Biography:Daniela Billi
Daniela Billi is an Italian astrobiologist working at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. She is known for her work on desert cyanobacteria of the genus Chroococcidiopsis.[1]
Work
Daniela Billi showed that desert cyanobacteria from the genus Chroococcidiopsis are highly resistant to extreme environmental conditions including desiccation,[2] ionizing radiation,[3] UV radiation,[4] and various factors encountered in extraterrestrial environments (see for example [5]).
Due to insights given by her and her colleagues' work, Chroococcidiopsis is considered as a model genus when studying the current or past habitability of Mars (see for example [6]).
She and her colleagues also suggested that Chrooccoccidiopsis could be used in crewed missions on Mars for the production of resources for astronauts.[7][8] To move in this direction, she developed genetic engineering tools for those cyanobacteria.[9]
She is maintaining the Culture Collection of Organisms from Extreme Environments (CCMEE) established by Imre Friedmann.[10]
Involvement in space missions
Billi was involved in the EXPOSE-R2 mission, an astrobiogy experiment launched on 24 July 2014, which exposed different species of microorganisms to the environment outside the International Space Station. She was responsible for experiments involving Chroococcidiopsis as part of the two major EPOSE-R2 subprojects: Biology and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX), and Biofilm Organisms Surfing Space (BOSS).[11]
References
- ↑ Hardy Bacteria Thrive Under Hot Desert Rocks
- ↑ Billi, Daniela; Viaggiu, Emanuela; Cockell, Charles; Rabbow, Elke; Horneck, Gerda; Onofri, Silvano (2011). "Damage Escape and Repair in Dried Chroococcidiopsis spp. from Hot and Cold Deserts Exposed to Simulated Space and Martian Conditions". Astrobiology 11 (1): 65–73. doi:10.1089/ast.2009.0430. PMID 21294638. Bibcode: 2011AsBio..11...65B.
- ↑ Billi, Daniela; Friedman, E. Imre; Hofer, Kurt G.; Ocampo-Friedmann, Roseli (2000). "Ionizing-Radiation Resistance in the Desiccation-Tolerant Cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis". Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66 (4): 1489–92. doi:10.1128/AEM.66.4.1489-1492.2000. PMID 10742231. Bibcode: 2000ApEnM..66.1489B.
- ↑ Baqué, Mickael; Viaggiu, Emanuela; Scalzi, Giuliano; Billi, Daniela (2012). "Endurance of the endolithic desert cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis under UVC radiation". Extremophiles 17 (1): 161–169. doi:10.1007/s00792-012-0505-5. PMID 23239185.
- ↑ Baqué, Mickael; Verseux, Cyprien; Rabbow, Elke; de Vera, Jean-Pierre P.; Billi, Daniela (2014). "Detection of Macromolecules in Desert Cyanobacteria Mixed with a Lunar Mineral Analogue After Space Simulations". Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 44 (3): 209–221. doi:10.1007/s11084-014-9367-4. PMID 25351683. Bibcode: 2014OLEB...44..209B.
- ↑ Grilli-Caiola, Maria; Billi, Daniela. "Chroococcidiopsis from Desert to Mars". Algae and Cyanobacteria in Extreme Environments: 553–568.
- ↑ Verseux, Cyprien; Baqué, Mickael; Lehto, Kirsi; de Vera, Jean-Pierre P.; Rothschild, Lynn J.; Billi, Daniela (2016). "Sustainable life support on Mars – the potential roles of cyanobacteria". International Journal of Astrobiology 15 (1): 65. doi:10.1017/S147355041500021X. Bibcode: 2016IJAsB..15...65V.
- ↑ Santos de Sousa, Isabel; Di Stefano, Giorgia; D’Agostino, Andrea; Martella, Costanza Maria; Chirico, Antonio; Rigano, Gabriele; Santo, Loredana; Billi, Daniela (2025-09-18). "The potential of far-red light-acclimating cyanobacteria to support sustainable outposts on Mars" (in English). Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 12. doi:10.3389/fspas.2025.1658632. ISSN 2296-987X. Bibcode: 2025FrASS..1258632S.
- ↑ Billi, Daniela (2010). "Genetic tools for desiccation- and radiation-tolerant cyanobacteria of the genus Chroococcidiopsis". Current Research, Technology and Education Topics in Applied Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology: 1517–1521.
- ↑ Biology, FSU. "FSU - Biological Science - Dr. Imre Friedmann". http://www.bio.fsu.edu/faculty-friedmann.php.
- ↑ "Lanciati nello spazio gli "estremofili" per cercare vita su Marte: nel team c'è l'università di Tor Vergata". 5 August 2014. http://www.ilmessaggero.it/tecnologia/scienza/astronave_spazio_vita_marte_lancio_estremofili_universit_agrave_tor_vergata_roma-529656.html.
 |  |
