6th AIC-BMM Meeting – Schedule and Scientific Program
THURSDAY, FEB 20TH 2025
13:00 Participant registration and accommodation check-in. Appetizers & light lunch
14:30 Welcome by AIC-BMM Committee
AFTERNOON SESSION I
Molecular mechanisms in biological processes
Chair: Marco Mazzorana
14:40 Invited speaker: Daniele Narzi. Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Italy.
Title: From Structure to Function: Integrating Theoretical Approaches to Elucidate the Catalytic Mechanism of Oxygen Evolution in Photosystem”
15:10 Noemi Destefani. Biocrystallography Unit, Division of Immunology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Title: Antigen-mediated and cell-autonomous B-cell receptor signalling in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia:
15:30 Lorenzo Antonelli. Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM-CNR) and Department of Biochemical Sciences, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Title: Deciphering the activation mechanism of Sigma 1 Receptor and the nature of its endogenous ligands.
15:50 Alessandro Borsellini. Human Technopole, Milan, Italy.
Title: Molecular mechanisms of condensin II activity.
16:10 Coffee Break & Snack
AFTERNOON SESSION II
Macromolecular structures as a strategy against infectious pathogens
Chair: Veronica Morea
16:40 Invited speaker: Adele Di Matteo. Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM-CNR),
Rome, Italy.
Title: Tackling Signaling Pathways in Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Unveil Druggable Targets
17:10 Cécile Exertier. Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM-CNR), Rome, Italy.
Title: A proof-of-concept study for the design of PROTACs (PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras) to tackle Leishmaniases.
17:30 Mario Privitera. Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB-CNR) and University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy.
Title: Structural features of KP32 phage portal attacking Klebsiella pneumoniae cell wall. Integrating structural biology and AI to unravel a complex biological problem
17:50 Valeria Napolitano. Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB-CNR), Naples, Italy.
Title: Structural basis of protein encapsulation in Klebsiella pneumoniae and applications against multi-drug resistant pathogens.
18:10 Filippo Vascon. Department of Biology, University of Padua, Italy.
Title: Deciphering the Bacterial SOS Response: From Structural Insights to Inhibitor Development.
18:30 Posters flash presentations – Chair: Stefano Mangani
18:30 Bianca Braggiotti. Institute of Biophysics (IBF-CNR), Milan, Italy.
Title: TRAF2 in TNF Signaling and Immune Regulation: Structural Insights and Therapeutic Potential in Cancer.
18:35 Vittorio Brufani. Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM-CNR) and Department of Biochemical Sciences, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Title: Investigating BiP’s Function in the Regulation of S1R Activity.
18:40 Viviana Perrotta. Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB-CNR), Naples, Italy.
Title: Understanding PE_PGRS, cell wall proteins promoting mycobacterial survival in TB.
18:45 Chiara Marella D’Aprile. Institute of Crystallography (IC-CNR), Bari, Italy.
Title: Bacteriorhodopsin/Perovskite adducts for Next-Generation of in-crystal lab-on-chip Solar Cells.
18:50 Martina D’Auria. Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
Title: A novel PET hydrolase derived from thermophilic microorganism.
18:55 Ornella Ghilardi. Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB-CNR) and Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy.
Title: Crystal structure and biophysical characterisation of the enterococcal foldase PpiC, a cross-opsonic antigen against Gram-positive nosocomial pathogens.
19:00 Federica Sonzini. Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Italy.
Title: The open dimeric conformation of cardiotoxic light chains: a key feature underlying soluble toxicity in cardiac AL amyloidosis.
19:05 Doriano Lamba. Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Trieste Outstation, Trieste, Italy.
Title: Disentangling the mechanism underlying the covalent methanesulfonyl fluoride acetylcholinesterase adduct formation and evolvement: structural and mechanistic insights into an aged-like inactive complex susceptible to reactivation by a combination of nucleophiles
19:10 Arianna Lardieri. Department of Biochemical Sciences, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Title: Cryo-EM structure of Apo-PdxR from Bacillus clausii in complex with its target DNA.
19:15 Louiza Moudoud. Biocrystallography Group, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Title: Thermal and Structural Characterization of Rv0678: Insights into Multidrug Resistance in Tuberculosis.
19:20 Patrizio Di Micco. Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM-CNR), Rome, Italy.
Title: Face2Face: A simple tool for macromolecule interfaces analysis.
19:25 Gianmarco Pascarella. Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM-CNR), Rome, Italy.
Title: Consensus3D. A comprehensive pipeline for accurate detection of conserved protein regions based on structure alignment programs consensus.
19:30 Veronica Morea. Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome
Title: Structure-based design of peptides for biomedical applications
Conclusions of Day I
19:40 Aperitif & appetizers
20:30 Social Dinner @ Ristorante Pizzeria San Domenico, Piazza S. Domenico, 11, 50014 Fiesole FI, Italia (www.pizzeriasandomenico.it/)
FRIDAY, FEB 21ST 2025
MORNING SESSION I
Drug development
Chair: Massimiliano Perduca
9:00 Invited speaker: Grzegorz Popowicz. Helmholtz Zentrum München – Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Munich, Germany
Title: From AI crystallographer to AI drug designer? Where advanced computational tools can help us understand molecules.
9:30 Luisa Napolitano. Structural Biology Laboratory, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and Institute of Crystallography (IC-CNR), Trieste, Italy.
Title: High Resolution Structure of StARD3 protein in complex with VS1 inhibitor.
9:50 Elisa Fagnani. Institute of Biophysics (IBF-CNR), Milan, Italy.
Title: Development of BIR1-targeting compounds for cancer treatment: study of IAPs modulation in NF-ΚB pathway.
10:10 Andrea Dalle Vedove. AREA Science Park and Protein Targets for Drug Discovery Lab, Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy.
Title: What’s new in Elettra’s Structural Biology Laboratory.
10:30 James Parry. Unchained Labs
Title: Meet the Aunty – Queen of Protein Stability
10:40 Coffee Break & Snacks
MORNING SESSION II
Large macromolecular complexes by integrated structural biology
Chair: Silvia Onesti
11:00 Invited speaker: Philipp Sebastian Herdmann. Human Technopole, Milan, Italy.
Title: Towards a Biopsy at the Nanoscale.
11:30 Luca Mazzei. Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy.
Title: Structural characterization of urease activity and inhibition: an integrated X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM study.
11:50 Christian Buratto. Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padua, Italy.
Title: Ruthenium-based polyoxometalates as a possible chaperone in cryo-EM structure determination: a case study.
12:10 Luca Broggini. Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Italy.
Title: Structural characterization of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide amyloid fibrils from Isolated Atrial Amyloidosis patients.
12:30 Sofia De Felice. Department of Biology, University of Padua, Italy.
Title: Structural and functional characterization of hyper-stable human serum albumin variants.
13:00 Announcement of the AIC Prizes for six oral young participants
13:15 Closing remarks & light lunch