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Luca Pandolfini

Researcher
Researcher
Non-coding RNAs and RNA-based therapeutics
Phone
+39 010 2897 623
Address
Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy
Research center
CHT@Erzelli
Interests
Development
Neural Stem Cells
Planaria
Functional Genomics
RNA
About

Bio & Interests

I got my M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Italy, then I moved to the UK to conduct my post-doctoral studies at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge. Since 2020 I have been working as an independent researcher at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy, focusing on nervous system development and regeneration. My lab strongly relies on multiple second- and third-generation sequencing approaches to dissect non-canonical model organisms from a developmental functional genomics point of view. 
In particular, I am committed to leveraging the power of long-read sequencing to understand the molecular mechanisms of (neuro)developmental processes of health and environmental interest.

Key Scientific Questions:

  1. How we can bolster developmental, evolutionary and conservation biology with third-generation genomics tools​
  2. What is the transcriptional foundation of neural regeneration, and how is it lost in higher vertebrates
Education

Title: PhD in Neurobiology
Institute: Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
Location: Pisa
Country: Italy
From: 2011 To: 2015

Title: Master’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology
Institute: Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
Location: Pisa
Country: Italy
From: 2009 To: 2011

Experience External

Title: Research Associate
Institute: Gurdon Institute - University of Cambridge
Location: Cambridge
Country: United Kingdom
From: 2015 To: 2019

Top Publications
2025
Codino A., Spagnoletti L., Olobardi C., Cuomo A., Santos-Rosa H., Palomba M., Margaroli N., Girotto S., Scarpelli R., Lu Luan S., Crocco E., Bianchini P., Bannister A.J., Gustincich S., Kouzarides T., Rizzo R., Barbieri I., Cremisi F., Vignali R., Pandolfini L.
METTL9 sustains vertebrate neural development primarily via non-catalytic functions
Nature Communications, vol. 16, (no. 1), pp. 7051
DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-62414-5
Article Journal
2024
Ivankovic M., Brand J.N., Pandolfini L., Brown T., Pippel M., Rozanski A., Grohme M.A., Winkler S., Schubert T., Robledillo L., Vila-Farré M., Zhang S., Gustincich S., Papantonis A., Marquez A., Rink J.C.
A comparative analysis of planarian genomes indicates regulatory conservation in the face of rapid structural divergence
Nature Communications, vol. 15, (no. 1), pp. 8215
DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-52380-9
2023
Mangoni D., Simi A., Lau P., Armaos A., Ansaloni F., Codino A., Damiani D., Floreani L., Di Carlo V., Vozzi D., Persichetti F., Santoro C., Pandolfini L., Tartaglia G.G., Sanges R., Gustincich S.
LINE-1 regulates cortical development by acting as long non-coding RNAs
Nature Communications, vol. 14, (no. 1)
DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-40743-7
2023
Pierattini B., D'Agostino S., Bon C., Peruzzo O., Alendar A., Codino A., Ros G., Persichetti F., Sanges R., Carninci P., Santoro C., Espinoza S., Valentini P., Pandolfini L., Gustincich S.
SINEUP non-coding RNA activity depends on specific N6-methyladenosine nucleotides
Molecular Therapy - Nucleic Acids, vol. 32, pp. 402-414
DOI 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.04.002
2022
Dunville K., Tonelli F., Novelli E., Codino A., Massa V., Frontino A.M., Galfrè S., Biondi F., Gustincich S., Caleo M., Pandolfini L., Alia C., Cremisi F.
Laminin511 and WNT signalling sustain prolonged expansion of hiPSC-derived hippocampal progenitors.
Development (Cambridge)
DOI 10.1242/dev.200353
All Publications
2025
Fant A., Trova S., Monfrini E., Treves G., Musacchia F., Landuzzi F., Mandich P., Amoroso A., Sanges R., Pandolfini L., Cavalli A., Di Fonzo A., Vecchi M., Gustincich S.
Detection of hidden compound heterozygous structural variants in cases with unsolved typical PRKN-associated Parkinson's disease.
Movement Disorders
Article in Press Journal
2025
Tonelli F., Iannello L., Gustincich S., Di Garbo A., Pandolfini L., Cremisi F.
Dual inhibition of MAPK/ERK and BMP signaling induces entorhinal-like identity in mouse ESC-derived pallial progenitors
Stem Cell Reports, vol. 20, (no. 2)
DOI 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.12.002
Article Journal
2025
D'Agostino S., Tettey M. A., Volpe M., Pierattini B., Ansaloni F., Lau P., Bon C., Peruzzo O., Braccia C., Armirotti A., Scarpato M., Damiani D., Di Carlo V., Carninci P., Santoro C., Persichetti F., Pandolfini L., Espinoza S., Zucchelli S., Sanges R., Gustincich S.
Internal Ribosome Entry Sites act as Effector Domain in linear and circular antisense long non-coding SINEUP RNAs
Nucleic Acids Research, vol. 53, (no. 15)
DOI 10.1093/nar/gkaf788
Article Journal
2025
Codino A., Spagnoletti L., Olobardi C., Cuomo A., Santos-Rosa H., Palomba M., Margaroli N., Girotto S., Scarpelli R., Lu Luan S., Crocco E., Bianchini P., Bannister A.J., Gustincich S., Kouzarides T., Rizzo R., Barbieri I., Cremisi F., Vignali R., Pandolfini L.
METTL9 sustains vertebrate neural development primarily via non-catalytic functions
Nature Communications, vol. 16, (no. 1), pp. 7051
DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-62414-5
Article Journal
2025
Cerminara M., Spirito G., Pandolfini L., Boeri S., Rosti G., Mancardi M., Pisciotta L., Fontana M., Bianchi A., Ferrera L., Caroli F., Di Duca M., Cavalli A., Divizia M., De Grandis E., Trova S., Vozzi D., Sanges R., Nobili L., Zara F., Gustincich S., Puliti A.
Polygenic variants in DNA repair genes are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, regression and increased burdens of somatic variants and short tandem repeat expansions.
Genetics in Medicine
Article in Press Journal
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Dissemination
2023
Pandolfini L.
Neurogenesi e neoblasti in planaria
Frontiere della Biologia dello Sviluppo del Sistema Nervoso - Scuola Normale Superiore e Accademia dei Lincei - 5 Maggio 2023
Outreach
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Scientific Talks
2023
Pandolfini L., Cilingir G., Codino A., Castellano L., Pisano C., Castillo De Spelorzi YC., Henzen E., Vozzi D., Campigli Di Giammartino D., Gustincich S., Grossen C.
From genome assembly to epigenome characterisation: a nanopore journey in the footsteps of an endangered tortoise
ONT London Calling 2023 - May 18th-19th 2023
Conference
2023
Pandolfini L., Cilingir G., Codino A., Castellano L., Pisano C., Castillo De Spelorzi YC., Henzen E., Vozzi D., Campigli Di Giammartino D., Gustincich S., Grossen C.
Tortoise Conservation Genomics
Nanopore Day 2023 - Bologna 19th Sep 2023
Conference
2022
Codino A., La Rosa L., Pisano C., Gustincich S., Pandolfini L.
Pharmacological activation of Notch signalling pathway impairs head regeneration and locomotion in the asexual Schmidtea mediterranea
5th European Meeting on Planarian Biology - Sant Feliu de Guíxols - October 2nd –4th , 2022
Conference
2022
Pandolfini L., Rink J., Ivankovic M., Brand J., Rozanski A., Brochier T., Grohme M., Winkler S., Pippel M., Brown T., Marques A.
The new chromosome-scale S. mediterranea reference genome assembly and annotations—an update
5th European Meeting on Planarian Biology - Sant Feliu de Guíxols - October 2nd –4th , 2022
Conference
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Oral presentations
2025
Bollati V., Rota F., Dioni L., Favero C., Iodice S., Gallazzi M., Spinazze A., Fanti G., Campagnolo D., Nardi T., Biganzoli D., Dariol E., Matsagani R., Hoxha M., Monti P., Albetti B., Tarantini L., Barbuto D., Luconi E., Marano G., Biganzoli G., Biciuffi R., Boracchi P., Cavallo D.M., Guerrieri P.M., Mosca F., Gustincich S., Sanesi G., Ferrari L., Carugno M., Fustinoni S., Pesatori A.C., Pandolfini L., Miragoli M., Cattaneo A., Biganzoli E.
Rationale and study protocol of the MAMELI Cohort study (Mapping the Methylation of repetitive elements to track the Exposome effects on health: the city of Legnano as a Living lab)
PLoS ONE, vol. 20, (no. 7 JULY)
Journal
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Colleagues of Non-coding RNAs and RNA-based therapeutics
Federico Ansaloni Visiting Scientist Non-coding RNAs and RNA-based therapeutics
Alessandro Simi Researcher Non-coding RNAs and RNA-based therapeutics
Alice Agliano Research Administrative Non-coding RNAs and RNA-based therapeutics
Alessandra Gastaldi Research Administrative Computational and Chemical Biology Non-coding RNAs and RNA-based therapeutics Research Organization Directorate Projects Office
Emilie Jacquemod Administrative Assistant Non-coding RNAs and RNA-based therapeutics
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