Teaching

At Sapienza University of Rome I teach at the Bachelor, Master and PhD level in a variety of subjects.

This 6 ECTS Master course provides students with the fundamental principles relevant to present-day and past plant distributions. Through this, they will gain the necessary biological knowledge to understand environmental and climate change and its relationship to plant distributions. The goal is to equip students with the tools to answer the question of how environmental changes influence biological processes, from the level of individuals up to ecosystems.

In this 6 ECTS course at the Master level, students gain conceptual and methodological skills to apply biological analyses to cultural heritage particularly ancient DNA-based techniques to explore the origin and history of ancient artefacts. We impart the knowledge to identify the biological components of archaeological artworks, recognize the biological factors that cause deterioration of cultural heritage, and learn strategies for its conservation.

This 6 ECTS course at the Bachelor level focuses on the evolution of plants and flora conservation. It is a practical and theoretical course where we impart the knowledge and skills to understand the evolutionary history of plants and to identify the major groups of vascular plants, with a particular emphasis on the Mediterranean flora. The course includes visits to the Sapienza Museum herbarium and Botanical garden of Rome, excersises and field trips. 

Aeneadum genetrix, hominum divumque voluptas,
alma Venus, caeli subter labentia signa
quae mare navigerum, quae terras frugiferentis
concelebras, per te quoniam genus omne animantum
concipitur vitisque, exortum lumina solis:
te, dea, te fugiunt venti, te nubila caeli
adventumque tuum, tibi suavis daedala tellus
summittit flores, tibi redent aequora ponti
placantumque nitet diffuso lumine caelum.


TITIUS LUCRETIUS CARUS 

DE RERUM NATURA(ON THE NATURE OF THINGS)

LIBER PRIMUM (1-9)


This PhD course provides an overview of the causes and consequences of past climate change. We focus on the effects on animal and plant species, ecosystems, and how these processes affect the climate. We examine the evidence from the past to understand better current and future changes. Through this, students gain a good understanding of climate change impacts on living organisms, giving the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about the future.

O divina Venere, alma mater del genere umano. Tu sei la Natura che dá piacere agli uomini a agli dei. Tu sei colei che, sotto i cieli dei pianeti e delle stelle, pervadi i mari solcati dai naviganti e le terre ricolme di frutti. Tu sei l'origine delle specie che vedono la luce del Sole. Al tuo sorgere come Stella del Mattino si calmano i venti, si dissipano le nubi, si schiudono i fiori, sorride il mare, si diffonde la luce nel cielo placato.




TITO LUCREZIO CARO 

DE RERUM NATURA

LIBRO PRIMO (1-9)


Libera traduzione di Piergiorgio Odifreddi