Massimiliano Fenice graduated from the University of Genova and received his M.S. in 1983. He is now a full professor of microbiology at the Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), the head of the Microbiology Laboratory of the DEB and the Laboratory of Marine Applied Microbiology of CoNISMa (Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario Scienze del Mare), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. He is also a member of the following International Scientific Societies: MSA, Mycological Society of America; EUCHIS, European Chitin and Chitosan Society (member of the Society Board); BENA, Balkan Environmental Association (Chairman of the Mediterranean Liason Office); and SIMGBM, Società Italiana di Microbiologia Generale e Biotecnologie Microbiche (Italian Society of General Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology).