Department of Engineering
for Innovation
Department of Engineering
for Innovation
CORE Lab
Projects
"ANTIDOTE develops a system for diagnosing and monitoring Xylella Fastidiosa (Xƒ) which, based on interdisciplinary skills, identifies the status of certain parameters of the plant (xilema) and the geographical (climatic-environmental, territorial-management) conditions that, isolated or combined, can characterize, trigger, promote, or accelerate infections due to Xƒ and subsequent symptoms of dehydration.
Combining the level of danger (severity of invasion of Xf), exposure (eg, verified or suspected, infected plants) and the vulnerability (plant predisposition to be infected) the system aggregates information useful to the definition of appropriate prevention or healing techniques. Xf is an aerobic bacterium that multiplies in the conductive vessels of xylema (lymph) of host plants occluding them. It is possible to notice, between the healthy plant and the diseased plant, an alteration of the xylematic transport parameters. High frequency monitoring of these parameters, using an integrated sensor system and IT software capable of processing and analysing such data, provides information on the presence of the pathogen.
Role: Scientific leader for Research Unit “Department of Engineering for Innovation of the University of Salento”