CV

I graduated in Pharmacy cum laude at the University of Pisa in 1998, defending the thesis Synthesis and antiproliferative properties of new inhibitors of geranylgeranylation of cellular proteins.
I worked at Menarini Ricerche S.p.A. in Pisa over an internship on synthesis, purification and characterization (NMR, HPLC, UV, cromatography) of organic molecules.

Since 1999 I have been working in the field of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, managing high field NMR instruments. I worked in different NMR laboratories at the Department of Biophysical Science and Technologies (University of Genova), at ISTM-CNR of Milano, at CISI (Interdepartmental Center of biomolecular Study and Industrial applications) and at the Chemistry Department  of the University of Milano.

 

Research Interests

My main field of interest is the conformational study of peptides and proteins in solution through NMR data and molecular dynamics calculations.
My recent projects involve lantibiotics, a chemokine and peptides with antitumoral and antineurodegenerative activity. I am also involved in projects focused on the analysis of the interactions between macromolecules and small ligands.

I applied ligand- and target-based NMR techniques to study the interaction of small molecules with soluble proteins (e.g. cadherins, VP24 from Ebola virus, Hsp90), protein expressed on membrane of living cells (Hemoagglutinins of influenza virus and membrane proteins such as integrins) and RNA fragments.

 

Selected publications

Insight to the binding mode of triazole RGD-peptidomimetics to integrin-rich cancer cells by NMR and molecular modeling. Vasile F, Menchi G, Lenci E, Guarna A, Potenza D, Trabocchi A
Bioorg Med Chem. 2016, 24(5) 989-94.

Diffusion-Ordered Spectroscopy and Saturation Transfer Difference NMR Spectroscopy Studies of Selective Interactions between ELAV Protein Fragments and an mRNA Target. Vasile F, Rossi D, Collina S, Potenza D.
EurJOC 2014, 6399-6404.

Comprehensive analysis of blood group antigen binding to classical and El Tor cholera toxin B-pentamers by NMR. Vasile F, Reina JJ, Potenza D, Heggelund JE, Mackenzie A, Krengel U, Bernardi A
Glycobiology 2014 24(8), 766-78.

Solution structure by nuclear magnetic resonance of the two lantibiotics 97518 and NAI-107.
Vasile F, Potenza D, Marsiglia B, Maffioli S, Donadio S
J Pept Sci. 2012 18(2)  129-34.

Identification of the folding inhibitors of hen-egg lysozyme: gathering the right tools.
Caldarini M, Sutto L, Camilloni C, Vasile F, Broglia RA, Tiana G
Eur Biophys J. 2010 39(6), 911-9.