Profile

Biologist Researcher, obtained her master in Biology in 1991 at University of Palermo. In 2004 obtained PhD in Marine Ecology at University of Vigo Spain. From 2000 to 2004 she spent a period in Malaga and in Baleari Island at the Istituto Espanol de Oceanografia.

From 2009 she is researcher of Italian National Research Council.

From 2010 she lead a National Research Council spin-off in marine biotechnology ABIEL Applicazioni Biomediche ed Industriali di Enzimi Litici.

Her fields of interest have been focused on marine ecology and biology. In particular:

Mechanisms of coupling between physical-chemical factors and biological resources in seawater column; Biologic and genetic characteristics of ichthyoplanktonic species; Mechanisms of response of organisms in relation to different stress and pollution; Research of bio molecules and active substances of marine origin.Their current project is ‘International Centre of advanced study in environment, ecosystem and human health’.

Publications

Scientific products:        

6 brevetti, 75 pubblicazioni su riviste isi, 71 pubblicazioni su riviste con comitato di redazione nazionale e articoli comunicazioni in atti di convegni internazionali, 31 astract-poster-comunicazioni-articoli in atti di convegni nazionali, 14 contributi in volume, 74 rapporti tecnici e rapporti finali di progetti, 7 lavori dattiloscritti

Most representative patent

Bertuzzi F., Cuttitta A., Ghersi G., Mazzola S., Salamone M., Seidita G. 2010. Collagenasi ricombinanti di C. Histolyticum e metodo per la loro produzione. Brevetto industriale n° RM2009A000661.

Last 3 years:

Di Natale M., Bennici C., Biondo G., Masullo T., Monastero C., Tagliavia M., Torri M., Costa S., Ragusa M.A., Cuttitta A., Nicosia A. 2019 – Aberrant gene expression profiles in Mediterranean sea urchin reproductive tissues after metal exposures. Chemosphere, Vol. 216, 48-58 pp.

Torri, M., Corrado, R., Falcini, F., Cuttitta, A., Palatella, L., Lacorata, G., Patti, B., Arculeo, M., Mifsud, R., Mazzola, S. “Planktonic stages of small pelagic fishes (Sardinella aurita and Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Central Mediterranean Sea: the key role of physical forcings and implications for fisheries management”(2018) Progress in Oceanography, 162, pp. 25-39. DOI: 10.1016/j.pocean.2018.02.009

Patti, B., Zarrad, R., Jarboui, O., Cuttitta, A., Basilone, G., Aronica, S., Placenti, F., Tranchida, G., Armeri, G.M., Buffa, G., Ferreri, R., Genovese, S., Musco, M., Traina, A., Torri, M., Mifsud, R., Mazzola, S.“Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) early life stages in the Central Mediterranean Sea: connectivity issues emerging among adjacent sub-areas across the Strait of Sicily” (2018) Hydrobiologia, 821 (1), pp. 25-40. Cited 3 times. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-017-3253-9

Cuttitta, A., Torri, M., Zarrad, R., Zgozi, S., Jarboui, O., Quinci, E.M., Hamza, M., Abdulfatah, E., Haddoud, D., El Turki, A., Ramadan, A., Missaoui, H., Mifsud, R., Bonomo, S., Mazzola, S., Patti, B. “Linking surface hydrodynamics to planktonic ecosystem: the case study of the ichthyoplanktonic assemblages in the Central Mediterranean Sea” (2018) Hydrobiologia, 821 (1), pp. 191-214. Cited 3 times. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-017-3483-x

Bonomo, S., Placenti, F., Zgozi, S., Torri, M., Quinci, E.M., Cuttitta, A., Genovese, S., Mazzola, S., Aronica, S., Barra, M., El Turki, A., Hamza, M., Uheshi, O., Bara, M., Assughayer, M., Bonanno, A. “Relationship between coccolithophores and the physical and chemical oceanography of eastern Libyan coastal waters” (2018) Hydrobiologia, 821 (1), pp. 215-234. Cited 5 times. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-017-3227-y

Zaccone, R., Azzaro, M., Azzaro, F., Caruso G., Caroppo, C., Decembrini, F., Diociaiuti, T., Fonda Umani, S., Leonardi, M., Maimone, G., Monticelli, L.S., Paranhos, R., Placenti, F., Cuttitta,  A., Patti, B., La Ferla, R. “Trophic structure and microbial activity in a spawning area of Engraulis Encrasicolus” (2018) Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Volume 207, 31 July 2018, Pages 215-222 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2018.04.008

Nicosia, A.; Mikov, A.; Cammarata, M.; Colombo, P.; Andreev, Y.; Kozlov, S.; Cuttitta, A.; Nicosia, A.; Mikov, A.; Cammarata, M.; Colombo, P.; Andreev, Y.; Kozlov, S.; Cuttitta, A. The Anemonia viridis Venom: Coupling Biochemical Purification and RNA-Seq for Translational Research. Marine Drugs 2018, 16, 407, doi:10.3390/md16110407. 5. 

Nicosia, A.; Bennici, C.; Biondo, G.; Costa, S.; di Natale, M.; Masullo, T.; Monastero, C.; Ragusa, M.A.; Tagliavia, M.; Cuttitta, A. Characterization of translationally controlled tumour protein from the sea anemone Anemonia viridis and transcriptome wide identification of cnidarian homologues. Genes 2018, 9, doi:10.3390/genes9010030. 6. 

Ragusa, M.A.; Nicosia, A.; Costa, S.; Cuttitta, A.; Gianguzza, F. Metallothionein gene family in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus: Gene structure, differential expression and phylogenetic analysis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2017, 18, doi:10.3390/ijms18040812. 8. 

Ragusa, M.A.; Costa, S.; Cuttitta, A.; Gianguzza, F.; Nicosia, A. Coexposure to sulfamethoxazole and cadmium impairs development and attenuates transcriptional response in sea urchin embryo. Chemosphere 2017, 180, 275–284, doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.030. 9.

Nicosia, A.; Cuttitta, A.; Gianguzza, F.; Ragusa, M.A. An intronic cis-regulatory element is crucial for the alpha tubulin Pl-Tuba1a gene activation in the ciliary band and animal pole neurogenic domains during sea urchin development. PLoS ONE 2017, 12, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170969.

Nicosia A., Bennici C., Biondo G., Costa S., Di Natale M., Masullo T., Monastero C., Ragusa M.A., Tagliavia M., Cuttitta A. Characterization of Translationally Controlled Tumour Protein from the Sea Anemone Anemonia viridis and Transcriptome Wide Identification of Cnidarian Homologues. 2018 – Genes, 9, 30; doi:10.3390/genes9010030. 

Cuttitta A, Ragusa MA, Costa S, Bennici C, Colombo P, Mazzola S, Gianguzza F, Nicosia A. (2017). Evolutionary conserved mechanisms pervade structure and transcriptional modulation of allograft inflammatory factor-1 from sea anemone Anemonia viridis. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2017 Aug;67:86-94.

Musco M, Cuttitta A, Bicchi E, Quinci EM, Sprovieri M, Tranchida G, Giaramita L, Traina A, Salvagio Manta D, Gherardi S, Mercurio P, Siragusa A, Mazzola S. Benthic Foraminifera as bio-indicators of anthropogenic impacts in coastal environments: Acqua dei Corsari area case study (Palermo, Italy). Mar Pollut Bull. 2017 Jan 30. pii: S0025-326X(17)30043-7. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.032.

Costa S, Nicosia A, Cuttitta A, Gianguzza F, Ragusa MA. An Intronic cis-Regulatory Element Is Crucial for the Alpha Tubulin Pl-Tuba1a Gene Activation in the Ciliary Band and Animal Pole Neurogenic Domains during Sea Urchin Development. PLoS One. 2017 Jan 31;12(1):e0170969. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170969.

Bulati, M., Longo, A., Masullo, T., Vlah, S., Bennici, C., Bonura, A., Salamone, M., Tagliavia, M., Nicosia, A., Mazzola, S., Colombo, P., Cuttitta, A. Partially Purified Extracts of Sea Anemone Anemonia viridis Affect the Growth and Viability of Selected Tumour Cell Lines. (2016) BioMed Research International, 2016, art. no. 3849897. DOI: 10.1155/2016/3849897

Nicosia, A., Costa, S., Tagliavia, M., Maggio, T., Salamone, M., Adamo, G., Ragusa, M.A., Bennici, C., Masullo, T., Mazzola, S., Gianguzza, F., Cuttitta, A. The nucleic acid-binding protein PcCNBP is transcriptionally regulated during the immune response in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkia. (2016) Cell Stress and Chaperones, 21 (3), pp. 535-546. DOI: 10.1007/s12192-016-0681-9

Tagliavia, M., Nicosia, A., Salamone, M., Biondo, G., Bennici, C.D., Mazzola, S., Cuttitta, A. Development of a fast DNA extraction method for sea food and marine species identification (2016) Food Chemistry, 203, pp. 375-378. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.02.095

Nicosia A, Maggio T, Costa S, Salamone M, Tagliavia M, Mazzola S, Gianguzza F, Cuttitta A. Maintenance of a Protein Structure in the Dynamic Evolution of TIMPs over 600 Million Years. (2016) Genome biology and evolution, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 1056-1071. DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw052

Tagliavia, M., Cuttitta, A. Exploiting translational coupling for the selection of cells producing toxic recombinant proteins from expression vectors. (2016) BioTechniques, 60 (3), pp. 113-118. DOI: 10.2144/000114387

Falco F, Barra M, Cammarata M, Cuttitta A, Jia S, Bonanno A, Mazzola S, Wu G. Amino acid composition in eyes from zebrafish (Danio rerio) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus) at the larval stage. Springerplus. 2016 Apr 26;5:519. doi: 10.1186/s40064-016-2137-1.

Angela Cuttitta Sergio Bonomo, Salem Zgozi, Angelo Bonanno, Bernardo Patti, Enza Maria Quinci, Marco Torri, Mohamed Hamza, Abdul Fatah, Daw Haddoud, Akram El Turki, Abdul Bari Ramadan, Simona Genovese and Salvatore Mazzola. The influence of physical and biological processes on the ichthyoplankton communities in the Gulf of Sirte (Southern Mediterranean Sea). Marine Ecology An Evolutionary Perspective. 2016.DOI: 10.1111/maec.12362

Masullo, T., Armata, N., Pendolino, F., Colombo, P., Celso, F.L., Mazzola, S., Cuttitta, A. Low-Cost Synthesis of Smart Biocompatible Graphene Oxide Reduced Species by Means of GFP (2016) Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 178 (3), pp. 462-473. DOI: 10.1007/s12010-015-1887-5Cuttitta, A., Quinci, E.M., Patti, B., Bonomo, S., Bonanno, A., Musco, M., Torri, M., Placenti, F., Basilone, G., Genovese, S., Armeri, G.M., Spanò, A., Arculeo, M., Mazzola, A., Mazzola, S.Different key roles of mesoscale oceanographic structures and ocean bathymetry in shaping larval fish distribution pattern: A case study in Sicilian waters in summer 2009. (2016) Journal of Sea Research, 115, pp. 6-17. DOI: 10.1016/j.seares.2016.04.005

Projects

RESEARCH PROJECTS AND RELATIVE SCIENTIFIC ROLE over the last 3 years

• Definition of a EUROMARINE Strategic Agenda to support Blue Growth sectors through the Enhancement of Human resources: a focus on fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing (EHUSEA).
  Angela Cuttitta e Dino Patti Referenti e Capofila del progetto €. 7.300,00
• Referente e responsabile scuinetifico del Progetto Diamerter. Accordo Bilaterale Italia-Libano CNR7CNRS Biennio 2018-2019
  DNA IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF MEDITERRANEAN FISHERIES RESOURCES (DIAMETER)  €. 12.000,00
• ERA-Nets WORKING GROUP, COFASP, BlueBio BLUE BIOECONOMY COFUND
  using biotechnology to develop smart, efficient, traceable food systems and create synergies between aquaculture and fisheries (genetic assessment and digitalisation).
  Angela Cuttitta e Dino Patti Referenti WP5 .2 – 3  €. 10.000,00
• Progetto Centro internazionale di studi avanzati su ambiente ed impatti su ecosistema e salute umana “CISAS” cofinanziato dal Cipe (Comitato interministeriale di programmazione economica) sul Fondo integrativo speciale per la ricerca (Fisr).
  Costo totale del progetto: €. 8.700.000,00
  Angela Cuttitta Referente e Coordinatore WP4: Ecosystem and contaminants, €. 700.000,00
• PO Cooperazione transfrontaliera Italia-Tunisia 2007-2013 PS1.1.002 DIVIN, “Développement des Interventions innovants sur les Varietés des cépages pour l’INtégration italo-tunisienne ” (DIVIN) Programma: P.O. Italia-Tunisia 2007-2013.
  Costo totale del progetto: € 600.000,00
  Quota CNR: € 200.000,00

SCIENTIFIC RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOW-UP PROJECTS OF DIVULGATION AND TRAINING

• Osservatorio Regionale della Biodiversità Siciliana marina e terrestre (ORBS)
  Committente: Regione Siciliana, Dipartimento dell’Ambiente.Programma: PO
  Programma: PO FESR Sicilia 2007-2013
• Programma di formazione plurisettoriale “Scienze per la Diplomazia – DIPLOMAzia” – Progetto “DIPLOMA” – CUP: B56J13000320006