National Projects

Type: Current Research IZS LT 03/25 RC
Funding body: Ministry of Health
Period: 2025 – 2027
Project Coordinators: Prof. Antonio Felicioli and Prof. Barbara Turchi
Project Summary: This study aims to contribute to the development of a new potential tool that can be used in accordance with EMA guidelines for veterinary medicinal products based on phages and to promote biocontrol strategies compatible with colony health and hive product quality. The project focuses on enriching the phage library available at IZS. The overall goal is to increase the likelihood of identifying the most promising candidates for developing phage mixes to control P. larvae infections. The new findings will expand knowledge on the presence of lytic and temperate P. larvae phages in beekeeping environments.

Type: Current Research IZS LT 03/25 RC
Funding body: Ministry of Health
Period: 2025 – 2027
Project Coordinators: Prof. Antonio Felicioli and Prof. Barbara Turchi
Project Summary: This study aims to contribute to the development of a new potential tool that can be used in accordance with EMA guidelines for veterinary medicinal products based on phages and to promote biocontrol strategies compatible with colony health and hive product quality. The project focuses on enriching the phage library available at IZS. The overall goal is to increase the likelihood of identifying the most promising candidates for developing phage mixes to control P. larvae infections. The new findings will expand knowledge on the presence of lytic and temperate P. larvae phages in beekeeping environments.

Type: Research Project
Research Program: PRIN PNRR 2022 (National)
Period: December 2023 – November 2025
Project Coordinator: Giovanni Sogari – University of Parma
Unit Coordinator: Simone Mancini
Project Summary: In recent years, research on insect farming has promoted the use of insect meal as a sustainable feed for fish, poultry, and pigs. In aquaculture, insect meal represents a valuable alternative with environmental and economic benefits, contributing to climate change mitigation. The “InsectFish” project aims to explore, from a “farm to fork” perspective, the use of insect meal in the farming of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), an important species for the Italian market. The study will evaluate final product quality, nutritional profile, sensory characteristics, and consumer perception, comparing insect-fed sea bream with traditionally fed fish.

The project will also assess purchase intentions, willingness to pay, and market responses, involving producers, distributors, and the foodservice sector. Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach by the Universities of Pisa and Parma, strategies and communication tools will be developed to promote acceptance and dissemination of these innovative products in the Italian market.

Type: National Project
Funding body: Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF)
Period: 2025–2027
Unit Coordinator: Prof. Andrea Armani
Project Summary: This project uses molecular genetics tools to protect national mussel farming by identifying alien species and hybrids in farmed and natural mussel populations in Italian waters.

Type: Current Research (IZSPB 02/23 RC)
Funding body: Ministry of Health
Period: 2023–2025
Unit Coordinator: Prof. Andrea Armani
Project Summary: This project focuses on developing a DNA metabarcoding method for species identification in meat-based products, aimed at preventing food fraud and improving traceability.

Type: Current Research IZS LT 06/24 RC
Funding Body: Ministry of Health
Period: 2024–2026
Unit Coordinator: Prof. Andrea Armani
Project Summary: Study of the microbiota in ethnic and fermented products using traditional microbiological methods and NGS technologies, with the development of innovative chemical methods to assess risks related to biogenic amines and N-nitrosamines.

Type: Current Research IZS LT0725
Funding Body: Ministry of Health
Period: 2025–2027
Unit Coordinator: Prof. Andrea Armani
Project Summary: The project aims to adopt an integrated approach for the typing of Salmonella spp., combining traditional methods, genomic analyses, and rapid screening techniques to optimize epidemiological surveillance. In particular, it aims to evaluate the concordance and complementarity among different typing and screening methods (serotyping, MLVA, WGS, second- and third-generation NGS technologies, FT-IR); identify rapid, robust, and cost-effective screening protocols for the early detection of epidemic clusters and the targeted selection of strains for WGS; and contribute to building an integrated salmonellosis surveillance model through the production of standardized, comparable, and shareable WGS data at regional and national levels.

Type: Current Research IZS VE 08/25 RC
Funding Body: Ministry of Health
Period: 2025–2027
Unit Coordinator: Prof. Andrea Armani
Project Summary: The project develops analytical protocols to detect contaminants and allergens in insect-based products using LC-MS/MS. It includes the identification and quantification of insect species in powder using DART-HRMS, metabarcoding (NGS), and qPCR/dPCR. The study aims to generate new data on food safety, focusing on contaminants, allergens, and species substitution in commercial EU products. It also assesses the potential accumulation and transfer of PFAS and allergens from insect diets to final products. Finally, the project develops non-targeted screening tools to detect mislabeling practices by comparing chemical and molecular approaches.