Maria Carmela Roccheri

Research focus Control of autophagy during both physiological development and in stress conditions in the sea urchin embryo. Model system Sea urchin embryo and larvae in development. Education and career 1971, biology degree, University of Palermo, Italy; advisor: G. Giudice. 1972–1973, fellowship from the Italian Ministry of Public Education, Institute of Comparative Anatomy, University of Palermo. 1974–1980, associate scientist at the Institute of Comparative Anatomy, University of Palermo. 1981–2005, associate professor of cell biology, Department of Cell and Development Biology, University of Palermo. 2000–2005, member of the scientific committee for PhD in “Biotechnology applied to prenatal medicine.” 2006–present, full professor of cell biology, in the Department of Molecular and Biomolecular Sciences and Technologies (STEMBIO) Section of Cell Biology, University of Palermo; 1995-present, member of the scientific committee for PhD in “Cell Biology and Drugs Technology” (Cell Biology). 2000–2003 and 2008–present, vice-head of the School of Natural Sciences. Why do you study autophagy? My interest in autophagy is to understand how autophagy contributes to cell differentiation in the development of embryos as well as to the ability of embryos to defend themselves against environmental stresses, including the remodeling of an alternative phenotype. I recently observed that autophagosomes/ autolysosomes are present in different numbers depending on the stage of development, but increase greatly under stress. Furthermore, my interest is to recognize the molecular pathways that, both during physiological development and in stress conditions, the embryo uses. I am also interested in investigating the relationship between autophagy and the apoptotic process, because in sea urchin embryos, apoptosis is used to remove irreversibly damaged cells as a response to stress. In addition, I am extending my research on autophagy and apoptosis in human granulosa cells and cumulus oophorus, as part of medicalassisted reproduction, in order to select the best corresponding oocyte, for fertilization. What do you think is a key question in the autophagy field? Autophagy is a process that enables the cell to choose to live or die. The main goal would be to understand the molecular pathways through which this process regulates survival or death, in order to use this ability to tip the balance one way or another. In this way we could push the cell toward survival in the case of excessive cell death, as in aging, or vice versa push toward death, as in tumorigenesis. Is teaching a substantial part of your current position? As a professor of cell biology at the university, I explain the main processes involving the cell, including apoptosis and autophagy. The research that I discuss certainly makes the content of my lectures more interesting and at the same time students are a good stimulus because they always ask new questions. In addition, this year, I was tutor of a doctoral thesis of a subject about the autophagic process in sea urchin embryos exposed to stress. Personal comments In my free time I love traveling, visiting archeological sites (Egypt, Turkey, Greece) and taking photos, especially of natural landscapes (national parks: Banff and Glacier of Canada, Denali of Alaska, Monument Valley, Doñana of Spain, Sahara Desert). Moreover, I like reading contemporary literature (my favorite authors: Calvino, Marquez, Tabucchi, Camilleri, Vitali) and listening to jazz music.