I am a molecular ecologist, with expertise in aquatic ecosystems with a particular focus on photobiology and chronobiology of marine photoautotrophs. I am interested in understanding molecular mechanisms underpinning phenotypic plasticity and genotype-environment interaction, as well as the evolutionary processes leading divergence among populations along environmental gradients and the selective pressures associated with the marine habitats. For that, I investigated phylogeographic patterns and spatial genetic structures produced by random genetic drift and neutral mutation in seagrasses and Mediterranean invasive seaweeds. Complementary to this, I explored the adaptive divergence among populations caused by local environmental selective pressures. The research projects in which I was involved during my Ph.D. and post-doc periods were dedicated to investigating the response of seagrasses to changes in environmental cues, especially light, CO2 and nutrient availability. To respond to these questions, I tested the photo-acclimatory responses of the species, in natural and mesocosm conditions, applying methods from phylogenetics, population genetics, and gene expression. I like to work at the interface of ecology and evolution, refining my expertise in ecological genetics, but also in functional genomics to investigate the molecular signature for adapting to marine life.

For more about Emanuela, please visit:
http://www.szn.it/index.php/it/personale/staff/66-dattolo-emanuela

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emanuela_Dattolo2  
https://scholar.google.co.il/citations?user=SRlUmH4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao