Metal AMP Research Group
Denise Bellotti
Principal investigator in Preludium project. My research focuses on antimicrobial peptide derivatives of calcitermin. Passionate scientist, truly convinced optimist and Italian. Hobbies? Running, swimming, travelling and trying to learn Polish!
Scientific interests:
Bioinorganic and analytical chemistry, metal transport mechanisms in bacterial and fungal pathogens, interaction of metal ions with antimicrobial peptides, metal transporters, natural metallophores and biomimetic molecular systems (including oligopeptides and synthetic derivatives), coordination chemistry and thermodynamic properties of metal-biomolecules in solution, peptide synteshis. Currently working on the design of antimicrobial peptidomimetics as novel therapeutic agents, trying to understand the possible role of metal interaction in the antimicrobial activity.
Education and Employment:
01/01/2020 - to date – post-doctoral fellow (Analytical Chemistry Research Group - Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy).
04/2021 – PhD in Chemistry “International Joint Doctoral programme Ferrara - Wrocław” with summa cum laude (Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences of University of Ferrara, Italy and Biological Inorganic Chemistry Research Group of University of Wrocław, Poland). Thesis title: “Study of the metal ions transport phenomena involved in the expression of pathogenic virulence”. Supervisor Prof. Maurizio Remelli. Co-supervisor D.Sc. Magdalena Rowińska-Żyrek.
07/2020 – Italian professional qualification of Chemist
10/2017 – MSc in Chemistry with summa cum laude (Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy). Thesis title: “Investigation on the metal binding sites of COT1, a zinc transporter in opportunistic yeast species Candida albicans”. Supervisor Prof. Maurizio Remelli. Co-supervisor D.Sc. Magdalena Rowińska-Żyrek).
10/2015 – BSc in Chemistry with summa cum laude (Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy). Thesis title: “Organic conductors and semiconductors: charge transfer complexes”. Supervisor Prof. Valeria Ferretti).
Schools and seminars
15-18/03/2021 – PEPPERSchool 2nd edition: Peptide and protein engineering. From concepts to biotechnological applications (Virtual meeting).
24-25/11/2019 – SCI*C: School of Chemistry Communication (Rimini, Italy).
12-19/05/2019 – Training School “Chemistry of Metals in Biological Systems” (Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Oeiras, Portugal).
12-15/02/2019 – National School of Bioinorganic Chemistry (Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy).
Scientific Experience
2017-2021 – Academic teaching support in Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry at University of Ferrara, Italy.
2020 – 2-months research stay at Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France within the young researchers funded project “Bando Giovani Ricercatori 2019 - Fondi 5x100 2017”.
2017 – 5-months M.Sc. student internship at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, Poland.
2015 – 6-months B.Sc. student internship at the Structural Diffractometric Center of the Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy.
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Co-supervisor in 3 master’s and 4 bachelor’s theses.
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I participated in 9 national and international conferences and meetings, contributing with 6 oral communications and 9 poster presentations.
Research grants/awards:
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2021-2023 – Principal investigator in Preludium project “A peptidomimetic strategy to improve the antimicrobial properties of calcitermin” (UMO-2020/37/N/ST4/03165).
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2021 – PhD Certification of Doctor Europaeus issued according to the conditions of the Confederation of Conferences of the University Rectors of the EU Countries.
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2021 – PEPPERSchool Student & Postdocs Grant.
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2020 – Winner of the 13th edition of “Pulidori Prize” - International Group for the Thermodynamics of Complexes, ISMEC.
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2019 – Principal investigator in the project “Heavy metals soil contamination: study of the coordination properties of hydroxamic acids” (“Bando Giovani Ricercatori 2019 - Fondi 5x100 2017” research project scholarship funded by University of Ferrara).
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2019 – SBIC Student Travel Grant, 19th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry in Interlaken, Switzeland.
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2018 – Certificate of Excellence “Ferrara School of Chemistry” awarded to students who achieve the M.Sc. degree with an excellent academic career with strong international connotation.
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2017-2020 – Fellowships for the PhD students from the University of Ferrara.
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2013 – “31° RYLA Rotary Youth Leadership Award” awarded by Rotary Club of Comacchio - Codigoro - Terre Pomposiane (Dist. 2072).
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2012 – Award “Francesco Viviani” awarded by the Ferrara Chamber of Commerce.
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Member of the Italian Chemical Society.
List of papers:
Author of 7 published papers (2 further ones are currently under review) and more than 20 conference proceeding contributions.
ORCID: 0000-0002-2634-0228
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D. Bellotti, A. Sinigaglia, R. Guerrini, E. Marzola, M. Rowińska-Żyrek, M. Remelli, J. Inorg. Biochem. 2021, 214, 111304.
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D. Bellotti, M. Rowińska-Żyrek, M. Remelli, Dalton Trans., 2020, 49(27), 9393–9403.
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D. Bellotti, C. Tocchio, M. Rowinska-Zyrek, M. Remelli, Metallomics 2019, 11(12), 1988–1998.
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M. Perinelli, R. Guerrini, V. Albanese, N. Marchetti, D. Bellotti, S. Gentili, M. Tegoni, M. Remelli, J. Inorg. Biochem., 2020, 205, 110980-110993.
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C. Bacchella, S. Gentili, D. Bellotti, E. Quartieri, S. Draghi, M. C. Baratto, M. Remelli, D. Valensin, E. Monzani, S. Nicolis, L. Casella, M. Tegoni, S. Dell’Acqua, Inorg. Chem., 2020, 59(1), 274-286.
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D. Bellotti, M. Toniolo, D. Dudek, A. Mikolajczyk, R. Guerrini, A. Matera-Witkiewicz, M. Remelli, M. Rowinska-Zyrek, Dalton Trans. 2019, 48(36), 13740-13752.
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D. Bellotti, D. Łoboda, M. Rowińska-Żyrek, M. Remelli, New J. Chem. 2018, 42(10), 8123-8130