Mattia Poletto was appointed Oxitec’s Molecular Team Lead in 2019 and is now looking after Strain Development of Anopheles species, as well as Oxitec’s brand-new tick program. He has over 10 years’ experience as a molecular biologist, with a career focused on DNA integrity, translational research, and genetic engineering. Mattia is responsible for the Molecular Biology Team at Oxitec, where the genetic circuits that power Oxitec’s insects are designed and built. He is also in charge of genetic transformation and characterization of self-limiting Anopheles products in preparation for field validation, as well as leveraging Oxitec’s self-limiting technology in the Asian Blue Tick.

Mattia joined Oxitec in 2017 as a senior research scientist in the Molecular Biology Team, focused on developing and characterizing self-limiting products in a range of agricultural crop pests including work on our 3G medfly strain, as well as Drosophila suzukii. He contributed significantly to Oxitec’s regulatory application to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for experimental use of Oxitec’s 1st generation Aedes aegypti product (OX513A) on the US soil and was part of the team that successfully obtained regulatory approval for the Florida field trials with Oxitec’s 2nd generation Aedes aegypti product, OX5034. Mattia gained valuable experience as a key member of the molecular team before guiding the team through the strain characterization work that supported regulatory approval of Oxitec’s 2nd generation Fall Armyworm in Brazil.

Mattia is now coordinating the Molecular Team, where he is directing strain development activities as well as providing support to Oxitec’s field, quality control and regulatory workstreams. He is also leading strain development work involving externally funded collaborations driving the development of Oxitec’s 2nd generation technology in two malaria transmitting mosquito species and in our first non-insect pest, the Asian Blue Tick.  

Mattia lives in Oxford, England with his wife and son.