Laura Treu is Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Padova and an expert in microbial ecology, focusing on carbon cycling, CO₂ capture, and bioenergy production. She leads a multidisciplinary team of over ten researchers and has secured multiple national and international grants as an independent PI. Her work integrates metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and advanced bioinformatics to study and model complex microbial systems, especially those involved in anaerobic digestion (AD). Her research combines genome-resolved multi-omics with constraint-based modeling to reconstruct metabolic networks and predict microbial behavior under varying conditions. She has developed computational tools to automate the reconstruction of species-level genome-scale models and to integrate metagenomic data with flux balance analysis at both the single-species and community level. These innovations enable high-resolution, condition-specific simulation of microbial interactions, including uncultivable species. Prof. Treu focuses on optimizing biomethanation and microbial CO₂ fixation. Her studies have identified key microbial responses to stressors like ammonia and short-chain fatty acids and examined the selective effects of inhibitors such as sodium ionophores and carbon monoxide on methane production. She has shown that hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis dominates under high-ammonia conditions and has explored adaptive mechanisms like osmoprotection and syntrophic cooperation. Her team has also advanced biofilm-based reactor systems using materials like activated carbon to enhance microbial retention and methane yield. Through metagenomic analyses, she has uncovered new microbial taxa and functional traits, revealing evolutionary strategies that support metabolic flexibility and system resilience. Prof. Treu’s bioinformatics innovations and integrative modeling approaches contribute to the rational design of microbial communities for carbon-negative bioenergy. Her work enhances understanding of microbial functions and enables the development of scalable, sustainable biotechnologies aligned with environmental goals.

Curriculum PDF File

Looking at my long-term activity, my research is mainly focused on Bioenergy, a field that I started to investigate in 2013 mainly using genomic and bioinformatics approaches. Due to my scientific background in molecular biology, I explore this topic in a very original way combining different disciplines and developing collaborations with scientists having different backgrounds such as engineers and physicists. My long-term experience at the Denmark Technical University (DTU, 2014-2018) was developed in a worldwide recognized international environment. I worked as researcher and senior researcher with f the world top ranked scientists in the field of renewable energy. My recruitment at DTU was motivated by the need of reinforcing the bioinformatics section, and, thanks to my contribution, the group evolved rapidly moving to a new approach based on microbial metagenomics. Thanks to the dynamic and stimulating international environment, not only I increased my knowledge of bioenergy but, even more importantly, I established and tightened collaborations with the most influential scientists in the field. I decided to move back to my native country in 2018 in order to boost a technology transfer to the Department of Biology (DiBio) of University of Padova, reinforcing the microbial metagenomics and bioinformatics sections. Considering the development of my research in the next few years, the main topic will be the investigation of the mechanisms behind the microbial syntropies and of phages-microbes interactions in anaerobic ecosystems. Recent scientific advances allow us to unravel this conundrum, and thus, to address several key-challenges that will lead to optimized bioprocesses. However, many aspects still need to be clarified particularly in the phage-host interaction process. I am planning to develop my research using a daring approach based on advanced bioinformatics combined with state-of-the-art genomics. I expect that my research will provide important findings both regarding fundamental and applied knowledge. Results will lead to the optimization of the microbial resource management for efficient CO2 transformation.

Last update: 18/07/2025