BIANCO PIERO ATTILIO

Bibliometric information (Source: Scopus, accessed on May 13, 2022) Number of publications:89, Sum of the Times Cited: 1535., H-index: 21,
ORCID: 0000-0002-9541-1923
Piero Attilio Bianco achieved his education Master Degree in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Milan. He is now full professor on Plant Pathology(Plant Pathology, Advance in grapevine Plant Pathology and Laboratory of Phyto Diagnostic) at the Università degli Studi di Milano. He is also Research associate member of former Istituto di Virologia Vegetale, CNR (now IPSP-CNR). He is director of the PhD School on Agriculture, Environment, Bioenergy of the University of Milan. From 2005 to 2008 he was Chairman of the Plant Pathology Institute (Università degli Studi di Milano). From 1988 to 2001 he was researcher at the CNR – Centro per il Miglioramento Sanitario delle Colture Agrarie (CEMIS) in Milano.
His scientific activity is addressed to the study of grapevine diseases with particular reference to the etiology of grapevine yellows (GY). The studies on the genetic variability of pathogens associated with grapevine and fruit trees (apple, peach and almond) has been conducted by use of molecular biology techniques for the development of rapid methods for diagnosis in planta. Investigation on the role of microbial communities and study of plant endophytes as possible biocontrol agents. The study of the spontaneous phenomenon related to recovery by description of the microbiota in grapevine and apple diseased and recovered plants. Also, emerging diseases caused by viruses (GPGV), phytoplasmas (Ca. Phytoplasma phoenicium) and liberibacter (L. asiaticus). Studies on etiology and epidemiology of the related diseases.
He was director of the Research Centre for Innovation in Viticulture and Enology and coordinator of PhD School (Biologia e Produttività della Pianta Coltivata. 2012-2015) member of national Academies and National and International Scientific Societies.
He is an expert member of TAIEX program of the European Commission (DG Enlargement) in the frame of the Collaboration with the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE) of Jordan. He also was in the board of the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture for the project on Almond Witches Broom disease containment from 2009 to 2014. He is adelegate of the COST Action FA0807, member of the Scientific Committee of the Centro Interdipartimentale per la Cooperazione e lo Sviluppo Agro Alimentare (CICSAA). He was member of the EC Co-ordination Action Food Quality and Safety - FOOD-CT-2005-006961(2005-2009). He was the scientific coordinator of the bilateral project CNR-ICCTI between Italy and Portugal: "Fast Development and application of molecular tools for the detection of grapevine phloem of the pathogens (viruses and phytoplasmas) in the Mediterranean basin (1998). He was also the scientific coordinator of the following projects: (2005-2007) Metodi innovativi di controllo della Flavescenza dorata della vite basati su recovery, resistenze indotte e microrganismi endofiti, PRIN project financed by MIUR, (2005-2007) Metodi innovativi di controllo della Flavescenza dorata della vite basati su recovery, resistenze indotte e microrganismi endofiti: project financed by Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali,(2006-2008) Ricerche sugli Scopazzi del melo (Apple Proliferation) in Lombardia (APROLOMB): project financed by Regione Lombardia, (2009) Lotta al fitoplasma “Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium” attraverso la valorizzazione della biodiversità in frutteti di pesco e mandorlo in Libano; project financed by Comune di Milano, (2008-2012) Prevenzione e contenimento del Legno nero della vite nella Regione Veneto: project financed by Regione Veneto, (2009-2011) Lotta Integrata al Fitoplasma delle Drupacee in Libano: project financed by Cooperazione Italiana - ROSS project L09A0500),(2011-2013) National Program for the Improvement of Olive Oil’s Quality and Actions against the Diffusion of Stone Fruit Phytoplasma (Project No. AID 9627) implemented by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, (2010-2011) Armonizzazione della diagnosi e valutazione del rischio di patogeni da quarantena e nocivi ai vegetali e ai prodotti vegetali. Sottoprogetti: “Protocollo Plum Pox Virus, Protocollo Fitoplasmi Fruttiferi e Protocollo Virus della vite: project financed by Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali (ARNADIA), EUPHRESCO project : Epidemiological studies on reservoir hosts and potential vectors of Grapevine flavescence dorée (FD) and validation of different diagnostic procedures for ‘FD’. He is the scientific coordiator of the EUPHRESCO project (2017-F-234) “Set up of reliable detection protocols for the specific identification of AlmWB. He is a local responsible of the project “GARDING” on the barcoding technology applied to palnt pathogen diagnosis.
From 2017, he is the coordinator of the Strategic Research Team for Cooperation and Development of the University of Milan. He has reviewed scientific projects for University of Davis (CA, USA), American University of Beirut, University of Padova, Fondazione E. Mach (Trento), University of Torino and other Research Institutes. He has been on the Organizing Committees of several national and international meetings, during some of which he has also operated as Chairman. He has been a Reviewer for more than 20 international scientific journals. In 2010 has been a founding member of an academic start-up company (International Plant Analysis and Diagnostics-IPADLAB) and member of the managing board. He is a co-inventor of two patents entitled: “a sequence specific for flavescence doree (FD) phytoplasma pct/ib2010053563 and a sequence specific for phytoplasma causing bois noir (BN) pct/ib2010053566. He is an author of more than 200 papers published in national and international journals and proceedings of congresses.
He is a member of Accademia dei Georgofili and Accademia Italiana Vite e Vino.