Simone Barera

Research Specialist (Post Doctoral)

Social Profile:

Biography

Dr. Simone Barera is a Research Specialist of the SSB group at KAUST with more than ten years of experience in photosynthesis, plant physiology and microalgal biotechnology. His research focuses on understanding and engineering microalgal metabolism to improve productivity, stress resilience and the sustainable production of high-value compounds. Throughout his career, Simone has combined expertise in fundamental photosynthetic research with applied biotechnology, working on topics including microalgal engineering, photobioreactor design, abiotic stress responses and large-scale microalgal cultivation. His experience spans both academia and industry, contributing to projects ranging from photosynthetic complex characterization to the development of innovative microalgal platforms to produce valuable bioproducts and sustainable bioprocesses.

Research Interests

My research now will focus on the development of photosynthetic microorganisms as sustainable cell factories to produce high-value compounds from sunlight and CO₂. I am interested in microalgal physiology, photosynthesis, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, with particular emphasis on linking strain engineering to scalable bioprocesses. My current work integrates photobioreactor engineering and in situ product recovery to improve the efficiency and industrial translation of light-driven biomanufacturing platforms. More broadly, I am interested in developing innovative algal biotechnologies that support sustainable manufacturing, carbon utilization and the circular bioeconomy

Selected Publications

Barera S., Forlani G. (2025). Osmo-induced proline accumulation in Chlorella vulgaris SAG 211-11p. Journal of Applied Phycology, 37, 3557.

Forlani G., Sabbioni G., Barera S., Funck D. (2024). A complex array of factors regulate the activity of Arabidopsis thaliana δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase isoenzymes to ensure their specific role in plant cell metabolism. Plant, Cell & Environment.

Barera S., Forlani G. (2023). The role of proline in the adaptation of eukaryotic microalgae to environmental stress: an underestimated tool for the optimization of algal growth. Journal of Applied Phycology, 35, 1635–1648.

Benedetti M., Barera S., Longoni P., Guardini Z., Herrero Garcia N., Bolzonella D., Lopez-Arredondo D., Herrera-Estrella L., Goldschmidt-Clermont M., Bassi R., Dall'Osto L. (2021). A microalgal-based preparation with synergistic cellulolytic and detoxifying action towards chemically treated lignocellulose. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 19, 124–137.

Barera S., Dall'Osto L., Bassi R. (2021). Effect of LHCSR gene dosage on oxidative stress and light use efficiency by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cultures. Journal of Biotechnology, 328, 12–22.

Guardini Z., Cazzaniga S., Barera S., et al. (2021). Microalgal mutants for improved carotenoid accumulation and biomass productivity under high irradiance. Plants, 10, 911.

Cutolo E., Tosoni M., Barera S., Herrera-Estrella L., Dall'Osto L., Bassi R. (2020).
A phosphite dehydrogenase variant with promiscuous access to nicotinamide cofactor pools sustains fast phosphite-dependent growth of transplastomic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plants, 9, 473.

Vecchi V., Barera S., Bassi R., Dall'Osto L. (2020). Potential and challenges of improving photosynthesis in algae. Plants, 9, 67.

Dall'Osto L., Cazzaniga S., Guardini Z., Barera S., et al. (2019). Combined resistance to oxidative stress and reduced antenna size enhance light-to-biomass conversion efficiency in Chlorella vulgaris cultures. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 12, 221.

Benedetti M., Vecchi V., Barera S., Dall'Osto L. (2018). Biomass from microalgae: the potential of domestication towards sustainable biofactories. Microbial Cell Factories, 17, 173

Education

PhD in Environmental Sciences from University of Eastern Piedmont

MS in Environmental Sciences from University of Eastern Piedmont

BS in Environmental Sciences from University of Eastern Piedmont

Professional Profile

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/simone-barera-82167588

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6009-1205

Scientific and Professional Membership

Licensed Biologist (Ordine Nazionale dei Biologi, Italy). Member, Italian Society of Plant Biology (Società Italiana di Biologia Vegetale, SIBV), 2024–present

KAUST Affiliations

Sustainable & Synthetic Biotechnology Group, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering

Research Interests Keywords

Microalgae Photosynthesis Photobioreactor Environmental Stress