Effect of nanoscale, three dImensional arrangement of proteins on biological and therapeutic activity (FIT)

The scope of this project is to design and manufacture nanoparticles using DNA and peptides. Such structures will have defined dimension and shape, with selective functionalization derivations at specific distances allowing the insertion of ligands. This concept will enable to define at the nm scale what ligands will be available and tune their interaction with their biological cognates. The scope is to obtain reagents that can bind simultaneously more independent epitopes of the targets. These can be virus or bacterial proteins involved in cell invasion or factors stimulating pathogenic processes.

Publications:

• D’Ercole C, de Marco A (2023) Native agarose gels and contact blotting as means to optimize the protocols for the formation of antigen–ligand complexes. Bioengineering 10:1111
• D’Ercole C, De March M, Veggiani G, Oloketuyi S, Svigelj R, de Marco A (2023) Biological applications of synthetic binders isolated from a conceptually new Adhiron library. Biomolecules 13:1533
• Li J, Kang G, Wang J, Yuan H, Wu Y, Meng S, Wang P, Zhang M, Wang Y, Feng Y, Huang H, de Marco A (2023) Affinity maturation of antibody fragments: A review encompassing the development from random approaches to computational rational optimization. Int J Biol Macromol 247:125733
• Neumair J, D’Ercole C, De March M, Elsner M, Seidel M, de Marco A (2023) Macroporous epoxy-based monoliths functionalized with anti-CD63nanobodies for effective isolation of extracellular vesicles in urine. Int J Mol Sci 24:6131