M (Mirko) Salinitro

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research focuses on the ecophysiology of hyperaccumulator plants and their applications in the phytoremediation and phytomining of trace elements, particularly nickel, cobalt, selenium, and thallium.

I work on the development of innovative phytomining approaches to recover valuable elements from contaminated waste materials (biosolids, mine wastes and tailings), valorising these substrates as secondary sources of critical elements from a circular economy perspective.

My broader research interests also include plant–soil interactions and plant nutrition. In this field, I have conducted studies on the root foraging behaviour of nickel and selenium hyperaccumulator and non-accumulator plants.

I am engaged in the study of the plant ionome, using cutting-edge techniques such as X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) and XFM-computed tomography. These techniques allow for the visualization of trace metals within plant tissues and help in elucidating the mechanisms of metal handling in crops and hyperaccumulator species. 

I am involved in phenotyping projects focussed on the analysis of plant traits in the nickel-hyperaccumulators genus Odontarrhena and Bormuellera, aiming at selecting favourable agronomic traits for the future large-scale cultivation of these plants for Ni-agromining.

Previously, I investigated the physiological responses of urban plants to metal stress, focusing on antioxidant production under high metal exposure and the induction of hormesis at low metal doses. In parallel, I have conducted ethnobotanical research on the traditional use of wild plants both in Italy and Tanzania.

I have carried out ecological research with particular focus on urban environment. In this field I investigated the modern and past urban floristic diversity of the city of Bologna, linking its transformations to the urban and climate changes happened in last century.