MICE² brings together researchers and technical staff with complementary expertise in environmental engineering, ecology, ecotoxicology, remote sensing, urban carbon fluxes, microplastic pollution, and science communication. The project is coordinated by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and benefits from the contribution of national and international scientific collaborators.
The MICE² Team
Meet the UNIMORE researchers and technical staff working together to investigate how microplastic pollution may affect carbon exchange in urban ecosystems.
Alessandro Bigi
Associate Professor and MICE² Project Coordinator
Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Alessandro Bigi is responsible for the overall scientific and operational coordination of MICE². He manages the project activities, coordinates the different work packages, and contributes to CO₂ flux monitoring and to the implementation of the Urban-VPRM model.

Elisa Bergami
Associate Professor of Ecology
Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Elisa Bergami is an ecotoxicologist whose research focuses on monitoring and assessing the effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms and soil invertebrates. Within MICE², she coordinates activities related to microplastic characterisation, field exposure, and interactions with soil organisms.

Daniela Prevedelli
Full Professor of Ecology
Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Daniela Prevedelli’s research focuses on ecological interactions and on the effects of microplastic contamination in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Within MICE², she contributes to the experimental design, the implementation of the field experiment, and data analysis.

Aneena Binoy
PhD Candidate
Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Aneena Binoy contributes to environmental monitoring and ecosystem carbon flux research. Within MICE², she supports the Eddy Covariance tower, manages CO₂ flux and ancillary data, and performs soil and grass respiration measurements under microplastic-treated conditions.

Giovanna Barbieri
Museum Technician
UNIMORE Museum System and Botanical Garden
Giovanna Barbieri has over twenty years of experience in designing and delivering outreach programmes for citizens and educational institutions, with a particular focus on botany and sustainability education. Within MICE², she coordinates dissemination and public engagement activities.
Valentina Ferrari
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Valentina Ferrari contributes to the experimental assessment of microplastic contamination and its effects on terrestrial ecosystems. Within MICE², she supports microplastic characterisation, field experiments, and the environmental analysis of soil samples.

Francesca Despini
Technical Staff
Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Francesca Despini specialises in remote sensing and works at the Geophysical Observatory of Modena, where she focuses on meteorology and climatology. Within MICE², she processes satellite imagery and contributes to the implementation and calibration of the Urban-VPRM model.

Roberto Guidetti
Associate Professor
Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Roberto Guidetti is a zoologist, the main research interests are devoted to soil biology and to the adaptations to extreme environments with at focus on tardigrades. Within MICE², he collaborates in the study of the effects of microplastics on soil microarthropods.

Isabella Luppi
Student
Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Isabella is doing her internship on MICE² project, focusing on the characterization of microplastics in soil and the QBS soil quality index, analyzing the soil microarthropod community in relation to microplastic pollution, caused by tire wear in urban soils.

Scientific Collaborators
MICE² benefits from the expertise and technical support of national and international research institutions.

CNR IRET
Supports the processing and interpretation of Eddy Covariance measurements and the publication of MICE² CO₂ flux data through the FLUXNET portal.
Scientific contact: Dr. Olga Gavrichkova

University of Basel
Contributes scientific expertise in the measurement, processing, and interpretation of urban CO₂ fluxes collected by Eddy Covariance systems.

Freie Universität Berlin
Provides environmentally relevant microplastics derived from tyre wear for the field investigation of their effects on urban soils and vegetation.

Institute of Polar Sciences – CNR
Collaborates in the analysis of soil microbial communities and in the assessment of biological changes associated with microplastic exposure.