Barco Lisa

Lisa Barco | IZSVe Role Director
Structure SCS1 – Microbiology
National reference centre for salmonellosis
Phone +39 049 8084305
E-mail lbarco@izsvenezie.it

Professional profile

Lisa Barco is a veterinary officer. She is doctor in Veterinary medicine (2002, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Padova), she holds a postgraduate certificate in “Breeding, hygiene and pathology of aquatic species and inspection of derived products” (2008, Faculty of Veterinary medicine, University of Padua) and a PhD at the University of Copenaghen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (July 2015). Over the period 2008 – 2013 she had a permanent position as veterinary officer at the National and WOAH Reference Laboratory for Salmonella. Since 2013, she has worked as veterinary officer at the Food control laboratory and since April 2018 she has the position of director the SCS1 – Microbiology. Since june 2021 she is also Director of the Italian National reference centre for salmonellosis.

With regard to the research activities followed by the SCS1 she is directly involved in projects about identification, characterisation and quantification of foodborne pathogens. She is involved in research activities related to the epidemiology of Salmonella spp. and specific serovars. She has followed reaserch projects about the effectiveness of indicator bacteria as food hygiene criteria. Moreover, she is involved in research activities aimed to gather information concerning alternative ways of food supply (e-commerce of food).

She directs the SCS1 – Microbiology, which has 38 people employed and includes:

  • Food Controls laboratory
  • Food pathogens and antimicrobial resistance laboratory
  • Biofood laboratory
  • Microbial ecology laboratory
  • Nanofood laboratory

She is in charge of the coordination of the Food Control Laboratory and collaborates with competent authorities (ASL, Region, UVAC). She is involved in the evaluation, development and validation of analytical methods for the identification and characterisation of food pathogens and indicator bacteria. She provides support and cooperation to local, regional and national authorities.

Publications

  • Mastrorilli E, Pietrucci D, Barco L, Ammendola S, Petrin S, Longo A, Mantovani C, Battistoni A, Ricci A, Desideri A, Losasso C. A Comparative Genomic Analysis Provides Novel Insights Into the Ecological Success of the Monophasic Salmonella Serovar 4,[5],12:i:. Front Microbiol. 2018 Apr 17;9:715. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00715. eCollection 2018
  • Di Cesare A, Losasso C, Barco L, Eckert EM, Conficoni D, Sarasini G, Corno G, Ricci A. Diverse distribution of Toxin-Antitoxin II systems in Salmonella enterica serovars. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 30;6:28759. doi: 10.1038/srep28759
  • Barco L, Barrucci F, Cortini E, Ramon E, Olsen JE, Luzzi I, Lettini AA, Ricci A. Ascertaining the relationship between Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- by MLVA and inferring the sources of human salmonellosis due to the two serovars in Italy. Front Microbiol. 2015 Apr 27;6:301. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00301. eCollection 2015.
  • De Cesare A, Krishnamani K, Parisi A, Ricci A, Luzzi I, Barco L, Lucchi A, Miccolupo A, Manfreda G. Comparison between Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis Genotyping Methods and Phage Type. J Clin Microbiol. 2015 Sep;53(9):3021-31. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01122-15. Epub 2015 Jul 1
  • Barco L, Barrucci F, Olsen JE, Ricci A. Salmonella source attribution based on microbial subtyping. Int J Food Microbiol. 2013 May 15;163(2-3):193-203. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2013.03.005. Epub 2013 Mar 16. Review.
  • Barco L, Longo A, Lettini AA, Cortini E, Saccardin C, Minorello C, Olsen JE, Ricci A. Molecular characterization of “inconsistent” variants of Salmonella Typhimurium isolated in Italy. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2014 Jun;11(6):497-9. doi:10.1089/fpd.2013.1714
  • Barco L., Ramon E., Cortini E., Longo A., Dalla Pozza M.C., Lettini A.A., Dionisi A.M., Olsen J.E., Ricci A. Molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica servar 4,[5],12:i.- DT193 ASSuT strains from two outbreaks in Italy. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 2014; 11: 138-144
  • Mughini-Gras I., Barrucci F., Smid J.H., Graziani C., Luzzi I., Ricci A., Barco L., Rosmini R., Havelaar A.H., Van Pelt W., Busani L. Attribution of human Salmonella infections to animal and food sources in Italy (2002-2010): adaptations of the Dutch and modified Hald source attribution. Epidemiol Infect., 2013; 7:1-13
  • Barco L., Lettini A.A., Ramon E., Longo A., Saccardin C., Dalla Pozza M.C., Ricci A. A rapid and sensitive method to identify and differentiate Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella enterica serotype 4,[5],12:- by combining traditional serotyping and multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 2011; 8: 741-743.