Scientific Profile
Barbara Campanini is Associate Professor of Biochemistry. Her research focuses on amino acid metabolism, with particular emphasis on cysteine metabolism in bacteria and serine metabolism in the mammalian central nervous system. She has over 20 years of experience in the biochemical characterization of PLP-dependent enzymes using spectroscopic techniques, as well as in the study of protein–protein and protein–ligand interactions.
Current Research Lines
- Enzymes of cysteine biosynthesis as potential targets for antibiotics and/or antibiotic-therapy enhancers
- Functional characterization of pathogenic variants of enzymes involved in the phosphorylated pathway of serine biosynthesis in the human central nervous system
- Molecular mechanisms of iron acquisition in Staphylococcus aureus
Academic Career
Since 10/2015 Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Food and Drug Science, University of Parma
02/2006 – 09/2015 Research Fellow (Ricercatore) in Biochemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma
09/2003 – 08/2005 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Institute for the Physics of Matter
02/2003 PhD in Molecular Biology and Pathology, University of Parma
Thesis: “Structural determinants of the stability of the PLP-dependent enzyme OASS”
11/1998 Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Parma – awarded with honors (cum laude)
Teaching and Supervision
Since 2004, she has supervised more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students.
Since 2013, she has been a member of the Faculty Board of the PhD Program in Drug Sciences at the University of Parma.
She has served as an external examiner for several international PhD theses, at:
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
- University of Waikato, New Zealand
Editorial and Peer-Review Activities
She has served as a reviewer for several international scientific journals, including Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Biochemical Journal, Accounts of Chemical Research, and Nature Communications.
Since 2018, she has been a member of the editorial board of:
- Scientific Reports
- Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences (Structural Biology, Biophysics and Evolution section)
- Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences (Protein Biochemistry for Basic and Applied Sciences section)
Research Projects
PRIN 2017 – “Dissecting serine metabolism in the brain”
Role: Unit Leader and Principal Investigator. Project funded for 36 months.
PRIN 2022/PNRR – “De novo L-cysteine biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: pathway assessment for novel antibiotic discovery” (ENHANCE)
Role: National Coordinator and Principal Investigator. Project funded for 24 months.
Scientific Affiliations
Member of the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SIB).
Scientific Output
Since 1998, she has published 104 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and 6 book chapters. She has participated in more than 70 international conferences.
