Massimo Iorizzo

Bio

Dr. Massimo Iorizzo is an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University. He is a plant geneticist and his research program focuses on comparative structural genomics and genetics of traits associated with enhanced quality characteristics including health properties. Crops of interest in his program include blueberry, carrot, banana, pineapple, spinach, sweet potato, cranberry and potato. Milestones of his research on these crops includes development of six reference genomes and discovery of multiple genes involved in bioactive biosynthesis and regulation. He is the director and co-director of three multidisciplinary projects targeting blueberry, cranberry and carrot, aiming at advancing molecular breeding for quality characteristics for these crops. Through a transdisciplinary research approach he began efforts to understand the relationship among quality traits, bioactive accumulation, and their nutrigenomic properties (bioaccessibility). In the long term, his research will facilitate the selection of new fruit and vegetable cultivars with improved quality and health promoting characteristics.

Publications

• Exploring shelf-life predictability of appearance traits and fruit texture in blueberry , POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY (2024)
• Genotype and ripening method affect carotenoid content and bio-accessibility in banana , FOOD & FUNCTION (2024)
• Would consumers accept CRISPR fruit crops if the benefit has health implications? An application to cranberry products , AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS REVIEW (2024)
• A Survey of Key Methods, Traits, Parameters, and Conditions for Measuring Texture in Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) , HORTICULTURAE (2023)
• Blueberry Cell Wall Polysaccharide Composition of Three Distinct Fruit Firmness Phenotypes , ACS FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (2023)
• Blueberry and cranberry pangenomes as a resource for future genetic studies and breeding efforts , HORTICULTURE RESEARCH (2023)
• Characterization of Purple Carrot Germplasm for Antioxidant Capacity and Root Concentration of Anthocyanins, Phenolics, and Carotenoids , PLANTS-BASEL (2023)
• Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals candidate genes for cold stress response and early flowering in pineapple , SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (2023)
• Functional characterization of DcMYB11, an R2R3 MYB associated with the purple pigmentation of carrot petiole , PLANTA (2023)
• Identification of bromelain subfamily proteases encoded in the pineapple genome , SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (2023)