Giampaolo Placidi

Ph.D. candidate in Bioingegneria E Scienze Medico-chirurgiche , 37th cycle (2021-2024)

Profile

PhD

Thesis title

Characterization of chemigenetic fluorescent biosensor for Rab11 GTPase

Research topic

molecular biotechnology, biochemistry, engineered proteins, membrane trafficking

Tutors

Research interests

Nanomedicine
Micro-, meso- and nanostructured materials for advanced therapies
ICT and smart sensors for eHealth
Biomedical signal and image processing

Biography

Born in Catania 25-07-96, I graduated from the classical high school in 2015.
Soon after I moved to Viterbo to attend the course in Biotechnology (L-2) where I did an internship at the laboratory of prof. A.Harfouche (bioinformatic analysis) and defended a thesis on the subject of bioethics entitled: ethical implications of personal genome and genome editing.
Later I moved to Turin to attend the "Molecular biotechnology" course taught in English, choosing the "Translational medicine" curriculum. Here, I started my two-year thesis project at the laboratory of Professor S. Geninatti. My thesis focused on the development of a biocompatible polymer associated with a polypeptide capable of contrasting MRI without the aid of heavy metal contrast agents, capable of reporting the degree of tissue regeneration. I was involved in all parts of the project, SSPS peptide synthesis and preparation of polymers with PLGA and chitosan, fibroblast cultures, study on model organisms and MRI measurements. Once I graduated in 2020 with a score of 105, I decided to delve into the aspect of reporter peptides. Shortly after I started a fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. C.Campa for the development of biosensors able to monitor the activity of small gtpases involved in membrane trafficking, which have a key role in cancer. To date, I am a PhD candidate in bioengineering and work on the same project covered in the fellowship with promising results. The characterization of these molecules thanks to biosensors will allow the development of increasingly effective and specific drugs that find application in the treatment of multiple diseases.

Publications

Latest publications View all publications in Porto@Iris