International Doctorate in
Structural Biology
Past students
XXXVIII Cycle
Azzurra Costantino
Title: 19F in-cell NMR to investigate protein-ligand interactions in living human cells
Supervisor: Lucia Banci
co-supervisors: Vito Calderone and Enrico Luchinat
Francesco Currò
Title: Advanced structural and morphological characterization by NMR technologies of different bio-molecules and biotechnological systems
Supervisor: Marco Fragai
co-supervisors: Daniela Stranges (GSK) and Giacomo Parigi
Alessia De Santis
Title: Production of soluble proteins and metallo-proteins, potential pharmacological targets
Supervisor: Francesca Cantini
co-supervisors: Mario Piccioli and Simone Ciofi-Baffoni
Maria Anna Rodella
Title: NMR methods for structural biology: improved experiments and workflows
Supervisor: Roberta Pierattelli
co-supervisors: Rainer Kuemmerle (Bruker) and Isabella Felli
Martina Rosati
Title: Incorporation of natural and non-natural amino acids in human cells for advanced in-cell NMR labeling schemes
Supervisor: Lucia Banci
co-supervisors: Marco Fragai and Enrico Luchinat
Tessa Bolognesi
Title: Preparation and structural and dynamic characterization of biomolecules at the atomic level by means of cutting-edge biophysical and spectroscopic techniques for the study of biological processes at the molecular level
Supervisor: Roberta Pierattelli
co-supervisors: Isabella Felli and Marco Schiavina
XXXVII Cycle
Beatrice Bargagna
Title: Cellular processes for metal cofactors biogenesis and transport
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Letizia Fiorucci
Title: Field dependent effects in paramagnetic systems in theory and experiments
Tutor: Enrico Ravera, Co-tutor: Giacomo Parigi
Valentina Monaci
Title: Optimizing vaccine design for prevention of neonatal sepsis
Tutor: Francesca Micoli (GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health), Co-tutor: Francesca Cantini
Lorenzo Niccoli
Title: Dynamic Nuclear Polarization at variable temperature for high magnetic field solid state NMR spectroscopy applied to the study of advanced materials and biomolecules
Tutor: Moreno Lelli, Co-tutor: Anne Lesage (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France)
Francesca Sacco
Title: Development of new biophysical methodologies for the characterization of biologics under the Quality by Design paradigm
Tutor: Fabio Baroni (Merck Serono SpA), Co-tutor: Marco Fragai
Giulia Roxana Gheorghita
Title: Expression and biophysical characterization of Siglec proteins
Tutor: Tommaso Martelli (Giotto Biotech), Co-tutor: Marco Fragai
Luis David Padilla Cortés
Title: Biophysical characterization of Siglecs and Siglec-sialoglycans complexes
Tutor: Marco Fragai
Francesco Bruno (PON DM 1061/2021)
Title: Automatized quantitative NMR for industrial applications
Tutor: Enrico Ravera
Naomi Anna Consoli (PON DM 1061/2021)
Title: Study and characterization of innovative materials for hydrogen storage through solid-state NMR, relaxometry and para-hydrogen technique
Tutor: Moreno Lelli
XXXVI Cycle
Milana Bazayeva
Title: Molecular dynamics and computational biology studies of metalloproteins and their intermolecular interactions
Tutor: Antonio Rosato
Giulia Licciardi
Title: NMR relaxation of paramagnetic systems and biomolecules
Tutor: Giacomo Parigi
Bach Tung Lan Pham
Title: Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 proteins by in-cell NMR Spectroscopy
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Maria Salobehaj
Title: Development of strategies for the characterization of biologics
Tutor: Marco Fragai
XXXV Cycle
Francesca Di Cesare
TItle: Application of NMR-based metabolomics in biomedical researches
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Deborah Grifagni
TItle: Characterization of iron sulphur protein biogenesis by combining multiple structural techniques
Tutor: Francesca Cantini
Francesco Milanesi
TItle: Saccharidic epitopes of biological relevance: proteins binding and molecular recognition
Tutor: Oscar Francesconi
Anna Perez I Rafols
TItle: Expression of multi-domain RRMs for the characterization of protein dynamics by NMR
Tutor: Marco Fragai
Francesco Torricella
TItle: An Integrated EPR NMR approach to investigate HOX protein family
Tutor: Lucia Banci
XXXIV Cycle
Sara Matteucci
Production, structural and functional characterization of proteins involved in iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis and trafficking
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Domenico Rizzo
Expression of pharmaceutically relevant recombinant biomolecules for the development of NMR methodologies
Tutor: Marco Fragai
Giovanni Saudino
Protein expression and characterization for systems involved in the biogenesis of iron sulfur proteins
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Marco Schiavina
High-resolution tools to target intrinsically disordered proteins
Tutor: Roberta Pierattelli, Co-Tutor Isabella C. Felli
XXXIII Cycle
Matteo Cremonini
Segmental labelling approaches applied to NMR studies of multidomain proteins in vitro and in-cell
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Cristina Licari
1H-NMR-based metabolomic applications in life sciences research
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Nihar Ranjan Prusty
Processes of FeS biogenesis in the cytoplasm
Tutor: Lucia Banci
José Pedro Malanho da Silva
Ultra-high resolution structure determination of transition metal substituted human carbonic anhydrase 2-inhibitor complexes
Tutors: Claudio Luchinat (University of Florence), Maria dos Anjos Macedo (University of Lisbon)
Dafne Suraci
Functional and structural elucidation of the mitochondrial Fe/S protein network
Tutor: Lucia Banci
XXXII Cycle
Sara Bologna
Expression and characterization of human proteins involved in neurological disorders and enzymatic deficiencies
Tutor: Marco Fragai
Maria Grazia Murrali
Functional interaction studies of intrinsically disordered proteins
tutor: Roberta Pierattelli
Davide Sala
Application of molecular dynamics to the understanding of metal-binding macromolecules and their adducts
Tutor: Antonio Rosato
Valeria Putignano
Bioinformatics tools for metalloprotein analysis
Tutor: Claudia Andreini
XXXI Cycle
Giovanni Bellomo
Computational aspects of biomolecular NMR
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Federica Bianchi
Characterization of the human immune response after vaccination with Bexsero through structural and functional studies of human Fabs from a longitudinal memory B-cell repertoire
Tutor: Domenico Maione (GSK Vaccines srl), cotutor: Lucia Banci
Spyridon Gourdoupis
Molecular Aspects of Iron-Sulfur Protein Biogenesis
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Gaia Meoni
Application of magnetic resonance to metabolomics
tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Eriberto Noel Natali
Effects of antigen density on the protective immune response. A structural perspective
Tutor: Maria Scarselli (GSK Vaccines srl), co-tutor: Lucia Banci
Panagis Polykretis
Development and application of methods to investigate proteins in mammalian cells by NMR
Tutor: Lucia Banci
XXX Cycle
Eleonora Mercatelli
Development of novel sample preparation strategies for in-cell NMR
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Alessia Vignoli
Applications of Metabolomics in Biomedicine
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
XXIX Cycle
Witold Andrałojć
An integrated structural approach to flexible multidomain proteins
Tutor: Giacomo Parigi
Azzurra Carlon
Computational aspects of NMR for structural biology and metabolomics
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Silvia Ciambellotti
Expression and characterization of metalloproteins
Tutor: Paola Turano
Veronica Ghini
Metabolomics as a tool in biomedicine
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Alexandra Louka
Development of new protein tagging strategies to investigate protein function
Tutor: Marco Fragai
Veronica Nasta
Structural characterization of metalloproteins involved in iron-sulfur protein biogenesis
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Matilde Beltrandi (joint PhD program with Aix-Marseille Université, programme Vinci)
“Struttura in soluzione dei domini N-terminali intrinsecamente disordinati delle fosfoproteine dei virus Nipah e Hendra: descrizione atomistica di insiemi conformazionali”
French tutor: Sonia Longhi, Italian tutor: Roberta Pierattelli
XXVIII Cycle
Carmelo Fuccio
Development of new methods for the isotopic enrichment of proteins
Tutor: Marco Fragai
Alessandro Piai
New methods for the characterization of intrinsically disordered proteins by NMR spectroscopy
Tutor: Isabella Felli, co-tutor: Roberta Pierattelli
Claudio Santucci
Application of metabolomics to healthy and nutritional studies
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Erica Secci
New strategy of protein expression in mammalian cells for in-cell NMR
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Marcela Oliveira Nogueira
Expression, purification and NMR characterization of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) from viruses
Tutor: Isabella Felli, co-tutor: Roberta Pierattelli
XXVII Cycle
Tomas Hosek
Development of new NMR methods to study IDPs – Heteronuclear NMR
Tutor: Isabella Felli, co-tutor: Roberta Pierattelli
Magdalena Korsak
Improved methods for IDP expression and purification and NMR characterization
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat, co-tutor: Roberta Pierattelli
Yana Valasatava
Bioinformatics for metalloproteins
Tutor: Claudia Andreini
XXVI Cycle
Barbieri Letizia
Protein expression strategy for in-cell NMR
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Ferella Lucio
Advanced computational methods for NMR data analysis and interpretation
Tutor: Antonio Rosato
Lorenzini Serena
Bioinformatics in bioinorganic chemistry: construction of a public database to gather and organize knowledge on metalloproteins, and development of methodologies and software for their analysis.
Tutor: Claudia Andreini
Rinaldelli Mauro
Development of software tools for protein structural and dynamic characterization
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Calcada Eduardo
Flavours of Disorder: all the way to in-cell
Tutor: Roberta Pierattelli
XXV Cycle
Calugi Chiara
Development of peptidomimetics for the treatment of infectious diseases
Tutor: Marco Fragai, co-tutor: Antonio Guarna
Cerofolini Linda
Protein-protein interaction in extracellular medium
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Luchinat Enrico
In-cell NMR for structural and functional studies of proteins in their native environment
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Peruzzini Riccardo
The role of zinc in mitochondrial protein import and molecular mechanisms of its compartmentalization and detoxification
Tutor: Simone Ciofi Baffoni
Rosa Camilla
Labeling strategies for metalloprotein structural and functional characterization
Tutor: Paola Turano
Vasantha Kumar M.V.
Application and Development of NMR methodologies to study biomolecules
Tutor: Isabella C. Felli
XXIV Cycle
Blazevits Olga
Production and biochemical characterization of SOD1 and its mutated forms related to amyotrofic lateral sclerosis
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Cacciatore Stefano
NMR-Based metabolomics in tissues and biofluids
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Jaiswal Deepa
MITMET Project: Identification and Characterisation of the set of Mitochondrial Proteins that interact with Metal ions to understand the Trafficking pathway of Transition metal ions in Mitochondria.
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Mao Jiafei
Solid-State NMR Studies of Proteins and Metalloproteins
Tutor: Ivano Bertini -> Claudio Luchinat
McGreevy Kathleen
Exploiting bioinformatics methods for the study of metalloprotein systems
Tutor: Ivano Bertini -> Claudio Luchinat
Nagulapalli Malini
Mobility studies in protein systems
Tutor: Giacomo Parigi
Sharma Vaishali
Molecular mechanisms of iron-sulfur protein maturation
Tutor: Ivano Bertini -> Simone Ciofi-Baffoni
XXIII Cycle
Bernini Patrizia
Evaluation of the meaning of the NMR metabolic profiles in healthy and sick subjects
Tutor: Prof. Claudio Luchinat
Das Gupta Soumyasri
Structural characterization of calcium sensing proteins
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Decaria Leonardo
Bioinformatic tools for the study of metalloproteins
Tutor: Antonio Rosato
Gallo Angelo
Characterization of oxidative folding pathway in mitochondria from single structure to protein-protein interaction
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Hu Xiaoyu
NMR studies on the structure and dynamics of calcium proteins and their complexes
Tutor: Giacomo Parigi
Kozyreva Tatiana
Production, structural and functional characterization of the proteins involved in metal transfer and ox/redox reactions
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Mikolajczyk Maciej
Cloning, production and structural characterization of metal binding proteins
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Pavelkova Anna
Proteins and their interactions through NMR spectroscopy
Tutor: Isabella C. Felli
XXII Cycle
Borsi Valentina
Structural studies of S100 proteins and their partners
Tutor: Giacomo Parigi
Cefaro Chiara
Redox and copper pathways in the assembly of cytochrome c oxidase
Tutor: Simone Ciofi Baffoni
Dragonetti Sara
Structural characterization of relevant proteins for the development of new vaccines
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Dragoni Elisa
Synthesis of new potential drugs
Tutor: Cristina Nativi
Massagni Chiara
Expression and characterization of proteins involved in rare diseases
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Melikian Maxime
Structure and dynamics of matrix metalloproteinases
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Nepi Stefano
Metabolomic studies by NMR
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Sharma Shailesh
Bioinformatic studies of metalloproteins
Tutor: Antonio Rosato
XXI Cycle
Boca Mirela
Copper proteins and their mutations related to diseases
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Hadjiloi Theodoros
Metal cofactor insertion in cytochrome-c oxidase
Tutor: Simone Ciofi Baffoni
Jaiswal Rahul
Metalloproteins: Expression, structural characterization and interaction studies
Tutor: Marco Fragai
Mori Mattia
Drug Design procedures for the discovery of new protein-interacting compounds
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Nesi Antonella
Study of protein-protein interactions and their functional implications
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Talluri Eleonora
Developing drug design methodologies targeted to the family of metallophosphatases
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Yuan Jing
Bioinformatic tools for structural characterization of biomolecular systems
Tutor: Giacomo Parigi
XX Cycle
Bhaumik Anusarka
Studies of metalloproteins by liquid and solid state NMR
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Grassi Eva
Genomics and structural proteomics studies on metalloproteins
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Mastrobuoni Guido
Mass spectrometry as a tool in structural biology
Tutor: Gloriano Moneti
Saccenti Edoardo
Bioinformatic applications in pharmacogenomics: search of new proteic targets and functional analysis of validated targets polymorphisms
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Tenori Leonardo
Solution structure of protein complexes
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Vieru Miguela
The effect of point mutation on the protein structure and stability for the pathogenic SOD mutants involved in FALS
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Wang Shenlin
Structural genomic studies to unravel complex cellular processes
Tutor: Lucia Banci
XIX Cycle
Calamante Massimo
Development of inhibitors of biomolecules of pharmacological interest
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Mannino Claudia
Design and synthesis of new molecular scaffolds and their application as enzyme inhibitors
Tutor: Antonio Guarna
Martinelli Manuele
Copper Homeostasis: Genome analysis and characterization of involved proteins
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Yeo Kwon Joo
Production of stable recombinant human metalloproteinases for drug discovery
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
XVIII Cycle
Giachetti Andrea
Theoretical studies on biomolecular systems: characterization, mobility and interactions
Tutor: Ivano Bertini
Libralesso Elisa
hSOD fALS mutants: an insight into molecular mechanisms of aggregation
Tutor: Paola Turano
Vanarotti Murugendra
Structural biology of human zinc proteases involved in degenerative diseases
Tutor: Alessandro Quattrone
XVII Cycle
Del Bianco Cristina
Structural studies in solution of proteins involved in metal-storage, metal-delivery and metal activated-signaling
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Gupta Jogesh
High-throughput Expression and Structural/Functional Characterization of
Human Calcium Binding Proteins
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat
Kubicek Karel
Characterization of structure and dynamics of metal-binding proteins
Tutor: Lucia Banci
XVI Cycle
Balatri Erica
Expression and characterization of proteins involved in copper homeostasis
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Cantini Francesca
Insights on the cellular function of copper proteins through NMR structural studies
Tutor: Lucia Banci
Cavallaro Gabriele
Implementation and use of non-conventional restraints in NMR structure calculations of paramagnetic metalloproteins
Tutor: Claudio Luchinat.
Vasos Paul
Physical methods for the study of the structure and stability of proteins: applications to metalloproteins and development of new NMR approaches
Tutor: Ivano Bertini