Professional background
1. 1988–2010 — Chemistry and Biotechnology of Wood and Recalcitrant Substances
Research dedicated to the chemistry and biotechnology of wood and paper pulp (lignins), with the aim of replacing highly polluting industrial chlorination processes and enabling the treatment and remediation of recalcitrant environmental compounds. . Specialized in enzymatic catalysis by enzymes of microbial secondary metabolism (peroxidases, oxidases) and their production, applied to lignin degradation and the remediation of environmental cyclic aromatic and non-aromatic compounds, to the transformation of natural phenolic and non-phenolic aromatic cyclic molecules, and to the investigation of their antioxidant properties.
2. 2010–2018 — Biotechnology and Toxicology of Fungal and Aquatic (algea) Secondary Metabolites
Investigations on toxic secondary metabolites produced by crop-associated fungi and aquatic microorganisms (cyanobacteria and unicellular eukaryotic algae). Studies of production, modulation, and toxicity mechanisms in vitro and in vivo, including analysis of epigenetic effects in animals and humans.
3. 2018–present — Secondary Nucleic Acid Structures (G-Quadruplexes and i-Motifs)
Analysis of G-quadruplex and i-motif structures in eukaryotic microorganisms and exploration of their biotechnological and pharmacological applications. Assessment of the role of natural and synthetic ligands on these structures, comparative toxicological studies (eukaryotic microorganisms vs. human cells), and investigation of their effects on telomeres, promoters, and replication origins, as well as on epigenetic mechanisms: applications as antiparasitic and antifungal agents.
4. 2021–present — Fungal Natural Products and Therapeutic Applications
Investigation of natural compounds derived from fungal metabolism—particularly cyclic aromatic and non-cyclic molecules—with the aim of developing new medicinal agents for the management of asthma, with particular emphasis on inhibiting smooth-muscle cell proliferation.
