Stefano Ventura is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Ecosystem Study of the National Research Council of Italy, where he works since 1985. His scientific interest is on the cyanobacterial ecology and molecular microbial ecology of extreme, terrestrial environments (polar, tropical, oligotrophic, hyperalkaline, hypersaline, or dry habitats) and phototrophic biofilms developing on monumental stone artefacts. He studies the biodiversity and the molecular phylogeny, taxonomy and nomenclature of cyanobacteria, also serving as a member of the IUMS International Committee on the Systematics of Prokaryotes and its Judicial Commission. He is active in Svalbard and in Greenland. He has leaded research groups in two EU projects and several other national and international projects. He has been the Italian representative in the ESF Scientific Programme CYANOFIX. He is a member of the ESF Pool of Reviewers 2009-12, and an associate editor of Algological Studies.