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Faculty of Mathematics and Natural SciencesInstitute of Zoology - AG Büschges

Dr. Giulia Di Cristina

Research interests

During my university studies I gained a background on ethology and molecular biology. I am currently interested in investigating stick insect behavior using genome editing techniques.

Education/Training/Experience

  • Since Jan.2018: Postdoctoral research fellow, Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Germany.
  • 2014 – 2017: Ph.D. program in veterinary science, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
  • 2013-2014: Scientific collaborator, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.
  • 2005 – 2013: Bachelor degree (B.Sc.)  and master degree (M.Sc.) in Biology at Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy.

Publications

 

  • Chockley, A. S., Dinges, G. F., Di Cristina, G., Ratican, S., Bockemühl, T., & Büschges, A. (2022). Subsets of leg proprioceptors influence leg kinematics but not interleg coordination in Drosophila melanogaster walking. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(20), jeb244245.
  • Petrosino, G., Ponte, G., Volpe, M., Zarrella, I., Ansaloni, F., Langella, C., Di Cristina, G., Finaurini, S., Russo, M.T., Basu, S. and Musacchia, F. (2022). Identification of LINE retrotransposons and long non-coding RNAs expressed in the octopus brain. BMC biology, 20(1), p.116.
  • Di Cristina, G., Dirksen, E., Altenhein, B., Büschges, A., & Korsching, S. I. (2025). Pioneering genome editing in parthenogenetic stick insects: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout in Medauroidea extradentata. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 2584.
  • Rossano, C., Di Cristina, G., & Scapini, F. (2013). Life cycle and behavioral traits of Dikerogammarus villosus (Sowinsky, 1894)(Amphipoda, Gammaridae) colonizing an artificial fresh water basin in Tuscany (central Italy). Crustaceana, 86(7-8), 908-931.
  • Di Cristina, G., Andrews, P., Ponte, G., Galligioni, V., & Fiorito, G. (2015). The impact of Directive 2010/63/EU on cephalopod research. Invertebrate Neuroscience, 15(4), 8.
  • Baldascino, E., Di Cristina, G., Tedesco, P., Hobbs, C., Shaw, T., Ponte, G., & Andrews, P. L. (2017). The gastric ganglion of Octopus vulgaris: Preliminary characterization of gene-and putative neurochemical-complexity, and the effect of Aggregata octopiana digestive tract infection on gene expression. Frontiers in physiology, 8, 1001.