About us

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory

The NMR Laboratory, established by professor Maurizio Paci, is organized as a Center for Large Instruments of the University of Tor Vergata. As such, it is available to its use by internal groups of all departments and external users, both public and private.
The laboratory is equipped with two high resolution NMR spectrometers (400 MHz Bruker Avance III and 700 MHz Bruker Avance).

NMR spectroscopy can be applied to:
– structural analysis of organic molecules
– structural studies of biomolecules
– protein-protein interaction
– protein-ligand interaction
– study of dynamics of biomolecules
– folding/unfolding characterization
– nanobiotechnology
– metabolomics
– food analysis

These subjects include scientific areas of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Technology, facilitating the development of multidisciplinary studies.

Research lines presently actives at the NMR Lab:
– Molecular basis of Friedreich Ataxia disease
– Search for biomarkers of cardiovascular risk
– Development of a Serum NMR platform for HTS metabolomics studies of population. Assessment of environmental risk and profilaxis
– Characterization of the Mechanism of Action of anti-Schistosomiasi drugs
– Development of new methods for drug discovery using NMR spectroscopy
– Plasma Protein Binding of drug candidates using NMR
– Characterization of therapeutic peptides
– Study of the lipid profile of bone marrow in osteoporotic patients
– Metabolomics applied to sport
– Development of new compounds for the prevention of oxidative stress
– Metabolomics characterization of bladder cancer
– Search for enzymes working at low temperature in Antarctic’s organisms

Collaborations:

Departments at University of Rome “Tor Vergata”

– Chemical Science and Technology
– Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Science
– Internal Medicine
– Clinic Biochemistry
– Policlinico Tor Vergata

Italian Institutions and Companies

– Centro Nazionale Composti Chimici e Screening, (CNCCS), consorzio pubblico privato CNR-ISS-IRBM
– IRBM Science Park, Pomezia
– Università di Roma “La Sapienza”
– Policlinico Umberto I, Roma
– Istituto di Biologia Cellulare, CNR
– Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, CNR
– Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano
– Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide
– Bridgestone
– Istituto Superiore di Sanità
– Consorzio C4T

International Institutions:

– Università di Buenos Aires, Argentina
– Istituto Fundación Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
– Instituto Antártico Argentino
– Centro di Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología (CIGB), l’Avana, Cuba

Research Contracts (last five years):

Research Contracts with CNCCS Consortium (Collezione Nazionale di Composti Chimici e Centro Screening):

– “NMR Screening to select and improve potential therapeutic compounds for the treatment of Freidreich’s Ataxia”. 01-01-2013/31-12-2013
– “Metabolomica tramite NMR applicata a Malattie Parassitarie”. 01-01-2014/31-12-2014
– “NMR Screening to select and improve potential therapeutic compounds for the treatment of Freidreich’s Ataxia”. 01-01-2014/31-12-2014
– “Screening via NMR di proteine contenenti poli-Q per la scoperta di agenti terapeutici per le malattie neurodegenerative”. 01-01-2014/31-12-2014
– “Malattie Rare neglette e della povertà”. 01-01-2015/31-12-2015
– “Malattie neglette e della povertà”. 01-01-2016/31-12-2016
– “Malattie Rare”. 01-01-2016/31-12-2016
– “Friedreich atassia, Metabolomica rischio Cardiovascolare e Piattaforma per la metabolomica quantitativa di matrice biologiche”. 01-01-2017/31-12-2017
– “Nuovi Progetti di Lead Identification tramite HTS”. 01-01-2017/31-12-2017
– “Sviluppo di nuovi agenti anti-Schistosomiasi”. 01-01-2017/31-12-2017

National and International Research Grants (last five years)

“Search, characterization and evaluation of the biotechnological potential of
enzymes active at low temperature from Antarctic organisms” PID-2011-006. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Argentina 01-01-2011/31-12-2012
– “Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to explore key mechanisms of hepatitis C virus proteins” PICT-2009-0099. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Argentina 01-01-2011/31-12-2012
– “Ricerca di enzimi che lavorano a temperature estreme di microorganismi antartici”, Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide, Italy. 19-06-2014/18-06-2016