Cristina Caissutti, PhD student under the supervision of Patrizia Brunetti (CNR‑IRET), has been awarded a prestigious EMBO Short‑Term Fellowship to spend six months in Andrew Plackett’s laboratory at the University of Birmingham. Her research will contribute directly to one of the research lines of the MOBILES project: the development of engineered ferns capable of sensing and removing arsenic (As) from contaminated environments.
During her stay in Birmingham, Cristina will deepen her research on the genetic engineering of ferns, which is an essential step toward creating As‑sensing plants that can support low‑cost, sustainable water purification technologies.Her project builds on the unique properties of Pteris vittata, the Chinese brake fern. This natural hyperaccumulator is capable of absorbing and storing high levels of As in its fronds, proving its remarkable potential as a green solution to water contamination.
Cristina’s EMBO fellowship reinforces the scientific ambitions of the MOBILES project by extending its research network beyond the Horizon Europe consortium and accelerates progress toward engineered plants for As sensing and environmental remediation.
