UNIGE
University of Genoa – DISTAV (Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences)
Associated Member
Founded in 1481, the University of Genoa (Università degli Studi di Genova) is one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious academic institutions. With a strong tradition in scientific research and education, it hosts a wide range of departments and specialized laboratories, fostering innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration across diverse fields. The Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV) plays a central role in environmental and biological research, offering cutting-edge facilities and expertise in fields such as geology, ecology, microbiology, and mycology.
The ColD-UNIGE culture collection was established in the 1970s by Professor Aurora Montemartini Corte, a renowned Italian mycologist. In its early days, the collection included fungal strains from Antarctic and marine environments. Over the years, her student—now Professor Mirca Zotti—has continued to gather and preserve living fungal strains from a wide range of mycological fields, gradually expanding the collection and transforming it into a true research infrastructure.
The ColD-UNIGE Collection at the University of Genoa brings together a diverse range of microorganisms: filamentous fungi isolated in the Mycology Laboratory, yeasts from the Marine Biotechnology Laboratory, and bacteria from the Microbiology Laboratory.
As the only collection of its kind in the Liguria region, ColD-UNIGE plays a key role in preserving microbial biodiversity and supporting both fundamental research and industrial applications at the regional, national, and international levels.
Its core activities include the characterization, conservation, and valorization of microbial resources. In addition to research, ColD also offers a variety of external services such as strain isolation, identification, purification, and molecular analysis.
The collection is also committed to education and professional training. Among its initiatives, it organizes specialized courses in collaboration with public institutions, including the Ligurian and Piedmont Regional Government and the Local Health Authority (ASL). These courses provide participants with the qualifications required to obtain the official Mycologist Certificate, following Italian Ministerial Decree No. 686/96.
Key people:
- Mirca Zotti
Scientific Coordinator and Curator of the Collection - Simone Di Piazza
Researcher - Grazia Cecchi
Quality Manager
