Antonino Borzì (20 August 1852, in

Castroreale Castroreale (Sicilian language, Sicilian: ''Castruriali'') is a village in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). It has around 2,702 inhabitan ...

– 24 August 1921, in

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

) was an Italian

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

Life and career

Antonino Borzì became a professor of botany at the

University of Palermo The University of Palermo () is a public university, public research university in Palermo, Italy. It was founded in 1806, and is currently organized in 12 Faculties. History The University of Palermo was officially founded in 1806, although it ...

in 1879 and at the

University of Messina The University of Messina (; Latin: ''Studiorum Universitas Messanae''), known colloquially as UniME, is a state university located in Messina, Sicily, Italy. Founded in 1548 by Pope Paul III, it was the world's first Jesuit college, and today it ...

in 1892. In 1889 he was involved in reestablishing the Orto Botanico "Pietro Castelli" dell'Università di Messina. From 1892 to 1921 he was director of

Orto botanico di Palermo The Orto Botanico di Palermo (''Palermo Botanical Garden'') is both a botanical garden and a research and educational institution of the Department of Botany of the University of Palermo. The garden lies within the city of Palermo, Italy at ...

. Antonino Borzì was the first who described the biopolymer

cyanophycin Cyanophycin, also known as CGP (cyanophycin granule polypeptide) or multi-L-arginyl-poly (L-aspartic acid), is a non-protein, non-ribosomally produced amino acid polymer composed of an aspartic acid backbone and arginine side groups. Cyanophycin ...

in 1887.

Works (selection)

* . Messina, 1883-1894 * . Palermo, 1894-1909 * . Messina, 1885 * . Messina, 1884 * . Messina, 1886 * . Palermo, 1905 * . Rome, 1911 * . 1915 * . Palermo, 1917 * . Rome, 1920 {{DEFAULTSORT:Borzi, Antonino 1852 births 1921 deaths 19th-century Italian botanists 20th-century Italian botanists Academic staff of the University of Palermo Academic staff of the University of Messina