Developed skills and lines of research

Marta Mellini is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory of Roma Tre University. At the same institution, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences (2015), her Master’s degree in Biology for Molecular, Cellular and Physiopathological Research (2017), and her PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Technologies (2021). Since 2021, she has been working as a research fellow at Roma Tre University. During her scientific training, she presented her work at several national and international conferences.
She is author of 10 publications in international peer-reviewed journals. Her research focuses on the study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenicity, with particular emphasis on cell-to-cell communication processes that regulate the production of virulence factors and biofilm formation in this pathogen. More recently, she has been involved in the development and characterization of xenobiotic molecules with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens, including P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, relevant to cystic fibrosis. She has also contributed to drug-repositioning screening campaigns aimed at identifying clinically approved compounds for the treatment of P. aeruginosa lung infections.

Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator

GMSG#1/2025
Unconventional Approaches to Combat Cystic Fibrosis Bacteria

Publications from FFC Ricerca projects

•  Mellini M, Di Muzio E, D’Angelo F, Baldelli V, Ferrillo S, Visca P, Leoni L, Polticelli F, Rampioni G (2019).  In silico selection and experimental validation of FDA-approved drugs as anti-quorum sensing agents.  Front Microbiol 10:2355
• Mellini M, Lucidi M, Imperi F, Visca P, Leoni L, Rampioni G (2021). Generation of genetic tools for  gauging multiple-gene expression at the single-cell level. Appl Environ Microbiol 87:e02956-20
• Letizia M, Mellini M, Fortuna A, Visca P, Imperi F, Leoni L, Rampioni G (2022). PqsE expands and  differentially modulates the RhlR quorum sensing regulon in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiol Spectr 10:e0096122
• Caruso L, Mellini M, Catalano Gonzaga O, Astegno A, Forte E, Di Matteo A, Giuffrè A, Visca P, Imperi  F, Leoni L, Rampioni G (2024). Hydrogen sulfide production does not affect antibiotic resistance in  Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 6:e0007524