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Milena Casula is a researcher of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB) CNR, and she collaborates with the Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research, CNR. She received her Academic Degree in Biological Science at the University of Sassari in 1999 and her PhD Degree in Biochemistry, Biology and Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Sassari in 2008. She has extensive background in biological sciences combined with a strong practical work experience in basic research, mainly focused on oncology studies. She worked abroad at the Doctor Negrin University Hospital of Gran Canaria studying the role of Wnt/beta-catenin and Toll Like Receptors Signaling Pathways in the acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, testing new biological molecules on cell culture model for sepsis-related processes. She is the author of several scientific articles (Web of Science H-index: 20) and she is currently involved in the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using highly sensitive methods such as Next Generation Sequencing and Droplet Digital PCR.

Skills Molecular oncology
Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
Immunocytochemistry (ICC)
WesternBlottin
Next Generation Sequencing technology (IonTorrent, Illumina)
Manually designing of targeted NGS panels
Realtime PCR
Droplet Digital™ PCR (ddPCR™) Publications

1. Calabrò L, Rossi G, Morra A, Rosati C, Cutaia O, Daffinà MG, Altomonte M, Di Giacomo AM, Casula M, Fazio C, Palmieri G, Giannarelli D, Covre A, Maio M. Tremelimumab plus durvalumab retreatment and 4-year outcomes in patients with mesothelioma: a follow-up of the open label, non-randomised, phase 2 NIBIT-MESO-1 study. Lancet Respir Med. 2021 Sep;9(9):969-976. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00043-6. Epub 2021 Apr 9. PMID: 33844995.

2. Ottaviano M, Giunta EF, Rescigno P, Pereira Mestre R, Marandino L, Tortora M, Riccio V, Parola S, Casula M, Paliogiannis P, Cossu A, Vogl UM, Bosso D, Rosanova M, Mazzola B, Daniele B, Palmieri G, Palmieri G. The Enigmatic Role of TP53 in Germ Cell Tumours: Are We Missing Something? Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jul 2;22(13):7160. doi: 10.3390/ijms22137160. PMID: 34281219; PMCID: PMC8267694.

3. Palmieri G, Rozzo CM, Colombino M, Casula M, Sini MC, Manca A, Pisano M, Doneddu V, Paliogiannis P, Cossu A. Are Molecular Alterations Linked to Genetic Instability Worth to Be Included as Biomarkers for Directing or Excluding Melanoma Patients to Immunotherapy? Front Oncol. 2021 May 5; 11:666624. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.666624. PMID: 34026645; PMCID: PMC8132875.

4. Vanni I, Casula M, Pastorino L, Manca A, Dalmasso B, Andreotti V, Pisano M, Colombino M; Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) Study Group, Pfeffer U, Tanda ET, Rozzo C, Paliogiannis P, Cossu A, Ghiorzo P, Palmieri G; Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI). Quality assessment of a clinical next-generation sequencing melanoma panel within the Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI). Diagn Pathol. 2020 Dec 14;15(1):143. doi: 10.1186/s13000-020-01052-5. PMID: 33317587; PMCID: PMC7737361.

5. Casula M, Paliogiannis P, Ayala F, De Giorgi V, Stanganelli I, Mandalà M, Colombino M, Manca A, Sini MC, Caracò C, Ascierto PA, Satta RR; Melanoma Unit of Sassari (MUS), Lissia A, Cossu A, Palmieri G; Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI). Germline and somatic mutations in patients with multiple primary melanomas: a next generation sequencing study. BMC Cancer. 2019 Aug 5;19(1):772. doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5984-7. PMID: 31382929; PMCID: PMC6683413.

Contacts   RESEARCH SITE OF SASSARI

   milena.casula@cnr.it – casulam@yahoo.it

   PEC: casulam@pec.it

  Cell (+39) 3421596475

Skype ID: milena. casula73
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5079-9864
Web of Science Researcher ID: AAA-7461-2019
Scopus Author ID: 7003794527 View curriculum

ICB Director

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Biografia Competenze Pubblicazioni Contatti Biografia

Fabrizio Chiodo studies carbohydrate-mediated immunological responses mostly in the context of conjugate-vaccines and host-pathogen interactions. He defended his PhD in 2013 in Spain (Applied Chemistry, working on synthetic vaccines and nanotechnology applied to vaccinology), and in 2014 he obtained a personal grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research working at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry and Leiden University Medical Center. He initiated and strengthened International collaborations in the field of vaccinology especially with the Finlay Institute in Havana (Cuba), where he is appointed as Invited Lecturer at the Faculty of Chemistry. In 2018 he was awarded with a personal grant from the Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute working independently at the Y. van Kooyk group. From October 2020 he is a Research Assistant Professor at the Italian National Research Council (CNR) working at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Naples, keeping his affiliation and position also in Amsterdam.

Competenze GlycoScience
GlycoImmunology
Carbohydrate-mediated interactions
Conjugate-vaccines
Innate responses Pubblicazioni

SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine induces a strong neutralizing immunity in preclinical studies. Y. Valdes-Balbin, D.Santana-Mederos, L. Quintero, S. Fernandez, L. Rodriguez, B. Sanchez-Ramirez, R. Perez, […], F. Chiodo, F. Paquet, G. Chen, D. G Rivera, D. Garcia-Rivera, V. Verez-Bencomo. 2021, ACS Chemical Biology, 16, 7, 1223–1233

Q. Zhu, Z. Shen, F. Chiodo, S. Nicolardi, A. Molinaro, A. Silipo, B. Yu. Chemical synthesis of glycans up to a 128-mer relevant to the O-antigen of Bacteroides vulgatus. 2020, Nature Communications, 11, 4142

Q. Zhang, A. Gimeno, D. Santana, Z. Wang, Y. Valdes-Balbin, L. Rodriguez-Noda, T. Hansen, L. Kong, M. Shen, H. Overkleeft, V. Verez-Bencomo, G. van der Marel, J. Jiménez-Barbero, F. Chiodo, J. Codée. Synthetic, zwitterionic Sp1-oligosaccharides adopt a helical structure crucial for antibody interaction. 2019, ACS Central Science, 5, 1407-1416

S. Nicolardi, Y. van der Burgt, M. Wuhrer, J. Codee. C. H. Hokke, F. Chiodo. Structural characterization of bio-functionalized gold nanoparticles by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry. 2017, ACS Nano, 11, 8257-8264

M. Marradi, F. Chiodo, I. García, S. Penadés. Glyconanoparticles as multifunctional and multimodal carbohydrate systems. 2013, Chemical Society Reviews, 42, 4728-4745

Contatti    MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)    f.chiodo@icb.cnr.it

   f.chiodo@amsterdamumc.nl

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3619-9982 Web of science Scholar View curriculum Finlay Institute Amsterdam UMC

Direttore ICB

Ricercatori e tecnologi

Tecnici e amministrativi

Biography Skills Publications Contact Biography Skills Publications Contact   MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)

 lciavatta@icb.cnr.it

  (+39) 081 8675243 View curriculum

ICB Director

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Dr. MariaColombinograduated in Molecular Biology and obtained the PhD in Biochemistry, Biology and Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Sassari, Italy. She worked as Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Laboratory of Genetics at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is Research’sCNR (National Research Council) of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB)butactually she is affiliateof the Sassari Branch ofthe Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB). Her research activity is correlate to the identification and characterization of somatic and germline alterations in candidate genes involved in susceptibility to neoplasm and/or in tumorigenesis with particular focus in Malignant Melanoma and Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. Dr. Colombinois author of more than 42peer-reviewed publications (Scopus H-index: 20, WoS H-index: 19) and several book chapters. She has been invited as Speakerin more than 10Congresses in past ten years

Skills Cancer Biomarker
Cancer genetic Melanom
Molecular Biology
Translational Medicine
Next Generation Sequencing
Real Time PCR
Pyrosequencing Publications

Genetic Instability Markers in Cancer. Palmieri G, Casula M, Manca A, Palomba G, Sini MC, Doneddu V, Cossu A, Colombino M.Methods Mol Biol. 2020;2055:133-154. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9773-2_6. PMID: 31502150 

Comparison of BRAF Mutation Screening Strategies in a Large Real-Life Series of Advanced Melanoma Patients. Colombino M, Rozzo C, Paliogiannis P, Casula M, Manca A, Doneddu V, Fedeli MA, Sini MC, Palomba G, Pisano M, Ascierto PA, Caracò C, Lissia A, Cossu A, Palmieri G. J Clin Med. 2020 Jul 30;9(8):2430. doi: 10.3390/jcm9082430. PMID: 32751423

EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, ALK, and cMET genetic alterations in 1440 Sardinian patients with lung adenocarcinoma.Colombino M, Paliogiannis P, Cossu A, Santeufemia DA; Sardinian Lung Cancer (SLC) Study Group, Sini MC, Casula M, Palomba G, Manca A, Pisano M, Doneddu V, Palmieri G. BMC Pulm Med. 2019 Nov 11;19(1):209. doi: 10.1186/s12890-019-0964-x. PMID: 31711449

Molecular Pathways in Melanomagenesis: What We Learned from Next-Generation Sequencing Approaches. Palmieri G, Colombino M, Casula M, Manca A, Mandalà M, Cossu A; Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI). Curr Oncol Rep. 2018 Sep 14;20(11):86. doi: 10.1007/s11912-018-0733-7. PMID: 30218391

BRAF/NRAS mutation frequencies among primary tumors and metastases in patients with melanoma. Colombino M, Capone M, Lissia A, Cossu A, Rubino C, De Giorgi V, Massi D, Fonsatti E, StaibanoS, Nappi O, Pagani E, Casula M, Manca A, Sini M, Franco R, Botti G, Caracò C, Mozzillo N, Ascierto PA, Palmieri G. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Jul 10;30(20):2522-9.doi: 10.1200/JCO.2011.41.2452. PMID: 22614978

Contacts   RESEARCH SITE OF SASSARI

   m.colombino@icb.cnr.it – colombinom@yahoo.it

  PEC: colombinom@pec.it



Scopus Author Identifier: 6602522509
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8051-3356
Web of Science ResearcherID: AAX-7371-2020 View curriculum

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Grazia Maria Letizia Consoli graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Catania in 1989 with 110 cum laude. He holds a Specialization in Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry at the University of Catania. He has carried out research activities at the Institute for the Study of Natural Substances of Food and Chemical-Pharmaceutical Interest (scholarships funded by MIUR). Since 1999 she has been a researcher at the CNR Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry. In 2004 she was visiting researcher at the University of Konstanz (Germany). He deals with organic synthesis, structural characterization and supramolecular chemistry aimed at drug discovery and drug delivery.

Skills Organic synthesis
Structural characterization
Supramolecular chemistry
Host-guest chemistry
Multivalent compounds
Nanostructured systems
Drug discovery
Drug delivery
Antimicrobials
Anticancers Publications Contacts   RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

   grazia.consoli@icb.cnr.it

  (+39) 095 7338319

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9608-5138
Researcher ID: AAY-9836-2021 Scopus Webofscience Scholar View curriculum

ICB Director

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Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography Skills Publications Contacts   RESEARCH SITE OF SASSARI

   nicola.culeddu@icb.cnr.it

  (+39) 079 2841211 View curriculum

ICB Director

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Biography Skills Interest Publications Contact Biography Skills Interest Publications Contact     Main office in Pozzuoli (NA)    luigia.cristino@icb.cnr.it    (+39) 081 8675134 View curriculum

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In 1983 she graduated in Chemistry cum laude from the University of Catania discussing a thesis entitled: “Oxoalgerienol and oxoalgeriendiol: two new metabolites from the brown alga Cystoseira Algeriensis”.

From September 1986 to November 1988 she had two scholarships from the CNR and in December 1988 she started as a permanent researcher at the ISSN-CNR in Catania.

In the period August 2001-April 2002, thanks to the short term mobility program and CNR-NATO Senior Grant, she attended the chemistry laboratory directed by Prof. AD Hamilton at Yale University, collaborating on the synthesis of new surface receptors for biomacromolecules.

The activity, started in the field of natural molecules with the isolation and structural characterization of secondary metabolites, turned to the study and possible applications in the bioorganic field of supramolecular chemistry, with particular attention to the synthesis and conformational pre-organization of calixarene macrocycles.

She has been involved in many research projects and has carried out several teaching and tutoring activities.

Now she is currently involved in the design and synthesis of macroporous polymeric materials and their applications in the biomedical and environmental fields.

Skills Supramolecular Chemistry
Calixarenes
Molecular Recognition
Polyelectrolites
Hydrogel
Macroporous polymers
Cryogel Publications

1) T. Mecca et al. N-methyl-D-glucamine based cryogels as reusable sponges to enhance heavy metals removal from water; Chemical Engineering Journal 399, 125753 (2020)

2) M. Ussia et al. ZnO–pHEMA Nanocomposites: An Ecofriendly and Reusable Material for Water Remediation; ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 10, 46, 40100 (2018)

3) G. Granata et al. Potential Eye Drop Based on a Calix[4]arene Nanoassembly for Curcumin Delivery: Enhanced Drug Solubility, Stability, and Anti-Inflammatory Effect; Mol. Pharmaceutics, 14, 1610 (2017)

4) R. La Spina et al. Chemically modified poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel for the adsorption of heparin; J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Part B, 102, 1207 (2014)

5) T. Mecca et al. Novel pH responsive calix[8]arene hydrogelators: self-organization processes at a nanometric scale; Chem. Commun., 49, 2530 (2013)

Contacts    RESEARCH SITE OF CATANIA

   francesca.cunsolo@icb.cnr.it

   (+39) 095 7338333 – Cell: (+39) 3478071418

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6766-8174

Scopus Author ID: 6602806308 Scholar View curriculum

ICB Director

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Head of the research site of Catania

Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography

He graduated in Chemistry (Organic-Biologic specialization) at the University of Catania in 1997. Since 1997 to 2007 he has worked as postdoc at the ISSN-CNR, lately known as ICB-CNR. In 2004 he was Visiting Researcher at the “Institut für Bioverfahrenstechnik” – University of Stuttgart, Germany – in the group of Prof. C. Syldatk. Since 2008 he is researcher at Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ICB-CNR), and since 2017 he is Head of Catania branch of ICB-CNR.

His scientific activity has been according to some macro topics characterized by an high grade of multidisciplinarity and more specifically focused on:

• Chemistry of natural compounds.

• Enzymatic biocatalysis and organometallic catalysis.

• Organic “green” synthesis.

• Valorization of biomasses.

Skills Biocatalysis
Organic synthesis
Chiral resolution
Lipases
Nitrilases
Green chemistry
Valorisation of waste biomasses
Sustainable Processes Publications

1. Di Mauro M.D.; Fava G.; Spampinato M.; Aleo D.; Melilli B.; Saita M.G.; Centonze G.; Maggiore R.; D’Antona N. Polyphenolic Fraction from Olive Mill Wastewater: Scale-Up and in Vitro Studies for Ophthalmic Nutraceutical Applications. Antioxidants (2019), 8(10), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8100462.

2. Colombo, A.; Schievano, A.; Trasatti, S.P.; Morrone, R.; D’Antona, N.; Cristiani, P. “Signal trends of microbial fuel cells fed with different food-industry residues.” Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2017, 42, 1841-1852.

3. D’Antona, N.; Morrone, R.; Gambera, G.; Pedotti, S. “Enantiorecognition of planar “metallocenic” chirality by a nitrile hydratase/amidase bienzymatic system.” Org. Biomol. Chem. 2016, 14, 4393-4399.

4. D’Antona, N.; Morrone, R.; Nicolosi, G.; Pedotti, S. Novel enzymatic recognition of the ferrocene framework: nitrile hydratase/amidase catalyzed cascade biotransformations. RSC Adv (2013), 3, 11456-11458.

5. Morrone, R.; D’Antona, N.; Biondi, D.; Lambusta, D.; Nicolosi, G. “Preparation of n3-PUFAs ethyl esters by an efficient biocatalyzed solvent-free process.” Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic 2012, 84, 173-176.

Contacts   RESEARCH SITE OF SASSARI

   nicola.dantona@icb.cnr.it

  PEC: nicola.dantona@pec.it

   (+39) 095 7338342

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1711-8262 View curriculum

ICB Director

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Adele Cutignano graduated summa cum laude in 1993 in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Naples Federico II, where she also obtained her PhD in Agricultural Chemistry in 1997; in 1999 she got the Specialization in Hospital Pharmacy at University of Salerno with highest marks and honors. From 1997 to 2001 she obtained Post-doc and Research Assistant positions at University of Salerno. In 2001 she obtained a permanent position as Researcher at CNR- ICB where she currently is Senior Researcher since 2020.

Skills Natural product chemistry Drug discovery Secondary metabolites biosynthesis Mass spectrometry methodologies Lipidomics Publications

1. A. Cutignano*, G Mamone, F Boscaino, A Ceriotti, M Maccaferri, G. Picariello. “Monitoring changes of lipid composition in durum wheat during grain development”, J. Cereal Sci. 2021, 97, 103131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2020.103131

2. R. Sacchi, A. Cutignano, G. Picariello, A. Paduano, A. Genovese, F. Siano, G. Nuzzo, S. Caira, C. Lubritto, P. Ricci, A. D’Auria, G. Di Pasquale, A. Motta, F. Addeo. “Olive oil from the 79 A.D. Vesuvius eruption stored at the Naples National Archaeological Museum (Italy)” NPJ Food of Science, 2020, 4, 19. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-020-00077-w

3. I. Ben Haj Yahia, Y. Zaouali, M. L. Ciavatta, A. Ligresti, R. Jaouadi, M. Boussaid and A. Cutignano* “Polyphenolic Profiling, Quantitative Assessment and Biological Activities of Tunisian Native Mentha rotundifolia (L.) Huds.” Molecules, 2019, 24, 2351. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24132351

4. E. Manzo, C. Gallo, R. Sartorius, G. Nuzzo, A. Sardo, P. De Berardinis, A. Fontana, A. Cutignano* “Immunostimulatory Phosphatidylmonogalactosyldiacylglycerols (PGDG) from the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii: inspiration for a novel synthetic TLR-4 agonist” Mar. Drugs, 2019, 17, 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17020103

5. A. Cutignano*; E. Luongo; G. Nuzzo; D. Pagano; E. Manzo; A. Sardo; A. Fontana. “Profiling of complex lipids in marine microalgae by UHPLC/tandem mass spectrometry”, Algal Res., 2016, 17, 348-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2016.05.016

Contact    MAIN RESEARCH SITE, POZZUOLI (NA)    acutignano@icb.cnr.it    PEC: adele.cutignano@pec.it    (+39) 8675313/5185/5239 Scholar Google ResearchGate Profile View curriculum Editorial Board Member - Marine Drugs Orcid Publons Editorial Board Member - Phycology Review Editor Partner Biosearch

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ICB Director

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Biography Skills Publications Contacts Biography Skills Publications Contacts   RESEARCH SITE OF SASSARI

   a.dettori@icb.cnr.it

  (+39) 079 2841224 View curriculum

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