Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II | Italy
Leone Ermes Romano is a plant biologist and space life sciences researcher specializing in plant adaptation to altered gravity environments, with a strong focus on sustainable food production for space exploration. He is currently a PhD researcher at the University of Naples Federico II, where he is also serving as Principal Investigator on European Space Agency–supported projects. Romano received advanced academic training in plant physiology and space biology, developing expertise in experimental design, spaceflight hardware development, and controlled-environment cultivation systems. His research experience includes leadership and key scientific roles in ESA and ASI projects such as SuperFood for Space, Wolffia Hyper-g, Rootrop, Multitrop, and WAPS, as well as hands-on work at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during late-access flight preparations. His primary research interests include plant gravitropism, hypergravity and microgravity effects on growth, duckweed (Wolffia spp.) biology, space farming, and bioregenerative life-support systems. He has contributed to peer-reviewed scientific publications indexed in Scopus and currently holds a Scopus profile with h-index: 8, documents: 16, and citations: 140, reflecting a growing international research impact. Romano has been associated with award-winning ESA CORA projects and competitive space research initiatives. His work contributes to advancing space agriculture and resilient crop systems, supporting long-duration human space exploration and sustainable food technologies.
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