Personale docente

Franco Bisceglie was born in Cremona on 14/08/1972. He graduated in 1997 from the University of Parma with a thesis entitled “Synthesis of SNO Coordinating Systems with Biological Activity.” At the same university, he obtained his Ph.D. by defending a thesis titled “Preparative, Spectral and Structural Studies of New Metal Complexes with Polydentate Ligands of Medical Applicative Interest.” During his Ph.D. period, he spent six months at the Laboratoire de Chimie Bioorganique et Bioinorganique (LCBB) of the Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matérieux d’Orsay (ICMMO) at Université Paris XI, conducting research on “Synthesis of Tripodal Ligands C-centred. Preparation, Characterization, Reaction with Superoxide of the Corresponding Fe(II) and Mn(II) Complexes and Biological Activity” in the group of Prof. I. Morgenstern-Badarau.

Franco Bisceglie has been awarded two scholarships by the Interuniversity Consortium for Research in Chemistry of Metals in Biological Systems (C.I.R.C.M.S.B.) to conduct research on the topics “Metal Ions in Diagnostics and Human Therapy” and “New Inorganic Drugs in Oncology.” He has also carried out several professional assignments related to the synthesis and characterization of non-cisplatin-like metal complexes as antitumor agents.

In 2004, he obtained a Post Master Certificate in "Quality Control and Validation of Chemical Analysis Methods" from the University of Parma, graduating summa cum laude (110/110 with honors). His thesis was titled “Validation of an Analytical Method and Experimental Design for Stability Products: Two Critical Aspects in Drug Research, Improvements and Revisions to Optimize Processes.”

He became a researcher in 2005 and an associate professor in 2015 at the University of Parma for the Disciplinary Scientific Sector (SSD) CHIM03 (General and Inorganic Chemistry), having also obtained national scientific qualification (ASN) for the sector CHIM07 (Chemical foundations of technologies). He has received the national scientific qualification (ASN) for the full professorship in SSD CHIM03.

Currently, his work focuses on the synthesis and characterization of metal complexes with bidentate and polydentate ligands, particularly those of the thiosemicarbazone class. He mainly studies the coordination properties related to first-row transition metals. Additionally, he investigates the interactions of synthesized complexes with biological substrates using spectroscopic methods to evaluate their interactions, such as scavenging radical properties or interactions with DNA or small proteins. Multi-component organic-inorganic systems have been designed and characterized using spectroscopic and diffractometric methods. The study of their molecular structure has been developed as a basis for interpreting their chemical reactivity towards biological systems. The relationship between structure and biological activity has been examined, and research on the chelating behavior and steric and electronic properties of multifunctional ligands, such as aromatic and aliphatic thiosemicarbazones of biologically interesting molecules, has been deepened. Recently, his interest has also shifted to the synthesis of metal complexes with antibacterial properties to help reduce antibiotic resistance, as well as the identification of molecules with antifungal or anti-aflatoxigenic activity.

He has also been involved in the design and development of new materials or modifications of existing materials for engineering applications, evaluating their design, industrial transfer, structural properties, and environmental impact, as well as innovative materials for advanced analytical applications.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the University of Parma and chaired the Commission for the Allocation of Funds to Student Associations. He has also been a member of the University's Disciplinary Board.

Since the academic year 2016/2017, he has been the Quality Assurance Manager (RAQ) for teaching in the Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and is part of the Review Group (GdR) for the same degree. Between 2015 and 2017, he was the RAQ for Research for the Department of Chemistry.

He has participated in the following funded PRIN projects:
- "Design of Copper(II) Thiosemicarbazone and Triazole Complexes and Evaluation of the Mechanism Underlying the Apoptotic and Non-Apoptotic Cytotoxic Effect" (2007)
- "Innovative Analytical Methods to Study Biogenic and Anthropogenic Proxies in Ice Cores (AMICO)" (2017).

He also participated in the three-year project (2017-2019) funded by the Cariplo Foundation, "A Biotechnological Approach to the Development of New Antifungal Drugs for the Protection of the Environment and Human Health," the project "A Sustainable Approach to Curb Food Contamination by Aflatoxins" funded by the University (2019-2022), and the project "A Way Towards Artificial Metalloenzymes: Redesigned Catalysts and Tools to Understand Nanoscale Reactivity" funded by the University (2022-2025).

He is a member of the Editorial Board of the journals "Molecules" and "Compounds" (MDPI) and "Scientific Reports" (Springer). He is a referee for many journals in the inorganic and bioinorganic fields. He has acted as an "expert evaluator" for the National Center of Science and Technology (Kazakhstan) and the National Science Centre (Poland). He is part of the PhD Board in Chemical Sciences at the University of Parma.

He has been a member of the CIRCMSB - Consorzio Interuniversitario di Ricerca in Chimica dei Metalli nei Sistemi Biologici and is part of the following Centers: CERT - Center of Excellence for Toxicological Research, COMT - Interdepartmental Research Center for Molecular and Translational Oncology, and INSTM - National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology. He is a member of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI).

As of August 2, 2024 (SCOPUS), Franco Bisceglie is the author of 71 publications and numerous conference presentations. His ORCID code is 0000-0001-9165-0356. His h-index is 30, and he has received 2781 citations.