This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Centro di Studio sui Biopolimeri (CSB) and the appointment of its first director, Prof. Mario Mammi. The event “50 Years of Biopolymers in Padua (1975–2025)” that will take place on 4 July in Padua, will open with the unveiling of a plaque in Mario Mammi’s honour.
The CSB arose from the merger of Section II of the Centro Nazionale di Strutturistica Chimica, which had been operating since 1954, and Section VIII of the Centro Nazionale di Chimica delle Macromolecole, which had been in existence since 1961, and was later named the Nucleo di Padova dell’Istituto di Chimica delle Macromolecole.
Mario Mammi initially directed the CSB from 1975 onwards, and his appointment was subsequently renewed until the CSB merger with the CNR Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry.
Mario Mammi was a key figure in the development of NMR spectroscopy in Padua. He began his career as a research assistant to Silvio Bezzi, the founder of the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Padua in the early 1950s.
In 1971, he was appointed Full Professor, and in 1975, he became Director of the CNR Centro di Studio sui Biopolimeri. This centre comprised research groups in protein crystallography, peptide and protein chemistry, and later, NMR spectroscopy.
Thanks to his efforts, the 400 MHz NMR spectrometer, the most advanced instrument in the Triveneto region at that time, was acquired with CNR funds in 1987, laying the foundation for the development of NMR spectroscopy in Padua. In 1996, the 600 MHz NMR spectrometer was acquired, and the Interdepartmental Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance was established. This laboratory was strongly desired by Mario Mammi and has since provided services to researchers in the Padua area for almost 30 years.
July 4th, 2025
Via Marzolo, 1 – Padova
