Biology subjects

Gallina, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Gallina, P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Italian universities do not recruit according to proficiency in scientific production

We analyzed the files regarding recruitment competitions won by 186 professors of selected bibliometric disciplines in Florence between January 2014 and 30 June 2021. An equal number of professors recruited at other Italian universities and of researchers who never attained professorship in Italy were randomly chosen in the same disciplines as each Florentine professor among individuals possessing National Scientific Qualification, a prerequisite for professorship. The H-indexes at the time of qualification (T1), of the Florence call (T2), and the current (T3) time were obtained from Scopus. Non-recruited researchers were more likely (Chi-square test) to show a higher H-index than both Florentine (T1 p=0.0005, T2 p=0.0015, T3 p=0.0095) and non-Florentine professors (T1 p=0.0078, T2 p=0.0245, T3 p=0.0500). Fifty-four non-recruited scientists serve in foreign universities, 100 at national/international research centers. The remaining 32 scientists (25 who keep producing despite precarious employment, and seven who have stopped publishing) were, at any rate, as likely as Florentine (T3 p=0.69) and non-Florentine professors (T3 p=0.14) to show a higher H-index. This study suggests that Italian academia does not recruit professors according to their qualitative/quantitative ability to publish, a detriment to knowledge for the nationwide system and on a global scale.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Clonal reconstruction from co-occurrence of vector integration sites allows accurate quantification of expanding clones in vivo

High transduction rates of viral vectors in gene therapies (GT) and experimental hematopoiesis ensure a high frequency of gene delivery, although multiple integration events can occur in the same cell. Therefore, tracing of integration sites (IS) leads to misquantification of the true clonal spectrum and limits safety considerations in GT. Hence, we use correlations between repeated measurements of IS abundances to estimate their mutual similarity and identify clusters of co-occurring IS, for which we assume a clonal origin. We evaluate the performance, robustness and specificity of our methodology using clonal simulations. The reconstruction methods, implemented and provided as an R-package, are further applied to experimental clonal mixes and to a preclinical model of hematopoietic GT. Our results demonstrate that clonal reconstruction from IS data allows to overcome systematic biases in the clonal quantification as an essential prerequisite for the assessment of safety and long-term efficacy of GT involving integrative vectors.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Faecal microbiota transplant from aged donor mice into young recipients affects spatial learning and memory

BackgroundThe gut-brain axis and the intestinal microbiota are emerging as key players in health and disease. Shifts in intestinal microbiota composition affect a variety of systems, however, evidence of their direct impact on cognitive functions is still lacking. We tested whether faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) from aged donor mice into young adult recipients affected the hippocampus, an area of the central nervous system (CNS) known to be affected by the ageing process, and related functions. Methods and FindingsYoung adult mice were transplanted with the microbiota from either aged or age-matched donor mice. Following transplantation, characterization of the microbiotas and metabolomics profiles along with a battery of cognitive and behavioural tests were performed. Label-free quantitative proteomics was employed to monitor protein expression in the hippocampus of the recipients. Gut permeability, levels of circulating cytokines and expression of markers of microglia cells were also assessed. FMT from aged donors led to impaired spatial learning and memory in young adult recipients, whereas anxiety, explorative behaviour and locomotor activity remained unaffected. This was paralleled by altered expression of proteins involved in synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission in the hippocampus. Also, a strong reduction of bacteria associated with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production (Lachnospiraceae, Faecalibaculum, and Ruminococcaceae) and disorders of the CNS (Prevotellaceae and Ruminococcaceae) was observed. Finally, microglia cells of the hippocampus fimbria, acquired an ageing-like phenotype, while gut permeability and levels of circulating cytokines remained unaffected. ConclusionsThese results demonstrate a direct effect of the age-associated shifts of the microbiota on protein expression and key functions of the central nervous system. Furthermore, these results additionally highlight the paramount importance of the gut-brain axis in ageing and provide a strong rationale to devise therapies aiming to restore a young-like microbiota to improve cognitive functions in the elderly.

neuroscience↗