Phd in LIFE SCIENCE

email: daniela.debiase@uniroma1.it
phone: 07731757230
building: LT007
room: 104

BIOSKETCH (for a full CV and ERASMUS activities refer to the downloadable file in the upper right link):
Associate Professor of Biochemistry - Sapienza University of Rome, Dpt of Medico Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies
Habilitation in 2021 to Full Professor for BIO10 (Biochemistry)

I graduated (summa cum laude) in Biological Sciences at Sapienza University of Rome. I then moved to the University of Wales, College of Cardiff, Wales (UK) to carry out research for my PhD in Biochemistry, awarded in 1991. After short research visits in Cardiff University (UK), Biozentrum (Basel, CH) and IPK (Gatersleben, DE) I took up research and teaching position (Researcher/Assistant Professor) at University of Rome La Sapienza where I continued my scientific career.
Since I was a researcher, I expanded my expertise also to molecular biology and microbiology, working on the transcriptional regulation and the biochemistry of the Gad system, the major acid resistance system in Escherichia coli (commensal and pathogenic) and other enteric bacteria. I am also expert on PLP-dependent enzymes, in particular glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and GABA-transaminase (GABA-T).
I am a leading expert in the field of bacterial responses to acid stress and written reviews on invitation in prestigious journals and in books.
Until 16 October 2023 I was Chair of the COST Action CA18113 "EuroMicropH" (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA18113; https://euromicroph.eu/), a network of scientists from 33 countries gathered around the topic of "Understanding and exploiting the impacts of low pH on microorganisms". The Action counted 240 members.

To date I have trained in research 30+ Master students and supervised/co-supervised 11 PhD students.

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES:
My research is at the crossroad between microbiology, biochemistry/molecular biology and biotechnology.
- Chair of the COST Action CA18113 "Understanding and exploiting the impacts of low pH on micro-organisms” (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA18113), until 16 october 2023.
- Leading expert in the field of acid stress response in bacteria
- Organizer of three EFB meetings on Microbial Stress (Kinsale, IE, April 2018; Rome, IT, online November 2020; Vienna, AT, September 2023).
- Organizer of the Advanced Course Trends in Enzymology and Biocatalysis (Rome, IT, May 2019)
- General Secretary and Member of the Organizing Committe of the Regional Meeting of the World Health Summit (Sapienza, Rome, June 2022; https://www.regionalmeetingwhs2022.com/)
- In the Editor Board of: Molecular Microbiology; Frontiers in Microbiology (Associate Editor, Microbial Physiology and Metabolism Section); Folia Microbiologica, Minerva Biotechnology and Biomolecular Research, Minerva Cardiology and Angiology.

Research lines and Projects:
-- Microbiology-Molecular Biology: working on the transcriptional regulation and the biochemistry of the glutamate and glutamine-dependent systems, the major acid resistance (AR) systems in Escherichia coli (commensal and pathogenic) and many other enteric bacteria. Several interconnections between different AR systems and other physiological and stress-related processes (such as persistence) in E. coli and other enteric bacteria are currently under investigation.
In more recent years she has also undertaken studies on new antimicrobials, and microbiome in human health and disease
- Biochemistry: Expert on PLP-dependent enzymes, in particular glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) of mammalian and bacterial origin. The structural properties and the catalytic mechanism of GAD are investigated via site-directed mutagenesis, expression and purification of recombinant variants, kinetic and spectroscopic studies in combination with structural studies (the latter in collaboration).
- Biotechnology: Exploiting and engineering GAD for biotech applications, including the synthesis of bioactive molecules. In addition she is also studying the acid stress response in E. coli and other bacterial species for applications in the food and biotech sector (COST Action CA18113) as well as bacterial metabolism for bioremediation purposes.
- She is PI of a PRIN 2022 PNRR on "Investigation on the nanoparticles-driven controlled delivery of antimicrobial peptides to treat dermatological infections" a research line developed in collaboration with CNR and dermatologist in her same Department.
- She has actively participated in the NANO-LC founded by NATO SPP (2021-2023).
- Work Package Leader of a KA2 Erasmus project (Partnership for Cooperation) on eOSCE for digital innovation in medical education (2022-2024).