> Research

My studies are mainly focussed on solving protein structure via biocrystallographic tecniques. In this context I solved the structure of several proteins. Actually I am studying the structure of different domains of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fes through X-ray diffraction data analysis. Structure-based drug design is undergoing in parallel with the design of vectors based on liposomes and carbon nanotubes for the intelligent delivery of drugs to neuroblastoma cells. Eventually the different domains will be fitted into the molecular envelope of the whole protein as derived by cryo-EM and/or SAXS/SANS methods.

Moreover I am involved in the design of new resveratrol analogues as agonist of the human Estrogen Receptor alpha in breast cancer cells. In parallel I am involved in "multi-resolution" approaches to define proteins' conformational changes in solution, through the building of models and the comparison of calculated hydrodinamic parameters to the molecular properties in solution.

In the recent past my principal research fields have been the study of the molecular mechanisms at the basis of protein folding/unfolding processes, the structure solution of enzymes involved in sugar methabolisms, protein modeling and the structure-based design of inhibitors of different proteins. .

My past activities in biocrystallography also include structural studies on Hen Avidin, Superoxide dismutase, Human Hexokinase, GDP 4-keto-6-D-deoxy-mannose epimerase/reductase (GMER), and other Sugar methabolism enzymes.

I have also been involved in growing crystals in microgravity (NASA missions STS100 and STS111).