Technological platforms and research infrastructures
The institute’s infrastructures are particularly suitable for the analysis of single metabolites (marker analysis) and molecular pools (metabolomics, glycomics and lipidomics), for the characterization of the molecular structure of new bioactive compounds, for the study of biological properties (cellular and enzymatic assays, ex vivo models, animal models) and the mechanism of action of bioactive compounds, the synthesis and functionalization of organic molecules, the study of the mechanism and kinetics of reactions of industrial interest. For the pharmaceutical sector, the activities dedicated to the analysis, synthesis and biological evaluation of small bioactive organic molecules are able to support studies of lead compounds and preclinical development of lipids, natural products, peptides and biomarkers for oncology, immunology and neuroscience. The Institute also makes available a collection of natural molecules and extracts and a database with information on molecules discovered, synthesized or characterized at our offices. In the biotechnology field, the Institute conducts research in the development and implementation of processes based on extremophilic and whole-cell enzymes for the biological mitigation of CO2 and for the production of hydrogen, food ingredients and functional and/or bioactive compounds from the conversion of natural matrices and residues agro-food.
The Institute has a proven experience in analyzing, preparing and evaluating the biological properties of small organic molecules. We invest time in the interpretation of complex spectral data to identify our compounds from natural sources, developing biological models to demonstrate their efficacy on health and understanding their biological role, implementing synthetic and biosynthetic pathways for their sustainable production. In line with these activities, the infrastructures of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry constitute an updated technological platform for the study of small molecules and/or biotechnological processes related to the production of functional molecules.
The Institute is further strengthening the possibility of supporting SMEs and large companies through the renewal of the large equipment present in the various offices in Pozzuoli, Sassari, Catania and Padua. This renewal is already underway thanks to the Infrastructure Program of the CNR and funding of competitive research projects and by virtue of the collaboration with the UMI agreement between CNR and the University of Laval (Canada) it can support studies on the microbiota from the analyses of chemical mediators to metagenomics approaches. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Bicocca University and the Federico II University of Naples, the ICB is handling the candidacy for the entry of the CNR into the European Infrastructure ESFRI EU-OPENSCREEN, providing services and skills as ASSAYS SUPPLIER. (molecular biologists, microbiologists, biochemists) and as a SUPPLIER OF MOLECULES (chemicals) for applied research and support to the European industry in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, agro-food and cosmetic fields.
The current research infrastructures of the ICB are organised in:
Automated platform
Automated platform properly suited for small molecules screening with immunomodulatory activity that relies on phenotypic assays using a range of cancer cells, reporter cells, humanized cells, primary nervous cells and immune system cells, animal models with invertebrates (zebrafish) and mammals, as well as on an instrument park for microscopy, fluorescence, mass imaging and mass cytometry.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Platform
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Platform gives its support for the molecular structure assessment, reaction dynamics and kinetics, purity of chemical compounds involved in many research areas developed in the insitute such as “Health and Life Sciences” (synthesis, molecules), “Green Chemistry – Bioeconomy” (new molecules, products and green processes) or as a technique of election for metabolic analysis for biomedical applications
Mass Spectrometry Platform
Mass Spectrometry Platform for Fatty Acid Analysis (FAME) by GCMS, accurate mass by ESI-MS; small organic molecules MS/MS, quantitative and quantitative analysis of phytocomplexes, lipid profiling, physiological lipidic mediator analysis, endocannabinoid profiling and endocannabinoid system related bioactive lipidic agents from biological matrices (tissues, cells, plasma), development of new extraction and quantification methodologies for the identification of new bioactive lipids in biological matrices (tissues, cells, plasma)
Medicinal chemistry platform
Medicinal chemistry platform includes the synthesis of natural compounds and/or structural analogues characterized by a wide variety of pharmacophores and a high degree of stereochemistry (?) for pharmacological optimization and development of molecules with increasingly promising properties. This platform includes the “scale-up” of the synthetic process which aims to achieve a protocol where is balanced the reasonable overall yield of the process to the compromise in terms of the quantities of used reagents, solvents, catalysts and evaluation of the opportune experimental conditions (temperature, pressure and reaction times). In this context parameters such as sustainability, process economy and costs estimation play a crucial role. Moreover, evaluation of the selected active compounds in terms of both optimization and stabilization into formulations are established by studying their supramolecular composition in aqueous environment, which is crucial to further steps toward preclinical and clinical trials
Platform for the development
of biotechnological processes by enzymatic catalysis.
Platform for the biological production
of hydrogen and the upgrading of CO2.
