Research Topics

Biochemical and immunologic characterization of bacterial proteins, their role in infective process and possible vaccinal use.
Molecular bases of diseases associated to aging and amyloidosis. Analysis of connective matrix in normal and pathological conditions; proteins of biomedical interest: functional and structural studies.
Generation and characterization of animal models of human diseases: basic to translational research.
Biochemistry of human erythrocyte; pathogenetic mechanisms of diseases related to protein-misfolding: disease biochemical markers.
Platelet biochemistry in thrombosis, hemostasis, cancer and degenerative disorders; characterization of platelet function from basic molecular mechanisms to complex functional responses.
Identification of new biomarkers in biological fluids from patients affected by severe lung disorders and rare neurodegenerative diseases; analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from Covid 19 and chronic airways disease patients to investigate the role of proteases and associated inhibitors in extracellular matrix degradation.
Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of amyloid fibrils formation in vivo and in experimental models of the disease. Investigation of structure, folding/misfolding dynamics of amyloidogenic proteins. Mechanism of toxicity of amyloid fibrils in vivo.

Projects

Amyloid diseases: from the molecular mechanism toward discovering  new therapies
Research group: Vittorio Bellotti, Patrizia Mangione, Sofia Giorgetti, Sara Raimondi, Loredana Marchese, Guglielmo Verona, Francesca Lavatelli

Biochemical analysis of secreted and surface proteins of Gram-positive bacteria in view of their use as components of effective vaccines
Research group: Giampiero Pietrocola

Generation and deep phenotyping of animal models for heritable skeletal diseases to shed light on bone and cartilage biology and find novel therapeutic approaches
Research group: Antonella Forlino, Antonio Rossi, Roberta Besio

Protein Biochemistry: functional and structural studies of proteins with pathological implications
Research group: Laurent Chiarelli

Proteomics/Metabolomics in the investigation of lung diseases and rare neurodegenerative disorders
Research group: Simona Viglio, Paolo Iadarola

Red blood cell biochemistry
Research group: Giampaolo Minetti, Annarita Ciana, Cesare Achilli

The molecular basis of blood platelets function in physiological and pathological conditions
Research group: Ilaria Canobbio, Gianni Guidetti, Mauro Torti