Research Topics

The biochemistry track includes a wide range of topics involving in vitro and in vivo models to tackle human health and disease.

Biochemical and structural analysis of bacterial proteins involved in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, with a focus on host–pathogen interactions, the identification of molecular mechanisms of disease, and the development of anti-virulence strategies including small molecule inhibitors.
Biochemical and molecular analysis of biological fluids from patients with chronic lung diseases to investigate protease activity, oxidative stress, and redox-dependent protein modifications involved in extracellular matrix degradation, and to develop novel therapeutic strategies targeting proteases and their inhibitors.
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.
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.
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.
Development and comprehensive characterization of cellular and animal models, including mouse and zebrafish systems, to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying human diseases. Particular emphasis will be placed on both rare and common skeletal disorders, bridging fundamental biological insights with translational applications. The program is designed to guide students through the full research pipeline, from basic science discoveries to preclinical validation, using integrated in vitro and in vivo approaches. Cutting-edge methodologies will be employed, combining traditional biochemical techniques with advanced imaging and molecular profiling tools. These include confocal microscopy for high-resolution cellular analysis, transcriptomic approaches for gene expression profiling, and detailed phenotyping using state-of-the-art imaging technologies such as MRI and micro-computed tomography (microCT).

Projects

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

Biochemical and structural analysis of bacterial proteins involved in pathogenesis, aimed at elucidating host-pathogen interactions and developing anti-virulence strategies as alternatives or complements to antibiotics
Research group: Giampiero Pietrocola

Biochemical foundations of disease modeling: from cellular systems to mouse and Zebrafish models in translational research
Research group: Antonella Forlino, Antonio Rossi, Roberta Besio, Francesca Tonelli, Chiara Paganini

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

Oxidative stress, redox regulation and therapeutic targeting of inflammation-related proteins in chronic lung diseases
Research group: Simona Viglio, Paolo Iadarola

Red blood cell biochemistry: role of lipid regulation in the life cycle of red blood cells in health and disease
Research group: Giampaolo Minetti, Annarita Ciana

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

Decoding the vascular mechanisms underlying blood-brain barrier formation and impairment
Research group: Monica Giannotta, Mauro Torti