Lucia Battistini

Education and Professional Career

- 1995: Graduated with honours in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at the University of Parma - Research focus: Synthesis of natural and non-natural alpha-amino acids; supervisor: Prof. Giovanni Casiraghi.

1995 - 1998: PhD student in Bioorganic Chemistry (Protein Chemistry) at the University of Parma - Research focus on the exploitation of heterocyclic silyloxy dienes in the synthesis of densely functionalized chiral compounds; supervisor: Prof. G. Casiraghi.

-November 1998-October 1999: Post-doctoral research at the Organic Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma.

-March 1999: Ph.D. Degree in Bioorganic Chemistry – Final dissertation at the University of Torino (Doctoral thesis: “The exploitation of heterocyclic dienoxy silanes for the synthesis of structurally diverse natural and natural-like bioactive compounds”).

-November 1999: Appointed as a Researcher at the University of Parma.

-March 2000: Appointed as an Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry (with tenure)- University of Parma.

-March 2015 to present: Appointed as an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry - University of Parma.

Publications and Indicators of Scientific Research Impact

-LB is the co-author of 86 research papers and review articles published in peer-reviewed international journals, 5 book chapters and 2 patents.

-LB co-authored more than 70 communications (poster and oral communications) presented at national and international conferences.

-During the 10th ULLA Summer School (Parma, July 2011) LB held an Advanced Course for PhD students from European Universities (Lecture title: “Method- and Target-Oriented Organic Synthesis: Invaluable Opportunities in Contemporary Drug Discovery”).

- LB received scientific citations of excellence for 3 articles published in 2011, 2012, and 2021, respectively.

Funded Research Projects

LB participated in relevant national research programs (PRIN) selected for funding by The Italian Ministry of Research and Education: PRIN 2000; PRIN 2002; PRIN 2004; PRIN 2006; PRIN 2008; PRIN 2010-2011, PRIN 2015 and PRIN 2020.

She also participated to the Project “Tailored Peptidomimetics Halting SARS-CoV-2 Entry”- Bando straordinario di Ateneo per progetti di ricerca biomedica (10/2020-03/2022)- University of Parma.

Editorial and Reviewer activities

-Scientific reviewer of MIUR (The Italian Ministry of Research and Education) for Reprise actions (Register of Expert Peer Reviewers for Italian Scientific Evaluation)

-Scientific reviewer for the National Evaluation of Research Quality (VQR 2011-2014)

-Reviewer for “Initiative of Excellence” - Université Aix-Marseille (France) - 2022.

-Reviewer of international chemistry journals including: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Journal of Organic Chemistry, ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, Molecular Pharmaceutics, European Journal of Organic Chemistry, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Cancers, Cells, Pharmaceutics, Molecules, Biomedicines, Bioorganic Chemistry, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, Tetrahedron Letters, Letters in Organic Chemistry, Current Organic Chemistry.

Teaching 

Since 1999, LB has been teaching Organic Chemistry as part of various degree courses at the Food and Drug Department and the Department of Veterinary Science of the University of Parma:

1999-2006 - Organic Chemistry for Diploma Courses (SEPS/ISF three-year degree courses)

2006-2010 - Organic Chemistry Basics/ Organic Chemistry for Pharmacy Course

2011-present - Organic Chemistry I for Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology

2015-present - Organic Chemistry for SZTPA and SA Courses

2023-present - Chemistry Fundamentals - Theoretical and laboratory course for Dairy Enterprise Technology and Management Course (Career oriented degree)

July 2011 – Advanced Course for PhD students from European Universities - (10th ULLA Summer School)

April-May 2022 – “Peptidomimetic syntheses and bioconjugation strategies serving the drug sciences” (Course for PhD students at University of Parma”)

July 2023/June-July 2025 – “Bioactive peptides and peptidomimetics” (Course for PhD students at University of Parma”)

Tutoring of PhD Thesis:

2021 PhD in Drug Sciences, XXXI Cycle, PhD candidate: Kelly Bugatti - Title: “New Integrin-Targeted Small Molecule Peptidomimetics and Their Covalent Conjugates as Potential Biomedical Tools In Oncology- and Fibrosis-Related Diseases” - University of Parma

2025 PhD in Drug Sciences, XLI Cycle, PhD candidate: Chiara Savian - University of Parma

Scientific Interests and Research Subjects Main research interests are in the field of organic and bioorganic chemistry. -New methodologies in asymmetric synthesis merging selectivity and molecular diversity. Focus of the first research line is the design and development of new chemical methods to selectively access collections of new natural or nature-inspired small molecules (mainly carbo- or heterocyclic) and their use as pharmaceutically- and/or food-relevant compounds. In this field major efforts have been devoted to the design and synthesis of novel multi-site (pro)nucleophilic and (pro)electrophilic carbon matrices – mainly in the heterocyclic domain – and their exploitation in vinylogous and multivinylogous carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. Important achievements in this field led to the synthesis of multifunctional natural and natural-like compounds, including conformationally constrained amino acids, carbasugars, nitrogen-containing sugar derivatives, densely functionalized heterocycles, nucleoside analogues, indolizidine derivatives, lactam peptidomimetics, sphingosines and acetogenin derivatives. In recent past years, application of the vinylogy concept in asymmetric synthesis enabled the access to diverse collections of high-quality C(sp3-rich) chiral small-molecule scaffolds ranging from fused polycyclic rings, to steroid-like structures, functionalized indoles and oxindoles, dihydrocarbazoles, gamma-butenolides, pyrrolinones, gamma-valerolactones. - Synthesis of small molecule peptidomimetics, conjugates and nanomaterials serving biomedicine. Focus of the second research line is on the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel and modulable integrin-targeted RGD-based peptidomimetic ligands and their conjugates for molecular recognition and biomedical applications in the field of target-directed anti-cancer and anti-fibrosis therapy and non-invasive diagnosis. Integrins are cell surface receptors playing essential roles in many physiological and pathological events. In recent years the efforts in this area led to the development of a new series of gamma-aminoproline (Amp)-based RGD-cyclopeptides which turned out to be very potent alphaVbeta3, alphaVbeta5, alphaVbeta6 and alphaVbeta8 integrin binders with IC50 binding affinities in the nanomolar range. In particular, the covalent conjugation of our AmpRGD ligands with cytotoxic and antifibrotic agents or diagnostic probes such as fluorescent probes or metal-chelating units (e.g. DOTA), as well as their embodiment in liposomal nanoparticles were accomplished and biological properties of these bioconjugates were evaluated with encouraging results. -Synthesis of bioinspired peptidomimetics halting the SARS-CoV-2 entry. Recently, a new line of research has been launched focusing on the rational design, synthesis and characterization of a new class of nature-inspired small molecule peptidomimetics to impair SARS-CoV-2 entry at the very early stages. The strategy is based on recent findings on the structural and functional features of the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and human host at the molecular level, which suggest that blocking such interaction with exogenous molecules would impede (or highly impair) viral entry, thus halting the virus infection at very early stages. In particular, the aim of the study was the selective inhibition of two key players namely, the viral spike glycoprotein SP and the human ACE2 receptor.