Giorgio Mariano Balestra Editor

Giorgio Mariano Balestra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, at University of Tuscia, Italy. His research interests are plant pathology and on phytobacteriology for: biological control in open field, greenhouse, nursery of phytopathogenic bacteria, by using natural substances and biocontrol agents (BCA’s).Other research alorization of agro-food wastes to develop organic plant protection strategies, reduction of agrochemicals to control of harmful pathogenic microorganisms on tropical and subtropical crops, sustainable plant protection strategies in developing countries, biology and epidemiology of phytopathogenic bacteria, abiotic and biotic factors influencing populations of phytopathogenic bacteria, and genetic-molecular characterization of phytopathogenic bacteria. Elena Fortunati, graduated in 2007 in Materials Engineering and she was awarded a Ph.D. in Nanotechnology of Materials at the University of Perugia, in 2010. Since January 2011 she has been a researcher (post-doctoral) at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department/Faculty of Engineering /Materials Science and Technology (STM) Group. She has attended and spoken at over 30 International Conferences and is author of more than 50 articles in refereed journals and book chapters, most of them concerning waste re-valorization and use, extraction of cellulose nanocrystals and their use in nanocomposites for industrial applications.