Catalogo dei Corsi di studio

Research Experience
15.02.2022-14.02.2025: Assistant professor (RTDB, SC 05/E1, SSD BIO/10) at University of Rome Sapienza , Dept of Biochemical Sciences.
10.2017-02.2022: Research associate (RTDA, SSD BIO/10) at University of Rome Sapienza , Dept of Biochemical Sciences. Theme of research activity: Structural and functional studies of proteins involved in cell metabolism .
6.2015-5.2016: Post-doctoral fellowship at University of Rome Sapienza , Dept of Biochemical Sciences. Title of research project: Sabotage the enemy: mechanisms of defence against oxidative stress as a target for the identification of new drugs against leishmaniasis
12.2013-12.2014: Telethon fellowship at Sapienza University of Rome, Dept of Biochemical Sciences. Title of Research Project: Isolated domains of aminoacyl tRNA syntethases as a novel therapeutic tool for mt tRNA mutation associated disease .
12.2010-11.2013: Post-doctoral fellowship at University of Rome Sapienza , Dept. of Biochemical Sciences. Title of research project: New mechanisms of microbial response to oxidative and nitrosative stress .

Other qualifications
2021: Member of the Academic Board of the PhD course in Biochemistry (cycle XXXVII) at Sapienza University.
31.3.2017: National Academic Qualification (ASN) as Associate Professor in biochemistry (settore concorsuale 05/E1, bando d.d. 1532/2016).
5.5.2016-today: Affiliation with IBPM-CNR (Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari del CNR) (Reference: provision of association of 5.5.2016, No. 0001001, and renewal).

Education
11.2007-10.2010: Ph.D. in Biochemical Sciences and Neurosciences at University of l'Aquila, Dept of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies. Supervisors: Prof. A. Bozzi, Prof. A. Boffi.
Dissertation title: Flavin-dependent polyamine oxidases: structural studies and biosensing applications , defended on April 12, 2011.
Research activities mainly carried out at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of Sapienza University and the Department of Biology of Roma Tre University.
19.07.07: Five years degree with honours (Laurea cum laude) in Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, with specialization in Physical-Chemistry.
Title of the thesis: X-ray structure of N-methyltryptophan oxidase: structural determinants for specificity . Tutor: Andrea Ilari.

Research interests
Study of structure-function relationships in macromolecules aimed at deep characterization, biotechnological applications, and drug development.
Principal systems studied:
- new therapeutic opportunities for neurological disorders: the sigma1 receptor and other potential protein targets;
- drug targets of Leishmania parasites: enzymes of the unique thiol-based redox metabolism and of the polyamine pathway;
- sorcin, an important regulator of many calcium-dependent cell functions;
- ferritin and Dps (DNA binding proteins from starved cells), cage-like proteins involved in the bacterial-DNA protection from oxidative damage and used as bioreactor to produce metal-based nanoparticles or as drug carriers;

Awards and prizes
11.03.2015: best research project prize at XVIII Telethon Meeting at Riva del Garda. Project title: Isolated domains of aminoacyl tRNA syntethases as a novel therapeutic tool for mitochondrial tRNA mutation associated diseases
20.10.2010: Poster prize at the 10th Sigma Aldrich Young Chemists Symposium (SAYCS 2010), session NuovaChimica (methodological developments). Poster title: Determinanti strutturali per la sintesi di nanoparticelle di argento in una cavita proteica: il caso della ferritina di Pyrococcus furiosus

Grants
2022: principal investigator for the project Development of broad-spectrum trypanocidal agents through target-based drug discovery , internal research funds at Sapienza University (bando di ateneo 2021, Università Sapienza, delibera S.A. n.36/2022 del 15/02/2022).
Grant value 3.000 .
2022: principal investigator of the project Fragment-based approach targeting the Trypanosomatid redox key enzyme Trypanothione reductase selected for access to the program XChem: Crystal-based fragment screening at Diamond in UK (proposal ID: 30489), founded by the iNEXT consortium in the framework of the Horizon 2020 programme.
2017-today: Investigator (co-proposer) in the project Scouting di nuovi target nel campo delle malattie rare, trascurate e della povertà funded by the public-private consortium CNCCS (Collezione Nazionale di Composti Chimici e Centro Screening) dedicated to neglected diseases. The project involves CNR, ISS and IRBM Science Park of Pomezia (CUP code of the project: B56G15001140005).
PI: Andrea Ilari. Total grant value: 170.000 .
2020-2021: investigator (co-proposer) of the project Fragment-based approach targeting the Trypanosomatid redox key enzyme Trypanothione reductase selected for access to the program XChem: Crystal-based fragment screening at Diamond in UK (proposal ID: nolb25167), founded by the iNEXT consortium in the framework of the Horizon 2020 programme.
2020: principal investigator (coordinator) for the collaborative project Structural biology for human health , data collection beamtime and mission expenses awarded at ELETTRA synchrotron in Basovizza (TS) (proposal number: 20195202). The project involved researchers from Sapienza University, IBPM-CNR, IIT, University of Chieti and University of l Aquila.
2019: investigator (co-proposer) for the project Innovative small molecules as inhibitors of ribonuclease H function of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase enzyme , internal research funds at Sapienza University (bando di ateneo 2018, Università Sapienza, delibera S.A. n. 50/19 del 12.02.2019).
PI: prof. R. Costi. Grant value 13.000 .
2018: principal investigator (coordinator) for the collaborative project Structural characterization of macromolecules related to human health , data collection beamtime and mission expenses awarded at ELETTRA synchrotron in Basovizza (TS) (proposal number: 20180125). The project involved researchers from Sapienza University, IBPM-CNR, IIT, University of Chieti and University of l Aquila.

Participation in other national and international projects
2018-2020: Collaboration with XoNovo LTD (Israeli company), prof. K. Hensley at ARCOM (Arkansas) and Dr. Travis Danton at Washington State University concerning the characterization of the interaction of antineurodegenerative compounds with their putative target (non-disclosure agreement signed on 23.11.2018).
01.12.2013-30.11.2014: investigator (fellowship) in the project Isolated domains of aminoacyl tRNA synthetases as a novel therapeutic tool for mt-tRNA mutation associated disease funded by Telethon Foundation (n. GGP13097 24/6/2013).
PI: prof. Giulia d Amati. Grant value 218.500 .
1.12.2010-30.11.2013: investigator (fellowship) in the project FIRB Futuro in Ricerca 2008 (RBFR08F41U). Project title: Nuovi meccanismi di risposta microbica allo stress ossidativo e nitrosativo .
PI: dott. A. Giuffré. Grant value 188.600 .
2009-2012: Participation in an international collaboration concerning the characterization of metal nanoparticles incorporated in protein cages, as suspension or 3D-ordered array. The collaboration included laboratories in Italy, UK, Canada, Germany and Bulgaria and produced a publication on JACS in 2010. The study required sessions of SAXS experiments at Bessy synchrotron in Berlin conducted by Dragomir Tatchev and Annarita Fiorillo. (refs: application ID 2011_2_110160, beamline 7T-MPW-SAXS, period 10-13.10.2011; application ID 2012_1_110928, beamline 7T-MPW-SAXS, period 18-20.5.2012).

Oral communications at conferences
02.2022: invited speaker at the ESRF User Meeting, UDM2 microsymposium Ligand and fragment screening: enabling technologies for pressing threats , Grenoble (France). Title of the seminar: A fragment-based approach to develop trypanocidal drugs targeting trypanothione reductase .
02.2020: 1st AI C BMM Group Meeting, Fiesole (FI). Title of the seminar: Structure of PA4063, a zinc binding protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa .
06.2018: 3rd Joint AIC-SILS conference, Rome. Title of the seminar: Unravelling the function of post-translational modifications in 14-3-3 from Giardia duodenalis .
04.2012: 6th meeting New Perspectives in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (6NPCF), Riccione, Italy. Title of the seminar: Therapeutic targets in Leishmania: the crystal structures of the couple tryparedoxin/tryparedoxin peroxidase .
07.2009: XXIII National SCI Conference, Sorrento, Italy. Title of the seminar: The crystal structure of the endo- -1,3-glucanase from Pyrococcus furiosus reveals the structural basis of substrate recognition .

Other research related activities
Member of the Editorial Board of Frontiers journals as Review Editor in Structural Biology (specialty section of Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences and Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology).
Reviewer for international journals (Scientific Report, Chemico-biological interactions, Journal of Parasitology Research).
Staff member of the Biocrystal facility, a platform dedicated to the structural characterization of proteins and protein complexes (https://biocrystalfacility.it/en/biocrystal-facility/), included in the consortium Instruct-Italia.
Member of the Organizing Committee of the conference Cryo-electron microscopy in structural biology: paving the way towards precision biomedicine and biotechnology held in Rome, 10th and 11th October 2019.