Description
As documented by the papers published during the last ten years, the following research topics are covered.

• Design, synthesis, and SARs of ligands of neuronal nicotinic receptors alpha4beta2, alpha7 and alpha9 with potential for the study of the receptor activation mechanisms and the treatment of neurological, inflammatory and tumoral pathologies.
• Design and synthesis of photoactivable molecules for a spatiotemporal control of their bioactivity.
• Design, synthesis, and SARs of ligands of adrenergic alpha receptors, of enzymatic inhibitors (FTase inhibitors) and of antibacterial agents (FtsZ inhibitors).
• Analytical and preparative stereotechnologies applied to the obtainment of bioactive molecules and of synthetic intermediates in unichiral form or to racemization procedures.
• Green chemistry: development of new ecofriendly preparative procedures and valorization of waste biomasses to obtain high value components.
• Synthetic support to analytical determination of plant secondary metabolites, of synthesis products and of their impurities and adulterants.

Scientific collaborations

• Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome;
• Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università di Milano;
• Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano;
• CNR, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Milano;
• Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Bologna;
• Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università La Sapienza di Roma;
• Dipartimento di Chimica Strutturale e Stereochimica Inorganica, Università di Milano;
• Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States;
• Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
• CNR Biella: STIIMA – Istituto di Sistemi e Tecnologie Industriali Intelligenti per il Manifatturiero Avanzato;
• Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Milano;
• Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino;
• Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona;
• Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, USA.

ERC panels
PE4_9 Method development in chemistry
PE4_15 Photochemistry
PE4_18 Environment chemistry
PE5_11 Biological chemistry and chemical biology
PE5_17 Organic chemistry
PE5_18 Medicinal chemistry
PE8_11 Environmental engineering, e.g. sustainable design, waste and water treatment, recycling
LS1_11 Chemical biology
LS4_12 Cancer
LS5_11 Neurological and neurodegenerative disorders
LS5_18 Innovative methods and tools for neuroscience
LS6_6 Infectious diseases