Formazione
“Laurea” in Organic Chemistry , University of Naple (Italy), October 1981
Advisors: Prof. S. Magno and Prof. E. Fattorusso

Fellowship in Chemistry , ISMAA – S.Michele a/A (TN) - Italy, 1982
Advisor: Prof. F. Pietra

Visiting Researcher , Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, San Diego-CA, USA, 1990
Advisor: Prof. W. H. Fenical
Carriera accademica ed attività didattica
1983 - 1998 Facoltà Scienze, Laurea in Fisica: compiti didattici integrativi di “Chimica con Esercitazioni di Laboratorio”.

1995 -1996 Istituto Agrario S.Michele a/Adige, Diplom Ingenieur Weinbau und Oenologie:

Corso di “Chimica Organica”.

1996 - 1997 Facoltà Scienze, Diploma in Metodologie Fisiche: affidamento “Chimica”;

Facoltà Scienze, Laurea in Fisica: supplenza gratuita “Chimica Organica” primo modulo.

1997 -1998 Facoltà Scienze, Diploma in Metodologie Fisiche: affidamento “Chimica”;

Istituto Agrario S.Michele a/Adige, Diplom Ingenieur Weinbau und Oenologie: Corso di “Chimica Organica”.

1998 - 1999 Facoltà Scienze, Laurea in Fisica: affidamento “Chimica Generale ed Inorganica” seconda parte.

1999 - 2000 Facoltà Scienze, Laurea in Fisica: affidamento “Chimica Generale ed Inorganica” seconda parte; Istituto Agrario S.Michele a/Adige, Diplom Ingenieur Weinbau und Oenologie: Corso di “Chimica Organica”.

2000 - 2001 Facoltà Scienze, Laurea in Fisica: affidamento “Chimica Organica” primo modulo; Facoltà Ingegneria, Laurea in Ingegneria dei Materiali: compiti didattici integrativi di “Chimica”; Scuola di Specializzazione all’Insegnamento Secondario - Rovereto:

Corso di “Chimica”.

2001 - 2002 Facoltà Scienze, Laurea in Fisica triennale: affidamento “Chimica Generale con Esercitazioni Laboratorio”; Facoltà di Ingegneria, Laurea in Ingegneria Industriale:

supplenza “Laboratorio di Chimica” seconda parte.

2002 - 2003 Facoltà Scienze, Laurea in Fisica triennale: affidamento “Chimica Generale con Esercitazioni Laboratorio”; Facoltà di Ingegneria, Laurea in Ingegneria Industriale:

supplenza Corso di “Chimica Organica”.

Interessi di ricerca
RESEARCH INTERESTS

1. Cytotoxic Agents from Marine Organisms

The sarcodictyins A F are novel diterpenoidic alcohols esterified by N(1) methyl (E) urocanic acid which were isolated from the Mediterranean stolonifer Sarcodictyon roseum. They cause the mitotic arrest through induced tubulin polymerization and microtubule stabilization. Furthermore they compete with paclitaxel in tubulin binding assay suggesting the existence of a common binding site.

Leucascandrolide A and B are new type of macrolide and show to be the first powerfully bioactive metabolites from a calcareous sponge: Leucascandra caveolata, a new genus from the Coral Sea.

Epinardins A-D are new pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids of undetermined deep-water green demosponges from pre-Antartic Indian Ocean.

Corallistins A F constitute a rare examples of free porphyrins from living organisms. They were isolated from the demosponge Corallistes sp. of the Coral Sea and revealed to inhibit abnormal cells. The reactivity of their Ni(II) complexes toward formylating reagents was investigated too.

2. Structure Activity Relationship Studies

Agelastatin A is a new skeleton cytotoxic alkaloid of the oroidin family, isolated from the axinellid sponge Agelas dendromorpha of the Coral Sea. Its absolute configuration and conformational preferences were demonstrated via combined molecular modelling, NMR and exciton splitting for diamides and hydroxamide derivatives. Finally of agelastatin A proved to be a strongly cytotoxic alkaloid and its active centres were determined by comparative bioassays with semisynthetic derivatives.

New types of epidioxy substituted norditerpene and norsesterpenes were obtained from the marine sponge Diacarnus levii. The relative contributions to antitumoral activity of their lipophilic vs. polar reactive moieties was unravelled together their activity as potentially antimalarial agents.

The structures of new ecotoxicologically and biogenetically relevant sesqui and monoterpenes from the tropical green seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia which is invading the Mediterranean Sea have been elucidated. Caulerpenyne, the potentially harmful sesquiterpenoid of Caulerpa may suffer chlorophyll photosensitized photodegradation thus providing a possible detoxification. The caulerpenyne amine reactions constitute a model for the in vivo interactions of sesquiterpenoids from the seaweed C. taxifolia. A diastereoselective and highly regioselective synthesis of epoxycaulerpenynes has been carried out by dimethyldioxirane oxidation of caulerpenyne.

The chemical reactivity and the structure-activity relationships in human leucocyte chemotaxis assay have been studied for the sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide (Tanacetum parthenium) as well as for its photochemically synthesized (1,10-Z) isomer. This study has been extended to melampolides thus leading to understand some general requirements for transannular cyclization reactions in cyclodecenes.

3. Biological control in agriculture

This is a new, interdisciplinary project aimed at improving the methods for safer and environmentally friendly production of economically important crops. The root extract of a Melia azedarach tree grown in the alpine region of Italy, has been analyzed as to the content of secondary metabolites. The novel, interesting degraded limonoids found there, suggested a new biogenetic route from protolimonoids.