Research activity
For several years we have been dealing with the synthesis of medium-sized organic compounds (from about 500 to 5000 uma) that have a pseudopeptide type structure where the natural amino acids are totally or partially replaced with synthetic residues chosen in order to impose a local conformational restriction which favors the formation of ordered secondary structures, even in the case of small oligomers. These compounds have been defined foldamers and can have many applications, both as pharmacologically active compounds (for example to inhibit protein-protein interaction) and as new supramolecular materials with interesting properties. Our group is in charge of synthesizing, purifying and analyzing these compounds, which are useful for the most diverse applications.
Currently, new monomers containing conformational constraints are being studied; sterically ordered oligomers forming helices; supramolecular materials of fibrous type; gelators for organogel or hydrogel formation; application of hydrogels to drug delivery; formation of composite materials.
ERC panels
PE5_1 Structural properties of materials
PE5_7 Biomaterials synthesis
PE5_8 Intelligent materials – self assembled materials
PE5_17 Organic chemistry
LS1_5 Protein synthesis, modification and turnover
Scientific coordinator
Prof. Claudia Tomasini