PANTELLERIA – A scientist with a degree in Physics and an expert in molecular biology and genetics, Alma Dal Co33 years, Venetian Cannaregiois dead in Pantelleria while he was diving in the stretch of sea in the Scauri area. To clarify the causes of death, the Prosecutor of Marsala ordered theautopsy on the victim’s body.
What happened
Alma Dal Co had decided to go out on a boat for a dive in the Scauri area together with a friend underwater, a Florentine who has long since moved to the island of Pantelleria. The two first reached a sea area with strong currents where only the man dived. Then they moved along the coast to Scauri, on a depth of 10-12 meters. Here they dived together but under water they had then separated. Once back on the boat, the man did not see the woman and the search on the seabed began where he discovered her body lying on her. Brought back on board the boat, the diver attempted to revive the woman but she was dead. The Coast Guard, with the help of a local diver, recovered the girl’s equipment that had remained on the bottom (rifle, mask, weight belt).
Who was the dead biologist
The woman’s parents have one villa on the island and she, passionate about diving and spearfishing, he spent long periods in Pantelleria. On the site DalcolabDal Co laboratory of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland on the profile of the researcher it is written: «My name is Alma Dal Co. I come from Venice, in Italy. I am a physicist in microbiology, ecology, collective behavior. I’m a scientist with horizontal, rather than vertical, scientific interests. I am generally interested in the dynamics of complex biological systems, such as multicellular organisms and microbial communities. My main question is how the functionality of these systems comes from the interactions between their members. My work combines experiments with modeling. If I’m not in the office, I’m at piano. If I’m not at the piano, I’m underwater spearfishing».
The family: he was the nephew of Francesco Dal Co
Was nephew of Francesco Dal Co, Venetian architect and academic, Alma Dal Co, the scientist of Venetian origin who died during a dive on Pantelleria. Alma was Mario’s daughterbrother of the historic teacher and former director of the Architecture sector of the Venice Biennale.
Alma, the university career
After graduating with honors in 2011 from the University of Padua, Alma Dal Co, she also graduated in piano at the Venice Conservatory in 2012. After her specialization in Turin, she obtained a Doctorate in Systems Biology at the Federal Polytechnic of Zurich , and a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard. Alma Dal Co she was currently an assistant professor at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where she directed the “Dalcolab”, a laboratory specializing in biological systems.
Zaia’s condolences
«Surely she will be remembered as a young scientist who had already collected important international acknowledgments. In her profile she introduced herself underlining her origin from Venice and we recognize her as one of those young professionals who have honored our Region with their work. I express my closeness and my deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Alma Dal Co, tried by such great and sudden pain». Thus the President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, expresses his condolences for the death of Alma Dal Co, thirty-three year old physicist, expert in molecular biologydied in immersion in the waters of Pantelleria.
The place of the tragedy
