Dr. Francesco Marchetti

Research Scientist

Current research and/or projects

Development of more efficient methods to assess the induction of mutations and other forms of DNA damage in male germ cells

Application of new genomics technologies to detect de novo mutations in the offspring of exposed parents using both animal models and human families

Research and/or project statements

  • Development and evaluation of in vivo tools for mutagenicity assessment
  • Heritable effects of environmental mutagens
  • Discovery of physiological, environmental and genetic factors affecting male- and female-mediated heritable risk
  • Sperm biomarkers for fertility and genetic damage
  • Hazard and risk assessment of environmental mutagens
  • Applied genetic toxicology for regulatory decision making

Professional activities / interests

  • Chair – Germ cell workgroup of the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute’s Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee
  • Steering Committee member –Health and Environmental Sciences Institute’s Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee
  • Member – Expert Panel on Genotoxicity for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  • Editorial Board Member – Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis
  • Editorial Board Member – Nature Scientific Reports
  • Chair, Transgenic In Vivo Mutation Special Interest Group of the Environmental Mutagen Society

Education and awards

Summa Cum Laude - Doctor of Biological Sciences; La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy  (1990)

Postdoctoral Fellow - Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA  (1991-1994)

Postdoctoral Fellow - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California, USA (1994-1997)

International experience and/or work

Biomedical Scientist, Biology and Biotechnology Research Biology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA (1997-2002)

Biomedical Staff Scientist, Biosciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA (2002-2006)

Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA (2006-2011)

Key publications

Beal MA, Yauk CL, Marchetti F (2017) From sperm to offspring: assessing the heritable genetic consequences of paternal smoking and potential public health impacts. Mutation Research Reviews, Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, 773:26-50. Epub: April 12, 2017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383574217300108?via%3Dihub

Dearfield KL, Gollapudi BB, Bemis JC, Benz DR, Douglas GR, Elespuru RK, Johnson GE, Kirkland DJ, Le Baron MJ, Li AP, Marchetti F, Pottenger LH, Rorije E, Tanir JY, Thybaud V, van Benthem J, Yauk CL, Zeiger E., Luijten M (2017) Next generation testing strategy for assessment of genomic damage: a conceptual framework and consideration. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 58:264-283. Epub: September 21, 2016. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/em.22045

Meier MJ, O’Brien JM, Beal MA, Allen B, Yauk CL, Marchetti F (2017) In utero exposure to benzo(a)pyrene increases mutation burden in the soma and sperm of adult mice. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(1):82-88. Epub: July 22, 2016. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/EHP211/

O’Brien JM, Beal MA, Yauk CL, Marchetti F (2016). Next generation sequencing of benzo(a)pyrene-induced lacZ mutants identifies a germ cell-specific mutation spectrum. Scientific Reports 6:36743. Epub: November 10, 2016. https://www.nature.com/articles/srep36743

Valente WJ, Ericson NG, Long AS, White PA, Marchetti F, Bielas JH (2016) Mitochondrial DNA exhibits resistance to induced point and deletion mutations. Nucleic Acids Research, 44(18):8513-8524. Epub August 22, 2016. https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/44/18/8513/2468358

O’Brien JM, Beal MA, Yauk CL, Marchetti F (2016) Benzo(a)pyrene is mutagenic in mouse spermatogonial stem cells and dividing spermatogonia. Toxicological Sciences, 152:363-371. Epub: May 13, 2016. https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/152/2/363/2578794

Marchetti F, Massarotti A, Yauk CL, Pacchierotti F, Russo A (2016). The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) for chemical binding to tubulin in oocytes leading to aneuploid offspring. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 57:87-113. Epub: November 19, 2015. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/em.21986

Yauk CL, Aardema MJ, van Benthem J, Bishop JB, Dearfield KL, DeMarin DM, Dubrova YE, Honma M, Lupski JR, Marchetti F, Meistrich ML, Pacchierotti F, Stewart J, Waters MD, Douglas GR (2015) Approaches for identifying germ cell mutagens: report of the 2013 IWGT workshop on germ cell assays. Mutation Research, 783:36-54. Epub: January 24, 2015. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383571815000200?via%3Dihub

Yauk CL, Argueso JL, Auerbach SS, Awadalla P, Davis SR, DeMarini DM, Douglas GR, Dubrova YE, Elespuru RK, Glover TW, Hales BF, Hurles ME, Klein CB, Lupski JR, Manchester DK, Marchetti F, Montpetit A, Mulvihill JJ, Robaire B, Robbins WA, Rouleau G, Shaughnessy DT, Somers CM, Taylor VI J, Trasler J, Waters MD, Wilson TE, Witt KL, Bishop JB (2012) Harnessing genomics to identify environmental determinants of heritable diseases. Mutation Research Review, 752:6-9. Epub: August 28, 2012. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383574212000476?via%3Dihub

Marchetti F, Rowan-Carroll A, Williams A, Polyzos A, Berndt-Weis ML, Yauk CL (2011) Sidestream tobacco smoke is a male germ cell mutagen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 108:12811-12814. Epub: July 18; 2011. http://www.pnas.org/content/108/31/12811.long