A5077027837- Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials
- Spectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical Research
- Topological Materials and Phenomena
- Particle Accelerators and Free-Electron Lasers
- Gyrotron and Vacuum Electronics Research
- Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
- Particle accelerators and beam dynamics
- Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Proteins in Food Systems
- Molecular spectroscopy and chirality
- Spectroscopy and Chemometric Analyses
- Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
- Chemical Synthesis and Analysis
- Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research
- Photonic and Optical Devices
- Molecular Biology Techniques and Applications
- Enzyme Structure and Function
- Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
- thermodynamics and calorimetric analyses
- Boron and Carbon Nanomaterials Research
- Advanced X-ray Imaging Techniques
- 2D Materials and Applications
Vitenparken
2023-2025
AREA Science Park
2011-2024
Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
2010-2024
Istituto Officina dei Materiali
2019-2024
University of Palermo
2012-2018
University of Trieste
2010-2017
Sapienza University of Rome
2017
Saitama University
2012
The manipulation of carbon nitride (CN) structures is one main avenue to enhance the activity CN-based photocatalysts. Increasing efficiency photocatalytic heterogeneous materials a critical step toward realistic implementation sustainable schemes for organic synthesis. However, limited knowledge structure/activity relationship in relation subtle structural variations prevents fully rational design new materials, limiting practical applications. Here, CN structure engineered by means...
The divergent supramolecular behavior of a series tripeptide stereoisomers was elucidated through spectroscopic, microscopic, crystallographic, and computational techniques. Only two epimers were able to effectively self-organize into amphipathic structures, leading hydrogels or crystals, respectively. Despite the similarity between peptides' turn conformations, stereoconfiguration led different abilities engage in intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Self-assembly further shifted pKa value...
Accumulating evidence indicates that RNA metabolism components assemble into supramolecular cellular structures to mediate functional compartmentalization within the cytoplasmic membrane of bacterial cell. This could play important roles in processes degradation and maturation. These include Hfq, chaperone protein, which is involved post-transcriptional control protein synthesis mainly by virtue its interactions with several small regulatory ncRNAs (sRNA). The Escherichia coli Hfq...
Supramolecular hydrogels composed of self-assembling short peptides are gaining momentum for enzyme mimicry. In particular, multicomponent systems that feature similar with a motif (e.g., Phe-Phe) and catalytic residues His, Asp) offer convenient approach to organize in space functional typically occur at enzymatic active sites. However, characterisation these systems, especially understanding whether the different co-assemble or self-sort, is not trivial. this work, we study two-component...
Herein, we propose eco-friendly electrolytes based on sodium chloride as a hydrogen bond acceptor and glycerol donor, alternatives to toxic, flammable unsustainable commonly...
Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate different conformational states of bovine pancreatic insulin: the native form and several structurally modified with extent denaturation induced by thermo‐chemical treatment applying very high pressure (up 8 GPa) using a diamond anvil cell. High‐pressure results confirm peculiar strength volume compression insulin largely extend range its structural stability (0–4.2 GPa). Above 4.2 GPa, undergoes an irreversible transition that, once is...
Light can be strongly confined in subwavelength spatial regions through the interaction with plasmons, collective electronic modes appearing metals and semiconductors. This confinement, which is particularly important terahertz spectral region, amplifies light-matter provides a powerful mechanism for efficiently generating nonlinear optical phenomena. These effects are relevant graphene topological insulators, where massless Dirac fermions show naturally behavior range. The strong scenario...
Ultrafast optical-domain spectroscopies allow to monitor in real time the motion of nuclei molecules. Achieving element-selectivity had await advent resolved X-ray spectroscopy, which is now commonly carried at free electron lasers. However, detecting light element that are encountered organic molecules, remained elusive due need work under vacuum. Here, we present an impulsive stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS) pump/carbon K-edge absorption probe investigation, allowed observation...
Knowledge about pancreatic cancer (PC) biology has been growing rapidly in recent decades. Nevertheless, the survival of PC patients not greatly improved. The development a novel methodology suitable for deep investigation nature tumors is great importance. Molecular imaging techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman hyperspectral mapping (RHM) combined with advanced multivariate data analysis, were useful studying biochemical composition tissue.Here, we...
Protein self-assembly into amyloid fibrils or highly hierarchical superstructures is closely linked to neurodegenerative pathologies as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Moreover, protein assemblies also emerged building blocks for bioinspired nanostructured materials. In both the above mentioned fields, main challenge control growth properties of final structure. This relies on a more fundamental understanding how interactions between proteins can determine structures functions...
SISSI-Bio is the Chemical and Life Sciences branch of infrared beamline SISSI (Synchrotron Infrared Source for Spectroscopy Imaging) at Elettra-Sincrotrone, Trieste, Italy. The laboratory has always been kept up-to-date with latest equipment Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) analysis currently hosts three endstations: one spectroscopy, microscopy nanospectroscopy. Although synchrotron radiation allows measurements diffraction limit over full IR spectral range, all end stations can...
We demonstrate that emission of coherent transition radiation by a ∼1 GeV energy-electron beam passing through an Al foil is enhanced in intensity and extended frequency spectral range, the energy correlation established along synchrotron wakefield, presence proper electron optics delivery system. Analytical numerical models, based on experimental parameters collected at FERMI free laser (FEL), predict with two peaks ∼0.3 THz ∼1.5 THz, extending up to 8.5 above 20 dB w.r.t. main peak. Up...
De novo designed protein supramolecular structures are nowadays attracting much interest as highly performing biomaterials. While a clear advantage is provided by the intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability of peptide building blocks, developing sustainable green bottom up approaches for finely tuning material properties still remains challenge. Here, we present an experimental study on formation microparticles in form particulates from α-lactalbumin using bulk mixing water solution...
The growing demand for innovative means in biomedical, therapeutic and diagnostic sciences has led to the development of nanomedicine. In this context, naturally occurring tubular nanostructures composed rolled sheets alumino-silicates, known as halloysite nanotubes, have found wide application. Halloysite nanotubes indeed surface properties that favor selective loading biomolecules. Here, we present first, our knowledge, structural study DNA-decorated carried out with nanometric...
Carbonate-silicate melts that originate in Earth's interior are described as transitional which possess compositions intermediate between carbonatitic and basaltic end members. The covariation of key oxides carbonatite basalt (e.g., 10–35 wt% SiO2 40–10 CO2, respectively) is expected to have a strong effect on liquid properties. However, due their paucity both the record terrestrial rocks quenched glasses, molecular structure has remained poorly explored date. We investigated atomic...
High pressure (HP) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been here employed to investigate the thermodynamic stability of bovine pancreatic insulin (BPI) amyloids. Once aggregation reaction started, backbone arrangement proteins forming amyloid is known reach a stationary phase in few hours; after this time absorption fibrils becomes stable. It shown how further stabilization structure during can be probed via FTIR spectroscopy, through observation high behaviour formed at...
During the last few decades, we have witnessed an impressive advancement in progress of THz technologies. spectroscopy can now be considered a mature technique, providing formidable tool ...
The main proteases Mpro are a group of highly conserved cysteine hydrolases in β-coronaviruses. They have been demonstrated to play an unavoidable role viral replication, and consequently they suggested as key targets for treating coronavirus-caused infectious diseases, mainly from the COVID-19 epidemic. Since most functional form enzymatic activity is associated its homodimer, compounds inhibiting dimerization should also inhibit catalytic activity. We show how PIR-SEIRA (Plasmonic Internal...
Water under soft nanoconfinement features physical and chemical properties fundamentally different from bulk water; yet, the multitude specificity of confining systems geometries mask any its potentially universal traits. Here, we advance in this quest by resorting to lipidic mesophases as an ideal system, allowing inspecting behavior water systematic changes topological geometrical medium, without altering nature interfaces. By combining Terahertz absorption spectroscopy experiments...
The integration of SEIRA spectroscopy with MD simulation reveals structural differences in the compactness and hydration helical motifs between active inactive EGFR conformations allowing to study impacts mutations.