital cell imaging with non-linear excitation microscopy

Non-linear excitation microscopy offers several advantages for in-vivo imaging compared to conventional confocal techniques. However, tissue penetration can still be an issue due to scattering and spherical aberrations induced on focused beams by the tissue. The use of low numerical aperture objectives to pass through the outer layers of the skin, together with high dioptric power microlenses implanted in-vivo close to the observation volume, can be beneficial to the reduction of optical aberrations. Here, we develop and test on fibroblast cell culture plano-convex microlenses to be used for non-linear imaging of biological tissue. The microlenses can be used as single lenses or multiplexed in an array. A thorough test of the lenses wavefront is reported together with the modulation transfer function and wavefront profile. We could retrieve magnified fluorescence images through the microlenses coupled to commercial confocal and two-photon excitation scanning microscopes. The signal-to-noise ratio of the images is not substantially affected by the use of the microlenses and the magnification can be adjusted by changing the relative position of the microlens array to the microscope objective and the immersion medium. These results are opening the way to the application of implanted micro-optics for optical in-vivo inspection of biological processes.

bioengineering↗