Simona Della Valle

Simona Della Valle

Dr, Ms

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0751-3584

  • The University of Western Australia (M310), 35 Stirling Highway,

    6009 Perth

    Australia

Personal profile

Research interests

With a background spanning biochemistry, synthetic biology, control engineering, and chemical engineering, Simona is passionate about realising the biotechnological potential of non-model microbes through interdisciplinary science. Her research interests include:

  • Development of tailored molecular toolkits for non-model bacteria. 
  • Metabolic engineering towards the valorisation of CO2 and CO2-derived organic compounds.
  • Bioprocess design and optimisation. 
  • Evolutionary engineering. 

 

Biography

Dr Simona Della Valle is a synthetic biologist, specialising in engineering microorganisms for sustainable biomanufacturing. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Biochemistry from University College London, where her interest in biotechnology began with research on extremophilic bacteria and microalgae. In 2023, she completed her PhD in Synthetic Biology at the University of Oxford, focusing on Cupriavidus necator, a bacterium capable of converting CO2 into value-added products. Currently, she is a Research Associate in the Fritz Lab (UWA School of Molecular Sciences), where she engineers the fast-growing marine bacterium Vibrio natriegens to valorise CO2-derived acetate, at scale. 
 

Awards and Recognitions

  • Impact Award for Public Engagement and Outreach (Sep 2021)
    • Awarded by the University of Oxford BBSRC Interdisciplinary Biosciences DTP.
  • Dobson Domus Research Prize (Aug 2021) 
    • Awarded by Linacre College, University of Oxford, for outstanding communication of original research.
  • The Rabin Medal (Jul 2018)
    • Top student in the UCL MSci Biochemistry graduating cohort.
  • Undergraduate Scholarship for Excellence (2016/2017)
    • Top second year student in the UCL Faculty of Life Sciences.
  • Undergraduate Microbiology Prize (Sep 2016)
    • Awarded by the Microbiology Society – outstanding performance in a microbiology-related course.
  • Campbell Prize (2015/2016)
    • UCL Department of Structural and Molecular Biology – exceptional academic achievement.

Research

Selected publications

 

Della Valle, S. et al. Construction of microbial platform chassis for CO2 utilisation. Current Opinion in Systems Biology, 37, 100489 (2024)

 

Davison, P. A. et al. Engineering a Rhodopsin-Based Photo-Electrosynthetic System in Bacteria for CO2 Fixation. ACS Synthetic Biology 11, 3805–3816 (2022). 

 

Perez, M. F. et al. Neuronal perception of the social environment generates an inherited memory that controls the development and generation time of C. elegans. Current Biology 31, 4256-4268.e7 (2021).  

Languages

Languages

 

English

Native

Italian

Native

Spanish

Native

French

Intermediate

 

Programming Languages

 

Python

Advanced

R

Advanced

MATLAB

Intermediate

C

Beginner

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action

Education/Academic qualification

Synthetic Biology, PhD, Metabolic Engineering of Cupriavidus necator H16 for sustainable biomanufacturing, University of Oxford

Award Date: 6 Oct 2023

Industry keywords

  • Bioengineering
  • Biotechnology

Research expertise keywords

  • Synthetic biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular biology

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