Researchers and technologists

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

Master degree 110/110 cum Laude in Chemistry at Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy in 1997 discussing the thesis: “Synthesis and reactivity of propinoylsilanes as versatiles building blocks to build complex and polyfunctionalized molecules”. PhD studies at the Università degli Studi della Basilicata working on the project: “Synthesis and applications of new optically pure atropisomeric compounds”, final discussion held on 28/02/2002. Formative working period during PhD studies at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, under the supervision of prof. B. L. Feringa. During the course of the thesis and PhD in chemistry, the use of various advanced organic synthesis techniques were acquired. Starting from 28/12/2001 employed as permanent researcher at CNR – Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Catania, Italy. The main skills acquired concern the field of Supramolecular and Macromolecular Chemistry: synthesis and reactivity of Calixarene Macrocycles and their applications in the biomedical field; preparation of functionalized polymeric cryogels and applications in the biomedical field for the removal of heparin from blood and derivatives; preparation of macroporous polymeric cryogels and applications in the field of environmental chemistry for the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants, in particular boron, arsenic and chromium from waste water.

Skills

Supramolecular chemistry


Molecular recognition


Calixarenes


Cryogels


Macroporous polymers

Publications

1. Van Delden, R. A.; Mecca, T.; Rosini, C.; Feringa, B. L. «A Chiroptical Molecular Switch with Distinct Chiral and Photochromic Entities and Its Application in Optical Switching of a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal», Chemistry, A European Journal, 2004, 10, 61.

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/148148878.pdf

2. Mecca, T.; Consoli, G. M. L.; Geraci, C.; La Spina, R.; Cunsolo, F. «Polycationic calix[8]arenes able to recognize and neutralize heparin», Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2006, 4, 3763.

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2006/ob/b608887b

3. Spina R.L.; Tripisciano C.; Mecca T.; Cunsolo, F.; Weber, V.; Mattiasson, B. «Chemically modified poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel for the adsorption of heparin», J. Biomed. Mater. Res. B, 2014, 102, 1207.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jbm.b.33104

4. Ussia, M.; Di Mauro, A.; Mecca, T.; Cunsolo, F.; Cerruti, P.; Nicotra, G.; Spinella, C.; Impellizzeri, G.; Privitera, V.; Carroccio, S. C. «ZnO-pHEMA nanocomposites: an eco-friendly and reusable material for water remediation», ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2018, 10, 40100.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.8b13029

5. Mecca, T.; Ussia, M.; Caretti, D.; Cunsolo, F.; Dattilo, S.; Scurti, S.; Privitera, V.; Carroccio, S. C.; «N-methyl-D-glucamine based cryogels as reusable sponges to enhance heavy metals removal from water», Chem. Eng. J. 2020, 399, 125753.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138589472031881

Contacts

   RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

   tommaso.mecca@cnr.it

   (+39) 095 7338334


ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6157-7442

Scopus Author ID: 6701751419

View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

Graduated in Food Science and Technology cum Laude at the University of Catania, PhD since 2004 in “Productivity of cultivated plants” at the same University. She trained and specialized by attending courses and internships at UK Leuven (Belgium). Winner of the scholarship L’oréal Italia for women and science (2005), she collaborated for several years on ongoing research at the ISAFOM Catania, where she became researcher (2011) and delegated of the Director for same location (2014-2020). Senior Researcher since 01/01/2021, since 02/10/2023 she has been working at the ICB Catania, in the “Natural Substances and Food Chemistry” research group.

She carried out teaching and training activities for young people in research, as a tutor and speaker for doctoral students (UniFG), and thesis students at the University of Catania and Palermo.

She currently participates in the projects:

-PNRR ONFOODS – 4 Food Quality and Nutrition are involved.

-ALIFUN Development of functional foods for the innovation of traditional Italian food products

-NUTRAGE Nutrition & Active Aging

-SIPROFF Innovative solutions for the production and valorisation of functional baked products.

She collaborates with (I) the University of Catania Di3A (II) the University of Palermo, STEBICEF, (III) the Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, (IV) the CREA of Acireale (CT) and Rome.

Skills Novel Foods
Mediterranean germplasm
Molecules recovery from agricultural wastes
Food fortification
Antioxidants
Fructans Publications

– Cardullo, N.; Muccilli, V.; Di Stefano, V.; Bonacci, S.; Sollima, L.; Melilli, M.G. (2022) Spaghetti Enriched with Inulin: Effect of Polymerization Degree on Quality Traits and α-Amylase Inhibition. Molecules, 27, 2482.

– Di Stefano, V., Pagliaro, A., Del Nobile, M.A., Conte, A., and Melilli, M.G. (2021). Lentil Fortified Spaghetti: Technological Properties and Nutritional Characterization. Foods 10.

– Garbetta, A., D’Antuono, I., Melilli, M.G., Sillitti, C., Linsalata, V., Scandurra, S., and Cardinali, A. (2020). Inulin enriched durum wheat spaghetti: Effect of polymerization degree on technological and nutritional characteristics. J. Funct. Foods 71, 104004.

– Melilli, M.G., Pagliaro, A., Scandurra, S., Gentile, C., and Di Stefano, V. (2020). Omega-3 rich foods: Durum wheat spaghetti fortified with Portulaca oleracea. Food Biosci. 37, 100730.

– Di Stefano, V., Pitonzo, R., Novara, M.E., Bongiorno, D., Indelicato, S., Gentile, C.,
Avellone, G., Bognanni, R., Scandurra, S., and Melilli, M.G. (2019). Antioxidant activity and phenolic composition in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genotypes from south Italy by UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS approach. J. Sci. Food Agric. 99, 1038–1045.

Contacts

  RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

   mariagrazia.melilli@cnr.it

  (+39) 095 7338318

ORCID: 0000-0003-3019-4654

Researcher-id https://biblioproxy.cnr.it:2301/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6506744352

View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography Skills

Diversità chimica


Ecologia chimica marina

Esopolisaccaridi

Biotrasformazioni

Invasioni biologiche

Biologia evoluzionistica

Saggi biologici.

Publications

• 1.    E Mollo, P Amodeo, MT Ghiselin. Can Intelligence Gradually Evolve in a Shell? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 2019, 34, 689-690, doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.014

  2.    E Mollo, MJ Garson, G Polese, P Amodeo, MT Ghiselin. Taste and smell in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Natural Product Reports 2017, 34, 496-513, doi: 10.1039/c7np00008a

  3.    G Giordano, M Carbone, ML Ciavatta, E Silvano, M Gavagnin, MJ Garson, KL Cheney, IW Mudianta, GF Russo, G Villani, L Magliozzi, G Polese, C Zidorn, A Cutignano, A Fontana, MT Ghiselin, E Mollo. Volatile secondary metabolites as aposematic olfactory signals and defensive weapons in aquatic environments. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2017, 114, 3451–3456, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1614655114

  4.    E Mollo, G Cimino, MT Ghiselin. Alien biomolecules: a new challenge for natural product chemists. Biological Invasions 2015, 17, 941–950, doi: 10.1007/s10530-014-0835-6

  5.    E Mollo, A Fontana, V Roussis, G Polese, P Amodeo, MT Ghiselin. Sensing marine biomolecules: smell, taste, and the evolutionary transition from aquatic to terrestrial life. Frontiers in Chemistry 2014, 2, 92, doi: 10.3389/fchem.2014.00092

  6.    M Carbone, M Gavagnin, M Haber, Y-W Guo, A Fontana, E Manzo, G Genta-Jouve, M Tsoukatou, WB Rudman, G Cimino, MT Ghiselin, E Mollo. Packaging and delivery of chemical weapons: a defensive trojan horse stratagem in chromodorid nudibranchs. PloS one 2013, 8, e62075, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062075

  7.    A Terlizzi, S Felline, MG Lionetto, R Caricato, V Perfetti , A Cutignano, E Mollo. Detrimental physiological effects of the invasive alga Caulerpa racemosa on the mediterranean white seabream Diplodus sargus. Aquatic Biology 2011, 12, 109–117, doi: 10.3354/ab00330

  8.    M Haber, S Cerfeda, M Carbone, G Calado, H Gaspar, R Neves, V Maharajan, G Cimino, M Gavagnin, MT Ghiselin, E Mollo. Coloration and defense in the nudibranch gastropod Hypselodoris fontandraui. The Biological Bulletin 2010, 218, 181-188, doi: 10.1086/BBLv218n2p181

  9.    E Mollo, M Gavagnin, M Carbone, F Castelluccio, F Pozone, V Roussis, J Templado, MT Ghiselin, G Cimino. Factors promoting marine invasions: a chemoecological approach. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2008, 105, 4582–4586, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0709355105

  10.    E Mollo, M Gavagnin, M Carbone, Y Guo, Guido Cimino. Chemical studies on Indopacific Ceratosoma nudibranchs illuminate the protective role of their dorsal horn. Chemoecology 2005, 15, 31-36, doi: 10.1007/s00049-005-0289-5

Contacts

   MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)

   ernesto.mollo@cnr.it

   (+39) 081 8675312

View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

After graduating in chemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II” (110/110 cum laude; supervisor Prof. Pier Andrea Temussi) he was “Postdoctoral research associate” at the NMR laboratory of prof. M. Llinás, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie – Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, USA. In January 1985, he became researcher at the Institute for the Chemistry of Molecules of Biological Interest (ICMIB), now Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB).

His scientific interests are:

Structure-activity relationship of proteins and peptides involved in pathologies:

1. Solution structure of proteins and peptides by multidimensional NMR spectroscopy.

2. Structure-activity relationship.

3. Development of pulse sequences for NMR experiments and software for data processing.

4. Conformational calculations.

5. Expression of recombinant proteins.

Phytotoxins for biocontrol in agriculture and as drugs:

1. Solution structure of natural products obtained from phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria by multidimensional NMR spectroscopy.

2. Structure-activity relationship.

Biomolecular markers in pathologies and in food quality control:

1. NMR spectroscopy of biological fluids and in-vivo cells.

3. Statistical analysis.

4. Systems biology.

5. Food quality control.

6. Protocols for food quality control.

Skills NMR spectroscopy
NMR-based metabolomics
Metabolic profiling
Pattern recognition
Principal component analysis
Systems biology
3D structure of proteins and peptides
Calcitonin
Structure-activity relationship Publications Contacts    MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)

   amotta@icb.cnr.it

   (+39) 081 8675228

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8643-658X View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

Edoardo Napoli, Ph.D. is a Staff Research Scientist of Italian National Research Council (C.N.R. – Italy). Prior to joining the ‘Natural substances and food chemistry’ team at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB-CNR), Dr. Napoli graduated summa cum laude in chemistry from the University of Catania (Italy). He continued his studies in Chemistry of natural compounds, earning his PhD at the same university in 2003. After several years in a multinational pharmaceutical company as Regulatory Affairs Manager, became a permanent research staff at ICB-CNR in 2008. He is also a biotechnologist, with a Bachelor’s degree achieved in 2014. His research activities are focused on natural products’ chemistry, phytochemistry, cosmetics, natural ingredients, flavors and fragrances and exploitation of agroindustrial wastes. At the moment, the pharmacological and biological activities of natural compounds and phytocomplexes from different origin has become the main topic of his research. He authored more than 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals, several scientific dissemination articles, and book chapters.

Skills Phytochemistry
HPLC
Natural compounds
Essential oils
Gas-cromatografia Publications

Constituents of grape pomace from the Sicilian cultivar ‘Nerello Mascalese’
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.02.022

 

Screening of the essential oil composition of wild Sicilian rosemary
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2010.04.001

Essential oils encapsulated in polymer-based nanocapsules as potential candidates for application in food preservation
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.06.140

Phytochemical profiles, phototoxic and antioxidant properties of eleven Hypericum species–A comparative study
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.05.003

New tricks for old guys: Recent developments in the chemistry, biochemistry, applications and exploitation of selected species from the Lamiaceae Family
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.201900677

Contacts

   RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

   edoardomarco.napoli@cnr.it

   (+39) 095 7338346

ORCID: 0000-0003-4281-3256

ResearcherID: K-8974-2019

Scopus identifier:
36973348300

View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

Nuzzo G. graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at the University of Naples in July 2008 with 110 cum laude, with an experimental thesis in organic chemistry. She holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Salerno, focusing her research activity on the exploration of the chemical diversity of marine organisms. After PhD, she continued the research activity of biomolecules from marine organisms, focusing in the study of lipids and structure characterization of marine metabolites by both Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry. She carried out research in various projects aimed mainly at identifying active molecules for health from marine sources. She is member of a Spin-Off BioSearch S.r.l. with the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, ICB-CNR Institute and Italbiotech (Non-profit organization), whose goal is the discover of new natural compounds from marine organisms for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical purposes. As main research of interest she is currently working on the development of a marine natural compounds’ library for drug discovery, upgraded chromatographic techniques used for the purification of biomolecules, spectroscopic and advanced spectrometers methods for the chemical characterization and stereochemistry determination of natural products.

Skills Marine natural products Drug disovery Medicinal chemistry Structure elucidation Qualitative and quantitative analysis of organic compounds Lipids Publications

1. Genoveffa Nuzzo, Carmela Gallo, Giuliana d’Ippolito, Emiliano Manzo, Nadia Ruocco, Ennio Russo, Ylenia Carotenuto, Maria Costantini, Valerio Zupo, Angela Sardo, Angelo Fontana. UPLC-MS/MS Identification of Sterol Sulfates in Marine Diatoms. Mar. Drugs 2019, 17, 10; doi:10.3390/md17010010. IF: 5.12;

2. Genoveffa Nuzzo, Bruno dA Gomes, Carmela Gallo, Pietro Amodeo, Clementina Sansone, Otilia DL Pessoa, Emiliano Manzo, Rosa Maria Vitale, Adrianna Ianora, Evelyne A Santos, Laticia V Costa-Lotufo, Angelo Fontana. Potent Cytotoxic Analogs of Amphidinolides from the Atlantic Octocoral Stragulum bicolor. Mar. Drugs 2019, 17, 58; doi:10.3390/md17010058. IF: 5.12;
3. Adele Cutignano, Genoveffa Nuzzo, Adrianna Ianora, Elvira Luongo, Giovanna Romano, Carmela Gallo, Clementina Sansone, Susanna Aprea, Francesca Mancini, Ugo D’Oro, Angelo Fontana. Development and Application of a Novel SPE-Method for Bioassay-Guided Fractionation of Marine Extracts. Mar. Drugs 2015, 13, 5736-5749. IF: 5.12;
4. Genoveffa Nuzzo, Carmela Gallo, Giuliana d’Ippolito, Adele Cutignano, Angela Sardo, Angelo Fontana. Composition and Quantitation of Microalgal Lipids by ERETIC 1H NMR Method. Mar. Drugs 2013, 11, 3742-3753. IF: 5.12;

5. Adele Cutignano, Genoveffa Nuzzo, Daniela D’Angelo, Eleonora Borbone, Alfredo Fusco, and Angelo Fontana. Mycalol: A Natural Lipid with Promising Cytotoxic Properties against Human Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Cells. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 9256 –9260. IF: 12.959.

Contacts    MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)    genoveffa.nuzzo@cnr.it    PEC: genoveffa.nuzzo@pec.it    (+39) 081-8675104/5181 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7065-2379 Researchgate View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

Degree in Chemistry and PhD in Biochemistry, Biology and Molecular Biotechnology from the University of Sassari.

National qualification to the practise of the profession of Chemist .

National Scientific Habilitation by the Italian Ministry of University Education (MIUR) for a Professor (Seconda Fascia) in S.C. 05/E3 – BIOCHIMICA CLINICA E BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE CLINICA.

Full Researcher at ICB-CNR (Institute of biomolecular chemistry)

His research activity concerning cancer genetics and in particular melanoma, breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

Technical skills: Experience on the main Molecular Biology techniques (PCR, RT-PCR, NGS Sequencing, DNA and RNA extraction from whole blood samples, and from tumor tissue. Experience in cell cultures. Experience on fixation and immunohistochemical labeling procedures with specific antibodies and the analysis of preparations under fluorescence microscopy.

Genetic database management.

He has been engaged as a participant in several research projects including:

Airc projct: Epigenetic modeling/remodeling of cancer metastases and tumor immune contexture to improve efficacy of immunotherapy;

Convention with con: Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) di Sassari: Analisi diagnostiche di mutazioni geniche su tessuti tumorali

Skills

Cancer genetic


Translational medicine


Molecular diagnostics

Publications

• Palmieri G, Paliogiannis P, Sini MC, Manca A, Palomba G, Doneddu V, Tanda F, Pascale MR, Cossu A. Long non-coding RNA CASC2 in human cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2017 Mar;111:31-38. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2017.01.003. Epub 2017 Jan 12. PMID: 28259293.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28259293/

• Palomba G, Doneddu V, Cossu A, Paliogiannis P, Manca A, Casula M, Colombino M, Lanzillo A, Defraia E, Pazzola A, Sanna G, Putzu C, Ortu S, Scartozzi M, Ionta MT, Baldino G, Sarobba G, Capelli F, Sedda T, Virdis L, Barca M, Gramignano G, Budroni M, Tanda F, Palmieri G. Prognostic impact of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations in primary colorectal carcinomas: a population-based study. J Transl Med. 2016 Oct 13;14(1):292. doi: 10.1186/s12967-016-1053-z. PMID: 27737711; PMCID: PMC5064898.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27737711/

• Palomba G, Atzori F, Budroni M, Ombra M, Cossu A, Sini M, Pusceddu V, Massidda B, Frau B, Notari F, Ionta M, Palmieri G. ERCC1 polymorphisms as prognostic markers in T4 breast cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. J Transl Med. 2014 Sep 25;12:272. doi: 10.1186/s12967-014-0272-4. PMID: 25253066; PMCID: PMC4177579.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25253066/

• Palomba G, Colombino M, Contu A, Massidda B, Baldino G, Pazzola A, Ionta M, Capelli F, Trova V, Sedda T, Sanna G, Tanda F, Budroni M; Sardinian Translational Oncology Group (STOG), Palmieri G, Cossu A, Contu M, Cuccu A, Farris A, Macciò A, Mameli G, Olmeo N, Ortu S, Petretto E, Pusceddu V, Virdis L. Prevalence of KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA somatic mutations in patients with colorectal carcinoma may vary in the same population: clues from Sardinia. J Transl Med. 2012 Aug 29;10:178. doi: 10.1186/1479-5876-10-178. PMID: 22931052; PMCID: PMC3480926.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22931052/

• Palomba G, Pisano M, Cossu A, Budroni M, Dedola MF, Farris A, Contu A, Baldinu P, Tanda F, Palmieri G. Spectrum and prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in Sardinian patients with breast carcinoma through hospital-based screening. Cancer. 2005 Sep 15;104(6):1172-9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.21298. PMID: 16047344.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16047344/

Contacts

  RESEARCH SITE OF SASSARI

  grazia.palomba@cnr.it

   grazia.palomba@cnr.it

  PEC: grazia.palomba@pec.chimici.it

   graziap68@yahoo.it

   (+39) 079
2841321 – Cell: 3496098903


ORCIDiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2945-0657

Web of Science Researcher ID: AAA-7461-2019

Scopus Author ID: 6602990597

View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

I have been working on NMR spectroscopy applied to metabolomics since 2004. I received the Graduation in Physics cum laude from the University of Napoli “Federico II” with the metabolomic study of the apoptotic process induced by ionizing radiation in human spheroids by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. During the PhD period, I worked on the development and implementation of new spectroscopic tools for high throughput analysis in metabolomic investigations. The research activity covered the recent NMR improvements by applying and developing new metabolomic strategies for biomarkers discovery, including NMR data handling, peaks quantification and fast data acquisition. I received the Ph.D in Chemistry from the University of Napoli “Federico II”. I worked on different metabolomics projects, optimizing the acquisition of high-resolution NMR experiments, the processing and the quantification of spectral data. In particular, I focused on the analysis and spectral assignments of metabolic profiles arising from different kinds of biological samples: microalgae and microorganisms, in vivo cells, cell and tissue extracts, biofluids (blood, urine, saliva, respiratory condensate). I gained deep experience in the field of multivariate statistical analysis and statistical models for data projection and prediction, dataset integration and network analysis applied in different biological, medical and clinical fields.

Skills

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy


Metabolomics


Biomarkers


Bioinformatics


Multivariate Data Analysis and Modeling


Data Integration


Network Analysis

Publications

• Di Costanzo, A#., Paris, D#*., Melck, D., Angiolillo, A., Corso, G., Maniscalco, M., Motta, A*. “Blood biomarkers indicate that the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease present overlapping molecular features”. Scientific Reports 2020, 10 (1), art. no. 15612

• Paris, D., Palomba, L., Mirra, V., Borrelli, M., Corcione, A., Santamaria, F., Maniscalco, M., Motta, A. “Nmr profiling of exhaled breath condensate defines different metabolic phenotypes of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020, 21 (22), art. no. 8600, pp. 1-23.

• Paris, D#., Maniscalco, M#., Motta, A. “Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics in respiratory medicine”. European Respiratory Journal 2018, 52 (4), art. no. 1801107

• Maniscalco, M.#, Paris, D#., Melck, D.J., Molino, A., Carone, M., Ruggeri, P., Caramori, G., Motta, A. “Differential diagnosis between newly diagnosed asthma and COPD using exhaled breath condensate metabolomics: A pilot study” European Respiratory Journal 2018, 51 (3), art. no. 1701825

• M Maniscalco#, D Paris#, D J Melck#, M D’Amato, A Zedda, M Sofia, C Stellato, A Motta. “Coexistence of Obesity and Asthma Determines a Distinct Respiratory Metabolic Phenotype”

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.08.038

Contacts

   MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)

   debora.paris@cnr.it

  PEC: debora.paris@pec.it

   (+39) 081 0818675329 – lab: 081 867 5226

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4526-8353

Publons View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

Angela Patti graduated with honors in Organic Chemistry at the University of Catania discussing a thesis on the aminoacidic composition of melanosomes from Rana esculenta L. and since 1988 has worked as researcher at the Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare (ICB) belonging to Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy.

She was a visiting researcher in the Keele University, Staffordshire UK (1997, COST D1/0002/94 fellowship) and in Ludwig Maximilians Universitat in Munich in the Prof. Paul Knochel laboratory (1999-2000) under the Short-term mobility and NATO-CNR Senior Fellowships Programmes.

Her first scientific activity was focused on the chemistry of natural compounds, then she turned to the use of lipases in organic solvents as selective biocatalysts for the preparation of several enantiopure compounds belonging to different structural classes. Part of her research has been spent in the study of asymmetric reduction of chiral and prochiral diketones with different procedures (oxazaborolidine/borane promoted reduction and ruthenium-catalysed transfer hydrogenation) to give the corresponding optically active diols and in the development of new ferrocenyl-based ligands as efficient catalysts in asymmetric synthesis.

She currently works with several research groups applying her skills in the synthesis of chiral and achiral ferrocene compounds, biocatalytic reactions for the preparation of optically active compounds, chiral chromatography and NMR spectroscopy.

Skills

Biocatalysis


Green Chemistry


Ferrocene
derivatives


Asymmetric synthesis


Chiral HPLC


NMR


Chiroptical spectroscopy


Drug stability

Publications

A) Patti, A. Green approaches to asymmetric catalytic synthesis

in Springer Briefs in Green Chemistry for Sustainability, DOI:10.1007/978-94-007-1454-0_1. Series Editor S.K. Sharma, Springer 2011

B) Sanfilippo, C.; Patti, A. Bioorg. Chem. 2021, 113, 105014

Biocatalytic regio- and stereoselective access to ω-3 endocannabinoid epoxides with peroxygenase from oat flour. DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105014

C) Saita, M. G.; Aleo, D.; Melilli, B.; Patti, A. Int. J. Pharm. 2019, 566, 674-679. DOI:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.06.025

Effect of cyclodextrin additives on azithromycin in aqueous solution and insight into the stabilization mechanism by sulfobutyl ether--cyclodextrin

D) Sanfilippo, C.; Paternò, A. A.; Patti, A. Mol. Catal. 2018, 449, 79-84

Resolution of racemic amines via lipase-catalyzed benzoylation: Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the pharmacologically active isomers of labetalol

E) Patti, A.; Pedotti, S. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2014,624-630. DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201301346

Synthesis of hybrid ferrocene-proline amides as active catalysts for asymmetric aldol reactions in water

Contacts

   RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

  angela.patti@cnr.it

  (+39) 095 7338328

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7564-0692

Scopus Editor Chiral Molecules View curriculum Scholar Google Editor for “Symmetry” Editor for “Journal of Chemistry”

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography Dr Sonia Pedotti has earned the chemistry degree graduating from the University of Catania on July 22nd 1994 (mark: 110/110 cum laude). Her final year project was an experimental thesis entitled “Molecular Recognition of Amino Acids by Copper(II) Complexes of 6A,6X-Diamino-6A,6X-dideoxy-β-cyclodextrin (X = B, C, D).”

After the degree, she experienced working at the University of Catania chemistry’s department for one year as the winner of the fellowship: her work was focused on synthesis and characterization of modified cyclodextrins.

On the year 1997 she started working on the research project “Use of Cyclodestrins as carriers to prodrugs’ synthesis” and on the year 2001 she obtained the PhD at the University of Catania. 

She was involved in the research activity concerning the synthesis of chiral molecules through biocatalytic process from June 2001 till September 2001. 

Since the 28th of December 2001, she is working as a permanent researcher at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (CNR) of Catania in the area of sustainable chemistry and optimization of novel ferrocenyl ligand for asymmetric catalysis. Synthesis, design and characterization of cyclodextrin conjugated to biomolecules developed from original structural units for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Skills Organic Synthesis
Asymmetric Catalysis
Green Chemistry
Sustainable Processes
Cyclodextrin
Biocatalysis
Ferrocenes Publications

1. Ferrocenes with simple chiral substituents: An in-depth theoretical and experimental VCD and ECD study. Patti A.; Pedotti S.;   Mazzeo G.; Longhi G.; Abbate S.; Paoloni L.;  Bloino J.; Rampino S.;    and  Barone V.; Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2019, 21(18), pp. 9419–9432. DOI: 10.1039/C9CP00437H

2. Synthesis of the ferrocenyl analogue of clotrimazole drug. Patti A.; Pedotti S.; Ussia M.; Barresi V.; Condorelli D.F.; Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 2017, 830, 56-61. DOI:10.1016/j.jorganchem.2016.12.009

3. Synthesis and physico-chemical characterization of a β-cyclodextrin conjugate for sustained release of Acyclovir. Pedotti S.; Pistarà V.; Cannavà C.; Puglisi G.; Ventura C.A.; Carbohydrate Polymers 2015, 131, 159-167. DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.05.071

4. Synthesis of hybrid ferrocene-proline amides as active catalysts for asymmetric aldol reactions in water. Angela Patti, Sonia Pedotti, European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2014, 3, 624-630. DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201301346

5. D’Antona N.; Morrone R.; Gambera G.; Pedotti S.; Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry 2016, 19, 4393-4399. Enantiorecognition of planar “metallocenic” chirality by a nitrile hydratase/amidase bienzymatic system. DOI: 10.1039/C6OB00689B

Contacts    RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

   sonia.pedotti@icb.cnr.it – sonia.pedotti@cnr.it

   (+39) 095 7338329

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7763-244X
Scopus Author ID: 6603661092 View curriculum

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contact Biography

Paola Peluso is Senior Researcher at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB) (Sassari, Italy), National Research Council (CNR), where she leads the Unit of Enantioselective Chromatography and Molecular Recognition. Her research activity concerns liquid-phase enantioseparations, computational and experimental identification and quantification of noncovalent interactions in LC. She is author of 82 papers in international journals (H-index 25), of two book chapters (“Fundamentals of enantioselective liquid chromatography” and “Application of enantioselective liquid chromatography”), included in Liquid Chromatography (Elsevier, 2023), and one chapter (“Application of molecular modeling to capillary electrophoresis enantioseparations promoted by cyclodextrin-based chiral selectors”) in Chiral Separations – Methods and Protocols, 4th ed. (Springer Nature, 2025). Invited speaker at international congresses and meeting, and Editorial Board Member of Electrophoresis (Wiley) and the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis Open (Elsevier). Principal Investigator of the Bilateral Project Italy-Georgia 2025-2026. In 2023, Dr. Peluso achieved the national scientific qualification as associate professor in the Italian higher education system for the disciplinary field 03/A1 Analytical and Physical Chemistry.

Skills Chimica analitica
Ciclodestrine
Enantioseparazione
Modellistica molecolare
Riconoscimento molecolare Publications

1. Peluso, P.; Dallocchio, R.; Dessì, A.; Salgado, A.; Chankvetadze, Scriba, G.K.E. Molecular modeling study to unravel complexation of daclatasvir and its enantiomer by β-cyclodextrins. Computational analysis using quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics, Carbohydrate Polymers 2024, 346, 122483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122483
2. Jorbenadze, S.; Sprega, G.; Chelidze, A.; Sechi, B.; Dallocchio, R.; Chankvetadze, B.; Di Marzo, V.; Villano, R.; Peluso, P. First separation of commendamide enantiomers, J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2025, 255, 116643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116643
3. Rurua, A.; Shanidze, M.; Tsetskhladze, N.; Salgado, A.; Peluso, P.; Dallocchio, R.; Scriba, G. K. E.; Malanga, M.; Beni, S.; Chankvetadze, B. Understanding the mechanisms of enantiomer binding and recognition with cyclodextrins by integrating capillary electrophoresis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and quantum mechanics, Carbohydrate Polymers 2025, 368, 124173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.124173
4. Kobidze, G.; Sprega, G.; Matsiashvili, T.; Lo Faro, F.; Basile, G.; Peluso, P.; Farkas, T.; Busardo, F.P.; Chankvetadze, B. Isotope-effects in high-performance liquid chromatography: First baseline separation of isotopomers on achiral and chiral columns, Analytical Chemistry 2025, 97, 17813-17824. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c03392
5. Sechi, B.; Dessì, A.; Dallocchio, R.; Jorbenadze, S.; Tchanturia, N.; Chankvetadze, B.; Cossu, S.; Matarashvili, I.; Mamane, V.; Peluso, P. Unravelling dispersion forces in liquid-phase enantioseparation. Part III: Interplay between dispersion, repulsion, and hydrophobic forces in the enantioseparation of planar chiral 3-substituted-1-iodoethynylferrocenes, Anal. Chim. Acta 2026, 1382, 344853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2025.344853

Contact

  RESEARCH SITE OF SASSARI

   paola.peluso@cnr.it

  PEC: pelusop@pec.it

  (+39) 079 2841218

ORCID: 0000-0003-3489-3428

Scopus Author ID: 57212581557

Google Scholar Electrophoresis Editorial Board View curriculum JPBA Open Editorial Board Researchgate

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative

Biography Skills Publications Contact Biography

Dr. Piscitelli graduated in Chemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II” in 2006 and in 2008 she completed her master’s degree in Chemical Sciences. She received a PhD in Neurobiology at the University of Insubria in Busto Arsizio (VA) in January 2013. She also completed hes post-doc at the ICB-CNR in 2013. Since 2016 she has been a permanent researcher in the group of Dr. Di Marzo Vincenzo, coordinator of the Endocannabinoid Research Group and Canada Excellence Research Chair in the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health at Laval University, Quebec City. She is also very active in scientific dissemination and outreach activities for schools and / or for the general public. In this regard, since 2017 she has been organizing theoretical-practical schools of mass spectrometry with the support of the Mass Spectrometry Division of the Italian Chemical Society (DSM-SCI). She is also a member of the IUPAC Subcommitee on Publications and of the Editorial Board.

Skills

Endocannabinoids


Lipidomics

Mass spectrometry

Neuroscience

Microbiome

Publications

1. Bisogno T., Lauritano A., Piscitelli F. The Endocannabinoid System: A Bridge between Alzheimer’s Disease and Gut Microbiota. Life 2021, 11(9), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11090934

2. Piscitelli F, Guida F, Luongo L, Iannotti FA, Boccella S, Verde R, Lauritano A, Imperatore R, Smoum R, Cristino L, Lichtman AH, Parker LA, Mechoulam R, Maione S, Di Marzo V. Protective Effects of N-Oleoylglycine in a Mouse Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2020;11(8):1117-1128. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00633.

3. Piscitelli F, Coccurello R, Totaro A, Leuti A, Giacovazzo G, Verde R, Rossi E, Podaliri Vulpiani M, Ferri N, Giacominelli Stuffler R, Di Marzo V, Oddi S, Bisogno T, Maccarrone M. Targeted lipidomics investigation of N‐acylethanolamines in a transgenic mouse model of AD: a longitudinal study. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology. 2019 121: 1900015. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.201900015

4. Donvito G, Piscitelli F, Muldoon P, Jackson A, Vitale RM, D’Aniello E, Giordano C, Ignatowska-Jankowska BM, Mustafa MA, Guida F, Petrie GN, Parker L, Smoum R, Sim-Selley L, Maione S, Lichtman AH, Damaj MI, Di Marzo V, Mechoulam R. N-Oleoyl-glycine reduces nicotine reward and withdrawal in mice. Neuropharmacology. 2019 148:320-331. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.020.

5. Piscitelli F, Pagano E, Lauritano A, Izzo AA, Di Marzo V. Development of a Rapid LC-MS/MS Method for the Quantification of Cannabidiol, Cannabidivarin, Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin, and Cannabigerol in Mouse Peripheral Tissues. Anal Chem. 2017;89(8):4749-4755. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b01094.

Contact

   MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)

     fabiana.piscitelli@cnr.it

  PEC: fabiana.piscitelli@pec.it

   (+39) 081 8675309

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9343-4622

Scopus Pubmed ResearchGate View curriculum MDPI - Editorial MDPI

ICB Director

Researchers and technologists

Technical and administrative