Marco Biggiogera is Associate Professor of Advanced Microscopy Techniques at the University of Pavia, Italy, in the Department of Animal Biology, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Neurobiology
Current Professional Activities:
Member, Board of the PhD program in Cell Biology
President of the Society for Histochemistry (Gesellschaft für Histochemie).
Evaluator of Wellcome Trust, UK.
Member of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Histochemistry
1987-1992: Invited Professor, Ultrastructural Citochemistry (Faculty of Sciences, University of Pavia)
1989 –1992 practical courses of Analyse Ultrastructurale, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lausanne
1990: Course of Immunocytochemistry -Département d'Analyse Ultrastructurale, University of Lausanne
since 1994: Tutor of 19 theses (Biology diploma, Graduate and Master) and 4 PhD thesis
1997- 2000: Course: Laboratory of Ultrastructural Tecniques
since 1999: Course: Cell Biology
since 2000: Course: Laboratory of Histological and Histochemical Tecniques
since 2002: Course: Techniques in microscopy and cytochemistry
since 2010: Advanced Micorscopy techniques

Organizing activity
Member of the Organizing Committee of the Wilhelm Bernhard Workshop - 12th International Workshop on the Cell Nucleus, Les Diablerets (Switzerland), september 1991.
In 1998 he organized the Workshop: Ultrastructural cytochemistry: from the gene to the cytoplasm (Pavia, May 1998).
Since 1999 is the Italian member of the International Committee of the Wilhelm Bernhard Workshop on the Cell Nucleus.
In 2003 he organized in Pavia, as president, the 18th Wilhelm Bernhard Workshop on the cell Nucleus.
Since 2004 is member of the Executive Board of the Society for Histochemistry (Gesellschaft fur Histochemie); President of the Society since september 2010
Has co-organized two theoretical and practical Courses on Cytochemistry and Immunocytochemistry (Urbino, october 2004-march 2005).
Head (2002-2004) of a scientific unit for PRIN grants.
Head of a scientific unit of Ariadna project, European Space Agency.
President of the 48th Symposium of Histochemistry, Stresa, September 2006
Evaluator for the Wellcome Trust
Referee of Scientific International Journals
Biology of the Cell, Journal of Microscopy, Chromosoma, Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry , Journal of Structural Biology,European J of Cell Biology, Journal of Cell Science, Molecular Reproduction ad Development, European Journal of Histochemistry, Experimental Cell Research, Life Sciences, Histochemistry and Cell Biology, Nature Methods
Publications in International Scientific Journals
96 Publications in international journals
H-index: 24 (2011)

The research field is the study of the biology of the cell nucleus at electron microscopy, with particular attention to RNA transcription machinery in different models such as spermatogenesis, apoptosis and drug-induced transcriptional arrest in cell cultures. High resolution electron microscopy is utilized together with immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization.
We are currently studying the modulation of transcription by means of physiologycal and induced models of transcriptional arrest and restart (spermatogenesis and early embryogenesis in the mouse) as well as the induction of hypometabolism in vitro and in vivo using molecules capable of mimicking hibernation.
Moreover, the biogenesis and movement of ribosomal subunits and pre-mRNA is studied in relation to the presence of nuclear actin and myosin and the possibility of energy-dependent transport in addition to diffusion mechanisms.

1.Cisterna B, Necchi D, Prosperi E, Biggiogera M (2006) Small ribosomal subunits associate with nuclear myosin and actin in transit to the nuclear pores FASEB J 20:1901-1903. doi:10.1096/fj.05-5278fje
2.Malatesta M, Biggiogera M, Zancanaro C (2007) Hypometabolic induced state: a potential tool in biomedicine and space exploration. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 6:47–60. doi:10.1007/s11157-006-9101-4
3.Cardinale C, Cisterna B, Bonetti P, Aringhieri C, Biggiogera M and Barabino SM L (2007) Subnuclear localization and dynamics of the pre-mRNA 3’ end processing factor CF Im68. Mol. Biol. Cell, 18: 1282-1292
4.Biggiogera M, Cisterna B, Bottone MG, Soldani C, Pellicciari C (2007) Nuclear RNP and Nucleolar-Associated Proteins during Apoptosis: a Politically Correct Form of Segregation? Dynamic Cell Biology 1: 65-71
5.Biggiogera M, Cisterna B, Spedito A, Vecchio L, Malatesta M,: (2008) Perichromatin fibrils as early markers of transcriptional alterations. Differentiation 76:57–65 - DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-0436.2007.00211.x
6.Vecchio L, Solimando L, Biggiogera M, Fakan S (2008) The use of halogenated precursors for simultaneous DNA and RNA detection by means of immunoelectron and immunofluorescence microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem, 56: 45 - 55.
7.Soldani C, Croce AC, Bottone MG, Fraschini A, Biggiogera M, Bottiroli G, Pellicciari C.(2007) Apoptosis in tumour cells photosensitized with Rose Bengal acetate is induced by multiple organelle photodamage. Histochem Cell Biol. 128:485–495 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-007-0333-3)
8.Dieker J, Cisterna B, Monneaux F, Decossas M, van der Vlag J, Biggiogera M, Muller S (2008) Apoptosis-linked changes in the phosphorylation status and subcellular localization of the spliceosomal autoantigen U1-70K. Cell Death Differ, 15:793-804
9.Malatesta M, Biggiogera M, Baldelli B, Barabino SML, Martin TE, Zancanaro C (2008) Hibernation as a far-reaching program for the modulation RNA transcription. Microsc. Res. Tech., 71:564-572
10.Malatesta M., Perdoni F., Santin G., Battistelli S., Muller S., Biggiogera M. (2008) HTC hepatoma cells as a model for investigating the effects of low concentrations of herbicide on cell structure and function. Toxicol in vitro, 22:1853-1860
11.Biggiogera M, Fakan S (2008) Visualization of nuclear organization by ultrastructural cytochemistry. Methods Cell Biol 88:431-449
12.Malatesta M, Boraldi F, Annovi G, Baldelli B, Battistelli S, Biggiogera M, Quaglino D (2008b) A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean: effects on liver ageing. Histochem Cell Biol 130:967-977
13.Scovassi AI, Bottone MG, Biggiogera M, Pellicciari C (2008) Dynamic relocation of nuclear proteins during the execution phase of apoptosis. Biochem Pharmacol 76:1440-1450
14.Cisterna B, Flach F, Vecchio L, Barabino SM, Battistelli S, Martin TE, Malatesta M, Biggiogera M. (2008) Can a genetically-modified organism-containing diet influence embryo development? A preliminary study on pre-implantation mouse embryos. Eur J Histochem. 52:263-267.
15.Cisterna B, Malatesta M, Dieker J, Prosperi E, Muller S, Biggiogera M (2009): An active mechanism flanks and modulates the export of the small ribosomal subunits. Histochem Cell Biol, 131: 743 – 753. 10.1007/s00418-009-0583-3
16.Malatesta M, Biggiogera M, Cisterna B, Balietti B, Bertoni-Freddari C, Fattoretti P (2009) Perichromatin fibrils accumulation in hepatocyte nuclei reveals alterations of pre-mRNA processing during ageing. DNA Cell Biol 29: 49-57
17.Balestrazzi A, Locato V, Bottone M.G, De Gara L, Biggiogera M., Pellicciari C. , Botti S, Di Gesù D, Dona’ M, Carbonera D (2010) Response to UV-C radiation in topo I-deficient carrot cells with low ascorbate levels. J. Exp. Bot. 61:575-85, doi:10.1093/jxb/erp323
18.Cisterna B, Biggiogera M (2010) Ribosome biogenesis: from structure to dynamics. Int. Rev. Cell Mol. Biol, 284:67-111.
19.Llères D, Denegri M, Biggiogera M, Ajuh P, Lamond AI. (2010) Direct interaction between hnRNP-M and CDC5L/PLRG1 proteins affects alternative splice site choice. EMBO Rep. 11:445-51. Epub 2010 May 14.
20.Malatesta M, Zancanaro C, Biggiogera M. (2011) Immunoelectron microscopic characterization of nucleolus-associated domains during hibernation. Microsc Res Tech. 74:47-53.
21.Barbieri G, Palumbo S, Gabrusiewicz K, Azzalin A, Marchesi N, Spedito A, Biggiogera M, Sbalchiero E, Mazzini G, Miracco C, Pirtoli L, Kaminska B, Comincini S (2011) Silencing of cellular prion protein (PrPC) expression by DNA-antisense oligonucleotides induces autophagy-dependent cell death in glioma cells. Autophagy, 7: 840-853.
22.Colonna C; Dorati R; Conti B; Modena T; Biggiogera M; Spedito A; Genta I (2011) Induction of an in vitro reversible hypometabolism through chitosan-based nanoparticles. J. Microencaps. 28:229-239
23.Costanzo M,1 Cisterna B., Zharskaya O.O., Zatsepina O.V., Biggiogera M. (2011) Discrete foci containing RNase A are found in nucleoli of HeLa cells aged in culture. Eur J Histochem 55:82-84

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