GROUP MEMBERS

Prof. Giuseppe Falini (GF), PhD in Chemistry, is full professor in chemistry at the University of Bologna where he teaches general and inorganic chemistry, and solid state chemistry. Currently, the research activity of GF is mainly addressed in the fields of biomineralization and macromolecular crystallography. It can be summarized in the following subjects: the study of the crystalline structure using X-ray crystallography of biological macromolecules and minerals involved in the biomineralization processes of calcium carbonate; the design and preparation of innovative materials from waste marine biominerals and biopolymers. GF coordinates the biomineralization and biocrystallization laboratory. GF is co-author of about 230 scientific publications (H-index = 44) in international journals (two in Science) with impact factor. GF also wrote 5 book chapters and is inventor of 3 patents. GF has been invited to present his research activities in more than fifty international and national conferences and schools. GF has been awarded from national institutions, companies and European Community (ERC Adv).

Silvia Panzavolta (SP) is associate professor in Inorganic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician” of the University of Bologna, where she teaches General and Inorganic Chemistry, Applied Biomaterials and Bioinorganic Chemistry. She got her PhD in Chemistry in 1999, and she has been carrying out her studies as a researcher. In 2019 she became associate professor at the University of Bologna. Her research activity, mainly focused on the development and characterization of sustainable biomaterials for tissue regeneration, include:

- design of biomaterials for soft and hard tissue replacement, including calcium phosphates bone cements and biopolymer-based scaffolds;

- design of biomaterials with antibacterial activity, including coating of biomaterials by metal nanoparticles and Metal- Organic Frameworks as inorganic antibacterial systems and for drug delivery purposes;

-use of sustainable biopolymers as film forming materials for applications in the field of cosmetic, pharmaceutic, and packaging.

SP is co-author of 78 scientific publications in ISI journals (h-index 36) and 3 patents.

Angelica Mucaria is a PhD student in Chemistry since November 2021. She earned her bachelor degree in Chemistry at the University of Rome Tor Vergata with a thesis in electrochemistry developing a paper-based biosensor for glucosinolates detection in food waste. She later moved to Bologna where she obtained her master degree in Chemistry with a thesis in biomineralization and functionalization of chitin from waste products. Her project concerns the functionalization and valorization of chitin extracted from waste matrices such as squid pens, crab and shrimp carapaces. 

Simona Fermani (SF) is associate professor in Inorganic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician” of the University of Bologna, where she teaches general and inorganic chemistry, biocrystallography, bioinorganic chemistry, and biomaterials. She got her PhD in Chemistry in 2000. From 2000-2008 she had post-doctoral positions and from 2007-2010, she worked in a multinational company (Nexans). In 2010, she became assistant professor at the University of Bologna. The research activity of SF is primarily addressed in the field of structural biology and biomineralization and focuses on (i) structural study by X-ray or complementary techniques of chloroplast enzymes from photosynthetic organisms and proteins involved in the biomineralization of calcium carbonate; (ii) design and preparation of innovative surfaces for the crystallization of biological macromolecules. SF is co-author of about 110 scientific publications (H-index = 28) in peer-reviewed journals with impact factor. SF has presented her research activities in several international and national conferences.

Devis Montroni is a researcher (RTD-A) at the University of Bologna. He got his PhD in Chemistry in 2019 at the University of Bologna where he also got a Master’s degree in organic chemistry in 2015 and a Bachelor's degree in "Chemistry and Material Chemistry" in 2013. During his study he spent half a year in both the Trinity College of Dublin and the University of California, Santa Cruz. After his PhD he spent one year at the University of California, Irvine as PostDoc in Prof. David Kisailus' group. His research interests focus on the study of structure-function relationship of biogenic mineralized and polysaccharide-based matrices with a successive reapplication of this knowledge on bioinspired materials. A second research topic involves the use of chitin to develop novel bioplastics for packaging and scaffold for regenerative medicine.

Maria Francesca Di Filippo is a research fellow at the University of Bologna. She earned a Bachelor in "Chemistry and Chemistry of Materials" in 2015 and a Master in Photochemistry and Molecular Materials in 2018 at the University of Bologna. After an internship at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNano) of the University of Aarhus in Denmark, she got her PhD in Chemistry entitled 'Applied biomaterials from sustainable sources' at University of Bologna in 2022.

Her research has a special attention to the sustainability of processes and materials. Her study focuses on the development, characterization, and optimization of material properties for different applications, ranging from biomedical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical to packaging and sensors. 

Asma Munir was born in Warburton Tehsil & Distt. Nankana Sahib (Pakistan). She got her Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. She performed her Masters Research activities in the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) Faisalabad, affiliated with Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (PIEAS). The title of her M.S/M.Phil. Dissertation was “Inocula Development for Biodegradation of Pyrethroids Insecticides in Liquid Culture and Cotton Vegetated Soil". She also worked as a Research Associate in a project funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) entitled “Biotreatments of Nuts to Maintain Nutritional Quality against Mycotoxins during Storage”. She started her PhD Degree in Chemistry at the University of Bologna in Nov 2023, working on “Design, Fabrication and Biomedical Applications of Biomaterials from Natural Waste”.