Dr. FRANCESCO DAL GRANDE

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Dr. FRANCESCO DAL GRANDE
PostDoc “Adaptation of fungi to climate change”
Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)
Senckenberganlage 25
D-60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
e-mail: francesco.dalgrande@senckenberg.de
born October 17, 1983 - Soave (Italy)
Ph.D. Program (Ecology and Evolution). University of Bern - Swiss Federal Research
Institute WSL, Birmensdorf (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology). Thesis: “Phylogeny
and co-phylogeography of a photobiont-mediated guild in the lichen family Lobariaceae”.
Advisor: Prof. Dr. Christoph Scheidegger, Co-Referee: Dr. Andreas Beck. January 2008 –
June 2011. Character 6 summa cum laude (best character: 6).
Master’s degree, Biology (Biodiversity and biomonitoring of terrestrial ecosystems),
University of Trieste - Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences, 2005- 2007.
Thesis: “Photobiont guild and phylogeography of Dictyochloropsis sp., the photobiont of
the lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm., and a re-evaluation of its phylogeny”. Advisors:
Prof. Dr. Tretiach Mauro, Prof. Dr. Scheidegger Christoph. Character 110/110 summa cum
laude (best character: 110).
Bachelor’s degree, Natural Sciences, University of Padua - Faculty of Mathematical,
Physical and Natural Sciences (Scienze e Tecnologie per la Natura), 2002-2005. Thesis:
“Macrolicheni epifiti nelle formazioni forestali a faggio e abete bianco in Cansiglio (Prealpi,
Veneto - NE Italia): diversità, ecologia e conservazione”. Advisors: Prof. Dr. Caniglia
Giovanni, Dr. Juri Nascimbene. Character 110/110 summa cum laude (best character: 110).

MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
• Dal Grande F, Cornejo C, Beck A, Scheidegger C. Specificity and phylogenetic
placement of the green algal photobiont of the lichen Lobaria pulmonaria. In prep.
• *Chennacharoen S, *Dal Grande F, Werth S, Scheidegger C. Phylogeography of a lichen
symbiotic green alga in Macaronesia. In prep.
• Dal Grande F, Mikryukov V, Cheenacharoen S, Scheidegger C. The genetic footprints of
a photobiont-mediated guild. In prep.
*equally contributed
RECENT TALKS AND POSTERS
• Dal Grande F, Widmer I, Wagner HH, Scheidegger C (2012) Population genetics and co-
phylogeography of the fungal and algal symbionts of Lobaria pulmonaria in Europe.
Seventh International Lichenological Symposium IAL7, Bangkok, Thailand (Oral
presentation).
• Dal Grande F, Bode HB, Armaleo D, Slot JC, Schmitt I (2012) Annotating biosynthetic
gene clusters in the Cladonia grayi genome. Seventh International Lichenological
Symposium IAL7, Bangkok, Thailand (poster).
• *Cheenacharoen S, *Dal Grande F, Werth S, Scheidegger C (2012) Phylogeography and
genetic structure of Dictyochloropsis reticulata associated with Lobaria pulmonaria, L.
immixta and L. macaronesica in Macaronesia. Seventh International Lichenological
Symposium IAL7, Bangkok, Thailand (oral presentation).
• Singh G, Dal Grande F, Cornejo C, Werth S, Scheidegger C (2012) Characterization of
the mating-type loci in Lobaria pulmonaria and implications for conservation. Seventh
International Lichenological Symposium IAL7, Bangkok, Thailand (poster).
• Dal Grande F, Cheenacharoen S, Scheidegger C (2010). The genetic footprints of a
photobiont-mediated guild. International Mycological Congress IMC9, Edinburgh, UK
(invited oral presentation).
• *Widmer I, *Dal Grande F, Mikryukov V, Keller C, Scheidegger C (2009).
Coevolutionary history of a lichen symbiosis in Europe and implication for conservation
strategies. 2nd European Congress of Conservation Biology. Prague, Czech Republic (oral
presentation).

• Dal Grande F, Cornejo C, Beck A, Widmer I, Scheidegger C (2008). Photobiont
selectivity and diversity in Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. Sixth International
Lichenological Symposium IAL6, Asilomar, USA (oral presentation).
• *Widmer I, *Dal Grande F, Cornejo C, Scheidegger C (2008). A new integrated approach
for lichen population genetics: fungus- and alga-specific microsatellite markers for
Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. IAL6, Asilomar, USA (poster).
*equally contributed
NOT PEER-REVIEWED
- Dal Grande F (2006) Le Orchidee di Lonigo. Contro Ed. Lonigo – Italy (64 pp).
PEER REVIEW EXPERIENCE
DNA Research, Molecular Ecology, Evolution, Conservation Genetics, Lichenologist,
Journal of Ocean University of China.
GRANTS AND INTERNSHIPS
2012 Mason Hale Award (IAL International Association for Lichenology) for work resulting
from the doctoral dissertation ‘Phylogeny and co-phylogeography of a photobiont-mediated
guild in the lichen family Lobariaceae’ (http://www.lichenology.org/index.html?/Awards/
MasonHaleAwards.html).
2010 Travel grant by Bryolich to participate in the International Mycological Congress
IMC9 in Edinburgh, UK (US$ 600).
2010 Internship in the Cytogenetics Lab at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi,
India under the supervision of Prof. S Lakhotia. Training in proteomics (Western blot,
Immunostaining, SDS-PAGE), confocal and immunoelectron microscopy.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
ENGLISH: Fluent.
FRENCH: Fluent.
GERMAN: Basic knowledge.
HINDI: Basic knowledge.