Postdoctoral Scientist
Camilla Molinari
Bio
I am a postdoctoral researcher studying fungal genome evolution, adaptation, and host interactions.
My research focuses on understanding the fungus Fusarium oxysporum in symbiosis with the tortoise leaf beetle Chelymorpha alternans across the insect’s developmental life cycle. In this system, Fusarium defends the beetle from predators during its most vulnerable stages, while the beetle has evolved mechanisms to accommodate the fungus and facilitate its dispersal to new host plants.
Using transcriptomics and functional genomic approaches, my research aims to understand how a plant pathogen adapts its metabolism to function as an insect mutualist, while retaining its capacity for plant pathogenicity.
Job history
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2025 -
Postdoctoral Scientist
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2020 - 2025
PhD
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2019 - 2020
Predoctoral Intern
The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK -
2018 - 2019
MRes in Molecular Plant and Microbial Science
Imperial College London, London UK -
2014 - 2018
BSc in Biotechnology
University of Salamanca (USAL), Spain
