Professor Ezio Rosato

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

School of Biological Sciences, University of Leicester

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Professor Rosato’s laboratory is interested in behaviour, namely those observable processes initiated by an animal in response to extrinsic and/or intrinsic changes to the environment. Behaviour is a product of the brain, therefore can be used as a convenient tool for the analysis of the nervous system.

Over the years the laboratory has been particularly involved in studying a complex behaviour known as the circadian clock, especially (but not exclusively) in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The group are interested in the genes that regulate the clock and study them by characterising their function, by examining their evolution, and by analysing their expression.

They are also engaged in understanding how clock neurons (neurons expressing clock genes) are organised and how circadian information flows through their network. More recently studies have started investigating the interrelationship between clock and development.

Research Groups

Behavioural Neurogenetics Lab

Supervision Style

I like to provide structure during the first year, and then I expect you to become progressively more independent as your PhD progresses. My door is always open, I like to interact every day and I follow closely your progress. I am straightforward and outspoken and I expect the same.

Provision of Training

I prefer to take responsibility for your technical training at first, leading to more independence later.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I push myself and I expect the same from you. If you are worried about working hard and you are not entirely sure whether science is a career for you, choose another project.

Communication

I expect to see you and discuss anything you may want to discuss every working day. I hope that we will become lab mates not just student/supervisor.

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me:

In a group meeting

At least once per week

In year 1 of PhD study

At least once per month

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once per month

In year 3 of PhD study

At least once per month

These meetings will be mainly face to face, and I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Working Patterns

Work in my lab requires being present in the laboratory during the core hours of 9.00-17.00 of every working day. If work requires you will need to work out of hours and during weekends. Of course, you can take time off to compensate.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 1 week’s notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Current Projects (2025-26)

Primary supervisor for:

Establishing black soldier flies as an efficient biodegrading agent

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Establishing black soldier flies as an efficient biodegrading agent

Secondary Supervisor(s): Professor Charalambos P Kyriacou

University of Registration: University of Leicester

BBSRC Research Themes:

Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Animal Health and Welfare)
Renewable Resources and Clean Growth (Industrial Biotechnology)
Integrated Understanding of Health (Diet and Health)

Project Outline

Graphical Abstract

In recent years black soldier flies (BSFs, scientific name: Hermetia illucens) have become extremely popular. They are cheap and safe to grow, have a low carbon footprint and are equally easy to farm in developed and less developed countries. Their larvae are voracious; they feed on a variety of organic materials converting waste into valuable biomass that can be used for animal feed or human food [1]. Additionally, they decontaminate the environment removing microorganisms and pollutants. The aim of this project is to build strains with augmented detoxifying capacity; in particular, with increased ability to degrade polystyrene plastic. Larvae from several insect species can degrade plastic, but such an ability relies on their gut microbiota [2]. Although each microbiota provides this capability, there are constrains on the composition of the community of microorganisms one single insect species can carry in their gut. Thus, the bacteria/fungi producing the best enzymes for each part of the degradation process may never come together in the same microbiota. We propose to express these enzymes directly in the gut of BSFs. The long-term aim of the project is to generate strains each expressing an optimal enzyme that operates in the degradation pathway of polystyrene. BSF larvae are highly gregarious, by mixing larvae from different engineered strains on the feeding substrate (containing polystyrene) we will be able to increase the efficiency of polystyrene degradation. To that end the immediate goal is to engineer BSFs by building robust and flexible genetic tools that allow the production of transgenic and/or gene edited insects.

Techniques

Techniques that will be undertaken during the project:

Molecular biology, cloning, PCR, gene expression, protein expression and purification, Elisa, bioinformatics, databases, genetics, confocal microscopy.

References

[1] Review of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as Animal Feed and Human Food. DOI: 10.3390/foods6100091.

[2] Plastics shape the black soldier fly larvae gut microbiome and select for biodegrading functions. Doi: 10.1186/s40168-023-01649-0.

Co-supervisor on a project with Dr Roberto Feuda.

Previous Projects (2024-25)

Primary supervisor for:

Development of meal insects for the production of high value biologicals

Co-supervisor on projects with Dr Roberto Feuda and Dr Ben Warren

Previous Projects (2023-24)

Primary supervisor for:

The circadian clock of Drosophila melanogaster: molecular and cellular contributions to rhythmicity