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About

Massimo E. Maffei is a pioneering plant biologist whose research bridges chemical ecology, plant signaling, and space bioregeneration. His major contributions center on understanding how plants perceive and respond to herbivore attack, particularly through the emission of volatile organic compounds. Maffei’s innovative use of robotic mechanical wounding (MecWorm) allowed him to precisely mimic herbivore damage, revealing that diurnal versus nocturnal feeding differentially triggers plant volatile emissions—a finding with over 190 citations. His 2010 study on early signaling and volatile release in lima beans, cited 157 times, further elucidated the molecular and temporal dynamics of plant defense. Beyond terrestrial ecology, Maffei has contributed to space life support systems, notably developing the CAB (Controllo Ambientale Biorigenerativo) bioregenerative system for the Italian Space Agency, demonstrating how greenhouses can sustain humans in space. His work has profound implications for sustainable agriculture, pest management, and future extraterrestrial habitation, making him a key figure in both fundamental plant science and applied space biology.