Antonio is currently Lecturer in Food Science at Teesside University. Before joining Teesside University, he earned his BSc in Veterinary Science specializing in Food of Animal Origin and an MSc in Food Safety awarded at the Veterinary School of Sassari, Italy. He completed his education with a PhD in Food Molecular Microbiology at Queens’ University Belfast working on bacteriophages and their different applications in modern Food Science and Food Microbiology. He has long term experience of applied food research in close collaboration with food companies including Nestlé, DaleFarm Ltd, Biorex Ltd, AgriSearch NI.

His main research interests include:

• Use of lytic bacteriophages for the rapid detection/enumeration of pathogens in food;
• Use of phage display technologies (PhD-7, PhD-12, and PhD-C7C) to select affinity binders for method development;
• Use of phage display technologies combined to NGS for new antimicrobial peptide compound discovery.

He also enjoys teaching Food Science and Food Microbiology and he’s particularly interested in interactive teaching techniques to maximize student’s engagement and learning potential.