Researcher
Research group "Genetics and genetic improvement of fruit trees"
Department of Genomics and Biology
Research and Innovation Centre
Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM) - Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige (TN)
Stanza PRC 6125
Tel. +39 0461 615 189
E-mail brian.farneti@fmach.it
Biography
Brian’s journey, through the arduous and sinuous paths of fruit physiology and post-harvest management, began at the University of Bologna (Italy) and at the Technical University of Munich (Germany) where he received his BSc and Master’s degrees in "Technology of plant production" and "Horticultural sciences".
In 2008 he moved to the University of Wageningen (Netherlands) for the doctorate in "Plant Science" with the thesis entitled "Tomato quality: from the field to the consumer. Interaction between genotype, cultivation and post-harvest conditions
From 2012 to 2015 he received a post-doctoral scholarship at the University of Bologna (Italy) in collaboration with the Edmund Mach Foundation. At that time, most of his research was focused on the qualitative and nutraceutical aspects of apple and pear fruits, Mostly related to farming and post-harvest handling.
Since 2016, Brian has been a researcher at the Department of Genomics and Fruit Culture Biology at the Edmund Mach Foundation.
Research activities
The research activity is mainly oriented towards a complete study of fruit quality with the aim of enhancing its quality throughout the entire production chain: from producer to consumer. This requires detailed quantification of quality attributes in distinct segments of the production chain and implies synergy of approaches from different branches of analysis The genetic and metabolic aspects. Therefore, its activity is mainly focused on the development and application of high resolution phenotyping techniques and omics methodologies to dissect some of the traits of more important qualities (consistency, flavour and nutraceutical compounds) of fruit species grown in northern Italy, for example strawberry. (Fragaria spp.) Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), raspberry (Rubus spp.) and apple (Malus spp.).
He is currently involved in several projects dealing with the maturation, host-pathogen interaction and post-harvest of various other fruit species such as peaches, pears, kiwi, almonds or nuts.
Teaching activity
"Advances in berry research" (PhD course University of Helsinki, November 2020).
"Fruit quality and postharvest physiology" (PhD course FEM/C3A , Giugno 2020).
"Research methodology in plant sciences" (MSc course at Wageningen University, from 01-01-2011 to 31-05-2011).
"Hortonomy" (MSc course at Wageningen University, from 01-01-2011 to 31-05-2011).
"Physiology and development of plants in horticulture" (MSc course at Wageningen University, from 01-01-2010 to 31-05-2011).
"Postharvest physiology" (MSc course at Wageningen University, from 01-10-2009 to 31-12-2010).
Invited academic seminar: " Enhance apple fruit quality by understanding genetic, physic and metabolic traits" (Wageningen University from 15-09-2014 to 15-09-2014).
Invited academic seminar: "High throughput phenotyping of quality traits to improve berry breeding". ( Wageningen University, from 17-01-2017 to 17-01-2017).
Invited academic seminar: “Implementation of high performing VOC phenomics by PTR-MS to improve the horticultural production chain” ( KU Leuven, 06-09-2019).