Francesca Vaccaro is a postdoctoral researcher collaborating with the Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, University of Florence.

She graduated with full marks in Molecular and Applied Biology in 2020, completing her thesis under the supervision of Prof. Alessio Mengoni, where she focused on molecular and microbiological aspects of legume–rhizobia interactions, sparking her interest in sustainable legume-based systems through the use of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs).

She completed a PhD in Microbial Genetics, studying plant-associated microorganisms—including rhizobia and fungi—and the development of SynCom-based bioinoculants. Her PhD program included collaborations with Continental Semences S.p.A. and a visiting research period at the University of Warsaw, Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology.

After her PhD, she joined the COMBO lab (Prof. Marco Fondi), contributing to the setup and optimization of a turbidostat platform for studying antibiotic resistance and persistence in bacterial populations under mero-oligoploid conditions.

She is currently an independent postdoctoral fellow (contratto di ricerca) at the Department of Biology, investigating the molecular basis of host–microbe symbioses, using an integrative multi-omics approach. A key feature of her position is the collaboration with several research groups in the Department, fostering interdisciplinary research with applications in health and sustainable agriculture.