EDUCATION:
- 1997: University of Parma, Italy, degree cum laude in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology
- 2002: University of Torino, Italy, PhD in Biochemical Sciences. Thesis Title: Functional properties of heme-proteins in solution, in silica gel ad in the crystalline state. Supervisor: professor Andrea Mozzarelli
EMPLOYMENT:
- 2001-2004: University of Oxford, UK, Research Assistant at the Department of Biochemistry, working on the functional and structural characterization of a redox system from the bacterium Rhodovulum sulphidofilum.
- 2004-2012: University of Parma, Italy, Researcher and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- 2012-present: University of Parma, Italy, Researcher and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Pharmacy
Teaching acivity:
- From 2004, lecturer in Applied Biochemistry (64-hours course), Biochemical analysis (32 hours), Experimental biochemistry (24 hours), Diagnostic devices in Clinical Biochemistry (32 hours), Biomolecular Mehodologies (24 hours) and Molecular Biology (24 hours) at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Italy
Scientific activities:
- UV-visible microspectrophotometry of single crystals in order to investigate the functional properties of proteins in the crystalline state and to define the experimental conditions for the isolation of reaction intermediates for structure determination. Several heme binding proteins and pyridoxal phosphate-dependant enzymes were invetigated, particularly cysteine beta synthase cystine lyase, triptophan indol-lyase, tyrosin phenol-lyase and GABA amino transferase.
- Characterization of proteins encapsulated in silica gel in order to define the functional properties of isolated tertiary or quaternary conformations and to develop bioreactors and biosensors.
- Structural and functional characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana hemoglobins AHb1 and AHb2
- Preparation and characterization of mutated or chemically modified hemoglobins to be used as blood substitutes in therapy.
- Proteomic investigation of the effects of free plasma hemoglobin in organs of Cavia porcellus
