studied Agricultural Sciences in Italy and got her PhD in 2000 at the Technical University of Berlin (Germany), in cooperation with the Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum of the Free University of Berlin, and supported by a grant from Italy. During her studies she focused her interests on the biodiversity and taxonomy of lichens, on botany, ecology, bioindication, biodiversity monitoring and land use in the Mediterranean area. From 2000 to 2009, she worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Bayreuth (Institute for Plant Systematics, Sect. Mycology). In the context of the BIOTA Africa project, she carried out research on lichen diversity in southern Africa in relation to climate change and land use intensity. Furthermore, she investigated the impact of plant invasion on moss and lichen diversity along the coasts of Sardinia. She gathered further work experiences in data and information management, knowledge transfer and environmental education.

After her postdoc ended, she got a position as project manager of the virtual library GREENPILOT at the ZB MED Leibniz Information Centre for Life Sciences, and as scientific translator for the thesaurus AGROVOC (FAO). She has multiple experiences as academic lecturer in botany at the University of Sassari (Italy) and in lichenology at the University of Bayreuth (Germany).

Her expertise lies in biodiversity research with special reference to lichen diversity, bioindication and biomonitoring, as well as in the search, management and elaboration of data and information concerning biodiversity topics. She is specialized in the design and implementation of research, scientific and scholarly communication (publications, social media, workshops etc.) as well as environmental education projects, as project partner or on commission.

Luciana Zedda is co-founder and CEO of the company BIO-Diverse together with Dr Nicole Nöske, which is specialized on biodiversity research and communication. Luciana Zedda is ibn-member since December 2013 and since 2017 ibn board member.