-
Pharmaceutical analysis
- Study of the molecular basis of the recognition mechanism in the various domains of chiral chromatography;
- Development of new chiral selectors and chromatographic methods for the analytical and semi-preparative separation of optically active compounds of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical interest;
- Implementation of derived chromatographic parameters for the evaluation of chemical-physical properties of compounds of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical interest.
- qualitative and quantitative analysis of potential molecular biomarkers of pathological conditions, in biological fluids and tissues;
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis of specific bioactive compounds in food matrices.
-
Biochemistry
- Gaucher disease and Parkinson's disease. Role of the lysosomal system in the development of Parkinson's disease
- Diagnosis of lysosomal genetic diseases by DBS (Dry Blood Spot)
- Production and characterization of functional foods
- Research of biochemical markers for neurodegenerative diseases
- Development of ELISA kits for the evaluation of enzyme replacement therapy in patients with lysosomal diseases.
- Alpha-D-cytosolic mannosidase: discovering a new genetic disease.
- N-Acetyl-Chitobiase and its role in the catabolism of oligosaccharides.
- Study of the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the neurodegenerative process, with particular reference to Parkinson's disease: animal and cellular models for the definition of the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal death
- Study of the effectiveness of newly synthesized co-drugs, in which L-Dopa is linked to antioxidant and neuroprotective action molecules
- Study of selenorganic compounds in cell and animal models of Parkinson's
- Identification of diagnostic / prognostic biomarkers of neurodegenerative pathologies in biological tissues and fluids
- Role of toll like receptor 4 in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease
- Metabolism and therapeutic applications of fat soluble vitamins, mainly vitamin E and K
- Analytical and biological study of antioxidants and micronutrients (phenols, selenium, et al.)
- Metabolism of glutathione and glutathione-S-transferase in cardiovascular comorbidity and anemia in chronic renal dysfunction
- Oxidative stress and malnutrition of patients with renal dysfunction and cystic fibrosis
- Melatonin: cyto-protection and immuno-inflammatory effects
- Post-translational modification from free radicals of proteins of interest in food chemistry and medicine
- Biocompatibility of biomaterials for extracorporeal therapies such as hemodialysis membranes
-
Food chemistry
- Development and validation of analytical methods suitable for the study of natural and occasional constituents of food products
- Investigations on natural fatty substances and on the lipid fraction of food matrices
- Design, synthesis and structural analysis of new generation lipids
- Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): synthesis and analysis
- Study of the oxidative stability of some fatty acids with particular nutritional interest
- Extraction and analysis of bioactive components present in food matrices and determination of antioxidant activity
- Evaluation of the structure of lipid components in food products
- Modifications of natural lipids through biocatalysis, synthesis and analysis of structured lipids
- Isolation, purification and characterization of secondary metabolites from plant matrices and by-products from the food industry
- Development of analytical procedures for the determination of xenobiotics in food
- Isomers of conjugated linoleic acid, synthesis and analysis
-
Computational chemistry
- Development and application of computational strategies to the design of biologically active substances;
- interpretation of the results obtained from series biological tests of compounds synthesized on the basis of the rational design;
- delineation of activity-structure relationships of chemical compounds;
- characterization of new macromolecular targets through computational methodologies
- molecular recognition of modulators by nuclear receptors;
- design of modulators for the genomic and non-genomic signaling pathways of bile acids;
- study of sets in the chemical space on the basis of 2D and 3D molecular descriptors;
- virtual screening strategies
- molecular modeling in the field of the metabolic pathway of quinurenins, of the nuclear receptor of DAF-12 nematodes, of proteins involved in tumorogenesis (MDM2, MDMX, p53), of proteins involved in coagulation processes such as thrombin and factor Xa
- analysis of the molecular interactions involved in the chromatographic processes of separation of enantiomeric / diasteroisomeric pairs.
- design and synthesis of compounds with anti-HIV activity: CDK9 inhibitors and small molecules designed to interact in a powerful and selective way with TAR.
- design and synthesis of reverse transcriptase RNase H inhibitors
- design and synthesis of anti-flu compounds.
- design and synthesis of anti HCV compounds: IRES inhibitors (internal ribosome entry site)
- drawing and synthesis of HPV oncoprotein expression inhibitors.
- NorA efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) capable of restoring the antibacterial activity of ciprofloxacin in resistant S. aureus strains;
- antivirals with anti-HIV or anti-HCV activity;
- activators of potassium channels with benzothiazine structure;
- inhibitors of the polymerization of prion proteins.
-
Pharmaceutical Chemistry
1. New synthetic applications for the preparation of compounds of biological interest.
- Reactivity, reaction mechanisms and synthetic applications of compound diazo (diazoesters,
alkyl diazophosphonates, -diazosulfonates and -diazopiruvates.
- Development of eco-compatible synthetic procedures for the synthesis of heterocyclic building blocks.
- Evaluation of the nutraceutical activity of food matrices.
- Development of new green and continuous flow methodologies for the preparation of compounds of biological interest.
2. Development of neuroprotective agents
- Design, synthesis and activity-structure relationships of new PARP inhibitors and scale-ups of key synthetic intermediates for the large-scale preparation of 'lead' candidates.
- Design and synthesis of new inhibitors of the ACMSD enzyme.
- Design and synthesis of new TNKS (tanchirase) enzyme inhibitors as modulators of the canonical Wnt pathway.
- Design and synthesis of new enzyme inhibitors involved in tryptophan catabolism as a target for the development of potential anticancer or neuroprotective agents
- Protein-protein interactions as new molecular targets involved in central nervous system tumors (eg MDMX, MDM2);
3. Characterization of the genomic and non-genomic signaling pathways of bile acids.
- Design and synthesis of non-steroidal modulators of DAF12 nuclear receptors.
- Design, synthesis, and study of activity-structure and property-structure relationships of new biliary structure FXR and TGR5 receptor modulators.
4. Design and synthesis of compounds with anti-HIV activity: CDK9 inhibitors and small molecules designed to interact in a powerful and selective way with TAR.
5. Design and synthesis of reverse transcriptase RNase H inhibitors
6. Design and synthesis of anti-flu compounds.
7. Design and synthesis of anti HCV compounds: IRES inhibitors (internal ribosome entry site)
8. Design and synthesis of HPV oncoprotein expression inhibitors.
9. NorA efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) capable of restoring the antibacterial activity of ciprofloxacin in resistant S. aureus strains;
10. Antivirals with anti-HIV or anti-HCV activity;
11. Activators of potassium channels with benzothiazine structure;
12. Inhibitors of polymerization of prion proteins.
-
General and Inorganic himica
- design and synthesis of functional inorganic-organic hybrid solids for applications in catalysis and energy.
- inorganic-organic phosphates and phosphonates of transition metals and lanthanides
- double lamellar hydroxides of the hydrotalcite type
- Functionalized nanostructured materials, obtained by intercalation or grafting reactions of chromophores, drugs, species of catalytic interest, species with magnetic properties
- Nanostructured composite materials. Zirconium phosphates and phosphonates and synthetic hydrotalcites exfoliated and modified with organic groups such as nanostructured polymer fillers to modify the chemical and mechanical properties of the polymers.
- Microporous and mesoporous materials with controlled porosity by selective adsorption of gas and specific molecules
- Proton conduction nanocomposite membranes for fuel cells with polymeric electrolyte
-
Organic chemistry
- Design and synthesis of heterocyclic compounds using selenium chemistry
- New domino processes starting from vinyl selenones.
- Synthetic processes for the production and analysis of molecules of biological interest.
- Asymmetric synthesis
Green Chemistry and catalysis:
- New seleniorganic reagents for reactions in unconventional media
- Bio-inspired oxidation reactions
- Development of new seleniorganic catalysts for homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis and their applications in flow systems.
- Organocatalysis and asymmetric catalysis
- Structural determination of complex systems through NMR spectroscopy:
- Creation of new synthetic methodologies for the conversion of functional groups
- Production and use of new selenoorganic intermediates in stereospecific cyclization reaction: formation of new carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds
- Synthesis of saturated heterocyclic derivatives of biological interest
- Synthesis of non-natural beta- and gamma-amino acids of biological interest and their use for the construction of oligopeptides with potential biological activity
- Use of high pressure Diels-Alder reactions for the environmentally friendly synthesis of bi-phenyl systems with potential biological activity
- Study and application of new catalytic systems and unconventional heating systems (Microwave and Q-Tube)
- Catalysis, Optimization of synthetic processes, catalysts supported on polystyrene matrices,
- Green chemistry in alternative reaction media.
- Isolation and structural determination of secondary metabolites.
- Study of signal molecules synthesized and emitted by plants as a consequence of environmental and biotic stimuli, as well as their possible use as resistance inducing molecules for plants attacked by pathogens;
- Identification of secondary metabolites and signal molecules involved in the defense mechanisms of plants following stress conditions;
- Study of usable natural molecules such as biopesticides and their environmental fate;
- Study of the main processes of biotic and abiotic transformation of pesticides, in particular of chiral pesticides, in different environmental matrices;
- Study of living systems (e.g. yeasts) capable of surviving in the presence of xenobiotics such as pesticides, and even more capable of biotransforming them into potentially less toxic molecules.
- Metabolomics studies applied to living systems subject to stress conditions;
- Studies of lipid components in composted materials as indicators of the process itself;
- Fate of xenobiotics in soil and other environmental compartments
- Characterization of the aromatic profiles of food matrices.
-
Physiology
- Molecular neurobiology: Differential gene expression in the Vertebrate and Invertebrate Nervous System after long-term learning or drug treatment.
- Effect of molecules of pharmacological interest on models of acute and chronic inflammation.
- Transcriptional and immunomorphological study following probiotic treatment.
- Scientific evidence induced by trigeminal stimulation: effects of the trigeminal-cardiac reflex (TCR) in the modulation of cardiac parameters
- Effects of TCR on myofascial pain
- Study of the TCR in subjects subjected to high intensity athletic activity.
-
Microbiology
- Study of microbial biodiversity at various taxonomic levels, description of new yeast species, selection of strains of agrifood, industrial or applicable interest in environmental biotechnology.
- Physiological-molecular analysis in various yeast species of the mechanisms inducible in the catabolism of carbohydrates, such as the Leloir cycle for galactose, the regulation of glucose transport and of the fermentation-respiration complex in positive and negative Crabtree.
- Development of molecular methodologies, definition of phylogenetic and taxonomic criteria for the optimization of the classification and identification at the species level and of the polyphasic characterization of the strains, micro-evolutionary analysis.
- Metabolomics FTIR used for the characterization of crops, and the level of stress induced by various chemical agents, development of a model of metabolomics analysis of stress to correlate the responses of yeasts with those of human cells, microbiological analysis of biostatic effects and biocides of new chemicals.
- Bioinformatics analysis in Q mode (taxa analysis) and R (evaluation of descriptors) for the optimization of the interpretation of biological data, through the development of algorithms and the development of specific software.
- Interaction of microorganisms and their antigens with the cells of the immune system, on virulence factors and the possibility of blocking their activity (inhibitors of biofilm formation and study of vaccines)
- Study of plant extracts capable of inhibiting the adhesion of microorganisms to epithelia and the formation of bacterial biofilms.
-
Food science
- Nutritional Epidemiology: evaluation of the state of nutrition (anthropometry, body composition, detection of habits and food consumption) of individuals / population groups to highlight states of malnutrition due to defect / excess and implement targeted treatment / prevention interventions.
- Nutritional quality of food: assessment of the nutritional profile in relation to the needs of the human body in order to better characterize and / or possibly "functionalize".
- Determination of the total antioxidant capacity of food and human plasma, with the ORAC method (Oxigen Radical Absorbance Capacity)
-
Pharmaceutical technology
- Use of inorganic matrices (montmorillonite, hydrotalcites, ordered mesoporous silicates) as carriers of biologically active molecules:
- Ordered mesoporous silicates (MCM-41, SBA-15) and anionic lamellar solids (hydrotalcites) to improve the biopharmaceutical characteristics of class II and class IV drugs of the biopharmaceutical classification system
- Use of inorganic matrices to improve the safety and efficacy of drugs, sunscreens and other cosmetic ingredients unstable in the light
- Inorganic materials as excipients of topical formulations both solid (powders) and semi-solid.
- Mucoadhesive preparations for vaginal and buccal release
- Dental materials with antibiofilm and / or antimicrobial activity
- Preparation of films as materials for advanced dressings with antimicrobial action
- Nanomaterials (silver nanoparticles) with biological application
- formulation and characterization of respirable systems for the pulmonary treatment of tuberculosis
- formulation and characterization of lipid, polymeric and metallic nanoparticles for targeting the central nervous system and for the study of toxicity on both bronchial and neuronal cell systems
- development of biomimetic systems for cell therapy
- Nanostructured compounds and related formulations suitable for modifying the biopharmaceutical properties and the stability of biologically active molecules.
- Dermatological and cosmetic formulations.
- Buccal and vaginal mucoadhesive formulations.
- Issues related to socio-economics, pharmaceutical legislation and regulatory aspects of the drug.
- Study and development of micro-, nanoparticular respirable formulations for pulmonary delivery of second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs.
- Nanocarriers for the delivery of drugs and cosmetic and dermo-cosmetic active ingredients.
- Gold nanoparticles for "theranostic" applications.
- Microencapsulation of probiotics.
- Polymeric microparticles for drug delivery.
- Development of lipid nanoparticles for the delivery of anticancer drugs to the central nervous system.
- Development of nanocarriers for the enhancement of thermoablative tumor therapy.
- Multi-compartment systems containing pancreatic islets for the treatment of type I diabetic patients
- Study of Sertoli cells for the treatment of tuberculosis and other infectious lung diseases.
- Nanostructured compounds and related formulations suitable for modifying the biopharmaceutical properties and the stability of biologically active molecules.
- Buccal and vaginal mucoadhesive formulations.
- Use of anionic lamellar inorganic solids, mesoporous silicates, phyllosilicates.
- Development of lipid nanoparticle formulations for dermal use.
- Pharmacoeconomics