The main focus has been on the crystallographic analysis of proteins, in order to gain insight of biochemical and biological phenomena. In order to understand the mechanism of action of protein/enzyme, the structural information is integrated with functional characterization and protein engineering. Some of the lines are centered on biotechnological and biomedical applications.

The main research projects and their scientific outcomes are outlined above.

1. Molecular evolution of globins and hemoglobins.

2. Myoglobins structural dymamics.

3. Neuroprotective effect of Neuroglobin.

4. Plant innate immunity. 

5. Biosynthetic pathways of polyketide antibiotics.

1. Scaglione, A., Fullone, M.R., Montemiglio, L.C., Parisi, G., Zamparelli, C., Vallone, B., Savino, C. and Grgurina, I. “Structure of the adenylation domain Thr1 involved in the biosynthesis of 4-chlorothreonine in Streptomyces sp. OH-5093: protein flexibility and molecular bases of substrate specificity” FEBS Journal (2017) 284, 2981-2999.

2. Scaglione, A., Montemiglio, L.C., Parisi, G., Asteriti, I.A., Bruni, R., Cerutti, G., Testi, C., Savino, C., Mancia ,F., Lavia, P. and Vallone, B. “Subcellular localization of the five members of the human steroid 5α−reductase family” Biochimie open (2017) 4, 99-10628.

3. Ilari, A. and Savino, C. “A Practical Approach to Protein Crystallography” in Methods Mol. Biol. (2017) ed. Humana Press, Clifton, N.J. USA 1525, 47-78.  Review.

4. Montemiglio, L.C., Parisi, G., Scaglione, A., Sciara, G., Savino, C. and Vallone, B. “Functional analysis and crystallographic structure of clotrimazole bound OleP, a cytochrome P450 epoxidase from Streptomyces antibioticus involved in oleandomycin biosynthesis” Biochem. Biophys. Acta (2016) 1860, 465-75.

5. Avella, G., Ardiccioni, C., Scaglione, A., Moschetti, T., Rondinelli, C., Montemiglio, L.C., Savino, C., Giuffrè, A., Brunori, M. and Vallone, B. “Engineering the internal cavity of Neuroglobin demonstrates the role of the heme sliding mechanism.” Acta Cryst. (2014) D70, 1640-1648.

6. Montemiglio, L.C., Macone, A., Ardiccioni, C., Avella, G., Vallone, B., and Savino, C. “Redirecting P450 EryK specificity by rational site-directed mutagenesis.” Biochemistry (2013) 52, 3678–3687.

1990-1993: Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Naples "Federico II", supervisor Prof. Lelio Mazzarella. Final discussion held on the 29th June 1994 on a thesis on "Crystallographic studies of hemoglobins".

1990: Laurea (110/110 cum laude) in Chemistry. Thesis on: "Hemoglobin from Trematomus newnesi: structure refinement and comparison to other hemoglobins", supervisors Prof. Lelio Mazzarella and Prof. Carlo A. Mattia (Dept. of Chemistry, University of Naples "Federico II").

Professional experience:

25/07/2001 - present: Permanent position as Researcher for the Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Council of Research (CNR) of Italy.

1998-2001: Research Fellow for the Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Council of Research (CNR) of Italy.

1997-1998: Post-doctoral fellowship in Biotechnology at the Department of Biochemical Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza" to work on the crystal structure of DNA polymerase from Sulfolobus solphataricus, supervisor Prof. Maurizio Brunori.

1996-1997: Short Term fellowship from the Pasteur Institute - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti to work on the structure-funcion relationships in myoglobin, supervisor Prof. Demetrius Tsernoglou.

1995-1996: Short Term fellowship from C.N.R./CEE-FSE (Fondo Strutturale Europeo), Centro di Studi sulla Biologia Molecolare, CNR, Roma.

Academic Teaching activities:

Lecturer of the Course “Protein structure: relationship with function. From crystal growth to structure interpretation” Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR. 

Teaching module on Protein Crystallography for the Course of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

Teaching module on Stechiometry for the Course of Chemistry of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

Fellowships abroad:

2015: Short Term Mobility CNR Program (2015), Structure and function of the enzyme family SRD5A that enhance the action of testosterone. Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), New York (USA).

2014: Prof. Filippo Mancia, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), New York (USA).

1998 : Short Term Mobility CNR Program (1998) Prof. Christian Cambillau, “Architecture et fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques”, CNRS, Marsiglia (F).

1998 : Prof. Christian Cambillau, “Architecture et fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques”, CNRS, Marsiglia (F).

1993: Prof. Guy Dodson, Department of Chemistry, University of York (UK).

Patent:

Patent n. MI2012A001864 “Engineering a Cytochrome P450 for optimizing Erythromycin A production”, 13-03 -2015.

Inventors: Carmelinda Savino, Beatrice Vallone. Tenure: 50% CNR, 50% University of Rome “Sapienza”.