Bessem CHOUAIA

Education / Educazione
PhD, Animal biology (2010). University of Milan. Italy;
        Title/Titolo: Investigation of a novel kind of symbiosis in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)
Msc/ Master, Microbiology (2006). Faculty of Sciences of Tunis. Tunisia
Bsc/ Laurea, Biological sciences (2002). Higher Institute for Biotechnologies of Monastir. Tunisia.

Professional experience / Esperienza professionale
* February 2024 - : Researcher at INRAE. Bordeaux. France.
* December 2021 - January 2024: Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) in Microbiology. Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice. Italy
* April 2019 - November 2021: Assistant Professor (non-Tenure Track) in Microbiology. Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice. Italy
* November 2016 – March 2019: Post-Doctoral Fellow. University of Milan, Milan. Italy.
* September 2016 - October 2016: Visiting scientist. Rowland Institute at Harvard, Cambridge. MA. USA.
* September 2014 - August 2016: Post-Doctoral Associate. Cornell University, Ithaca. NY. USA.
* June 2013- August 2014: Post-Doctoral Fellow. University of Milan, Milan. Italy.
* July 2010- June 2013: Post-Doctoral Fellow. University of Milan, Milan. Italy.
* February 2010- June 2010: Consultant. Istituto Lazzaro Spallanzani, Milan. Italy.

Scientific activities
In summary, my research activities cover several areas under the general fields of bacteria-arthropod interactions and microbial ecology. Major research lines are the following:
* Investigating multi-partner symbiotic nutritional interactions in order to understand how they are structured, using associations that thrive under conditions of great nutritional scarcity as experimental systems.
* Ecology and biotechnology of symbiosis in disease insect vectors and pests for development of ‘Symbiotic Control’ approaches. Two models are under study: i) The palm pest Rhynchophorus ferrugineus; ii) the invasive beetle Popillia japonica;

Seminars and Courses / Attività didattica
* 2018. Seminar on “Bacteria gut symbionts as drivers of adaptation in insects”. September 2018. University of Lyon, Lyon, France
* 2018. Seminar on “Insect symbiosis”. April 2018. Faculty of agriculture, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
* 2017. Seminar on “Biocontrol strategies for Insects”. May 2017. Faculty of agriculture, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
* 2017. Seminar on “Insect-bacteria interactions”. March 2017. Faculty of agriculture, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
* 2016. Genomics instructor for the genomics short course for undergraduates. Cornell University
* 2015. Genomics instructor for the genomics short course for undergraduates. Cornell University
* 2014. Bioinformatics instructor for the workshop: “Facilis 2014: Microbially-driven facilitation system in environmental biotechnology”. July 2014. University of Milan, Italy
* 2012. Seminar on “Applications of microbial genomics and metagenomics in microbial ecology”. November 2012. Faculty of agriculture, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
* 2012. Seminar on “Secondary symbionts: the case of Asaia and the mosquitoes”. 27 August 2012. AIST, Tsukuba, Japan

Participation in projects / Partecipazione a progetti
* PRIN 2022: Neglected microbial diversity of coastal hypersaline environments and marine transition areas: study of its dark matter and hidden
treasures (Maricostems), as group leader. Coordinator: S. Gorrasi
* EU Cost Action FA1405, Using three-way interactions between plants, microbes and arthropods to enhance crop protection and production (2014 - ongoing). Coordinator: Arjen Biere, The Netherlands
* NSF project Metabolic co-evolution in cooperative symbioses between animals and intracellular bacteria (2014-2017). Coordinator: A. Douglas, USA
* EU project BIODESERT (2010-2012), as project manager. Coordinator: D. Daffonchio, Italy
* EU Cost Action FA0701, Arthropod Symbiosis: from Fundamental Studies to Pest and Disease Management (2008-2012). Coordinator: K. Bourtzis, Greece
* GENOSCOPE project AP07/08-14 (2007-2009). Coordinator: D. Daffonchio, Italy
* PRIN 2009: Microrganismi simbionti di insetti vettori di malattie ad impatto agrario, veterinario e medico: studi microbiologici, immunitari e costruzione di ceppi di batteri acetici marcati per sperimentazione in vivo. Coordinator: A. Alma, Italy

Collaborations in the last five years / Collaborazioni negli ultimi 5 anni
Claudio Bandi, Matteo Montagna, Sara Borin, Simone Guglielmetti (Univ. Milan, Italy); Daniele Daffonchio (KAUST, Saudi Arabia); Abdelaziz Heddi (INSA Lyon, France); Massimo Cristofaro (ENEA, Italy); Rita Cervo (Univ. Florence, Italy); Alberto Alma (Univ. Turin, Italy); Guido Favia (Univ. Camerino, Italy); Mauro Degli Esposti (Univ. Genoa, Italy);

Memberships and scientific reviewing activities/ Adesione a societa scientifiche e attività di peer review
* Member of the British Ecological Society (BES), since 2018
* Member of the British Ecological Society Peer Review College, since 2017
* Member of the “European Society for Evolutionary Biology” since 2016
* Member of the “American Society of Microbiology” since 2014
* Member of the “Società Italiana di Microbiologia Agraria, Alimentare e Ambientale (SIMTREA)” since 2013.
* Academic Editor in Insects 
* Reviewing activities for "Frontiers in Microbiology", "Scientific Reports", “Annals of Microbiology”, “PLOS One”, “Canadian Journal of Microbiology”, “Research in Microbiology”, “Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research”, “Journal of Marine Biology and Oceanography”.