XtaLab
Permanent staff: Prof. Fiorella Meneghetti
Research associates: Dr. Matteo Mori (post-doc fellow), Dr. Samuele Ciceri (PhD student).
Description
The research activity concerns the structural investigation of pharmaceutically relevant molecules and of "drug-receptor" complexes by means of X-ray diffraction techniques, using the instrumentation available through scientific collaborations, as well as synchrotron sources. Particular attention is devoted to the delicate processes of macromolecular crystallography.
Ongoing research projects
- Crystallographic analysis of new inhibitors of enzymes involved in the production of siderophores of the genus Mycobacteria. X-ray analysis of the complexes between the new potential drugs and the target, to obtain data on the structural requirements for the development of new potent and selective molecules.
- Structural studies of new metal complexes with bispidine derivatives. The analysis of changes in the structure of the ligands upon metal coordination allows to obtain structure-activity relationships correlated to the catalytic efficiency.
- Supramolecular chemistry: structural studies of new co-crystals to disclose new intermolecular interaction topologies.
- Structural characterization of polymorphs to gain fundamental information for a rational choice of the most suitable solid form for the development of a new drug.
- Design and synthesis of new GnRh antagonists.
ERC panels
PE5_1 Structural properties of materials
PE5_18 Medicinal chemistry
LS1_8 Structural biology
LS1_9 Molecular mechanisms of signalling processes
LS7_7 Pharmacology and toxicology