Phd in BIOCHEMISTRY

email: martino.disalvo@uniroma1.it
phone: 0649913122
building: Edificio CU020, Città Universitaria, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma
room: ala sinistra, primo piano

Dr. Martino Luigi di Salvo received his PhD in Biochemistry from the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Rome La Sapienza in 1998. He is been working as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics of Virginia Commonwealth University with Dr. Verne Schirch on the biochemistry of PLP-dependent enzymes and on the mechanism and regulation of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of vitamin B6. From 2001 he is back at Sapienza University of Rome with a tenured Researcher/Assistant Professor position, then from 2019 as Associate Professor at the Department of Biochemical Sciences. He currently teaches several courses of Biochemistry and Biochemical Methodologies inthe same University. His research interests are mainly focused on understanding at a molecular level the structure/function relationship and the mechanism of action and regulation of a series of enzymes involved in the salvage pathways of pyridoxal 5’-phosphate in bacterial and mammalian cells. He's recently gotten involved in engineering bacterial strains for production and incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into recombinant proteins. He’s the author of 80 publications on international peer-reviewed journals. He’s been a author, editor and translator of several Biochemistry text books.

ORCID Number: 0000-0003-1233-9338
SCOPUS Number: 6701767113

SCOPUS database indexing:
Number of publications: 80
Total citations: 2218
H-index: 29


EDUCATION
• Ph.D. Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Rome La Sapienza, May 1998. Final dissertation on "Studies on Mechanism of Deamidation of Asparagine Residues in Rabbit Cytosolic Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase", supervisor Prof. Francesco Bossa.
• University: Biological Sciences Degree at the University of Rome La Sapienza, December 1993, final grade of 110/110 cum laude. Dissertation on "Determination of Complete Primary Structure of 5,10-Methenyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase from Rabbit Liver", supervisor Prof. Francesco Bossa.

CURRENT POSITION
• Mar. 2019 to present: Associate Professor of Biochesmitry (BIO/10), School of Pharmacy and Medicine, Dept of Biochemistry, University of Rome La Sapienza;
• Oct. 2022 to present: Vice-president of the Master’s Degree in Biochemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, School of Pharmacy and Medicine.

PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCES AND FELLOWSHIPS
• 2018 Acquisition of the “Scientific Habilitation” (ASN) as Full Professor (05/E1 Biochimica Generale, prima fascia, valid through 24/09/2029)
• 2001-2019 Researcher (Assistant Professor) at University of Rome La Sapienza, School of Pharmacy and Medicine, Dept of Biochemistry as.
• 2014-2015 Recipient of a DAAD Fellowship (3-month) carried out at Institut für Chemie Fakultät II Technische Universität Berlin (Prof. Nediljko Budisa) for a project on “Semisynthetic production of unnatural amino acids and direct incorporation into peptides, proteins and biomaterials”
• 2013-2014 Invited researcher (6-month stay) at Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia (Proff. Ashley Buckle and Sheena McGowan, School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) for a project on “Structural studies on human glutamate decarboxylase and pyridoxal kinase complex formation.”
• 2012-2013 Invited researcher (7-month stay) at Institut für Chemie Fakultät II Technische Universität Berlin (Prof. Nediljko Budisa) for a project on “Protein engineering and incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into proteins.”
• 2006 Invited researcher (2-month stay) at Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Prof. T. Ashton Cropp), University of Maryland, College Park, MD, for a project on “Site-specific incorporation of fluorotyrosines.”
• 2002 Recipient of a Wood-Whelan Fellowship (IUBMB) (1.5 months) for the research project “Structure-function relationship in E. coli pyridoxine 5’-phosphate oxidase” carried out at Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.
• 2000-2001 Postdoctoral fellowship (2 years, Assegno di ricerca) from University of Rome La Sapienza, School of Sciences, Department of Biochemistry for research on “Vitamin B6 and folate metabolism.”
• 1999-2000 Postdoctoral fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, for research on “Enzymes involved in vitamin B6, folate and homocysteine metabolism.”
• 1999 Postdoctoral fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, for research on “Protein crystallization and screening of a chemical library for allosteric effectors of human pyruvate kinase.”
• 1998 Postdoctoral fellowship (1 year) from Italian National Council of Research (C.N.R.) for research on “Protein aging.”
• 1995 State Professional License as Biologist (Abilitazione alla professione di Biologo), final score 145/150.
• 1994 Research fellowship (8 months) at Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, on “Purification and characterization of PLP-dependent enzymes”
• 1993/94 Fellowship (1 semester) from University of Rome La Sapienza, School of Medicine, for student assistance during Biochemistry laboratory classes.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Di Salvo research group has been involved for many years in the study of pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. PLP is the main active form of vitamin B6 in all organisms. PLP-dependent enzymes are not only involved in the synthesis, interconversion and degradation of amino acids but also play key roles in the metabolism of one-carbon units, folate, biogenic amines, tetrapyrrolic compounds and amino-sugars. The work done in the last years on this subject concerns the mechanism of action of several PLP-dependent enzymes and their reactions with substrate analogues and inhibitors; the kinetic and mechanism of inhibition of some of these enzymes by important pharmaceutical agents have been characterized in detail.
Dr. Di Salvo research interests are now focused on the understanding, at a molecular level, of the mechanisms of regulation of vitamin B6 homeostasis. The maintenance of an appropriate concentration of active vitamin B6 in the organism is related to brain function and to the onset of severe neurological disorders. These studies are mainly focused on the structure/function relationship and the mechanism of action and regulation of a series of enzymes involved in the salvage pathways of PLP in mammalian cells, together with studies on cofactor targeting and mechanism of addition of PLP to folding PLP-dependent enzymes. In particular, recently Dr. Di Salvo dedicated his attention to the role of serine hydroxymethyltransferase in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. This PLP-dependent enzyme is being recognized as an important target for anti-folate chemotherapy.
In the last years Dr. Di Salvo got engaged in a new project concerning the use of PLP-dependent enzymes as biosynthetic tools for the production of unnatural amino acids. This new assignment is carried out in collaboration with Prof. Budisa’s research group at Berlin Technische Universität and involves metabolic engineering and ribosomal translation reprogramming.

FUNDINGS AND GRANTS
• Recipient of Finanziamento delle attività base di ricerca (FFABR) for the year 2017, from Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR);
• Principal Investigator (Recipient) of a 1-year Research Grant funded by Sapienza Università di Roma on the “Structural and functional properties of the linkers connecting the N- and C- terminal domains in the MocR bacterial transcriptional regulators.” (ATENEO 2016);
• Principal Investigator (Recipient) of a 1-year Research Grant funded by Sapienza Università di Roma on the “Transcriptional regulation of vitamin B6 biosynthesis and recycling in bacteria: a follow-up study.” (ATENEO 2015);
• Principal Investigator (Recipient) of a 1-year Research Grant funded by Sapienza Università di Roma on the “Characterization of PdxR, a transcriptional regulator of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate biosynthesis in the probiotic bacterium Bacillus clausii” (ATENEO 2014);
• Principal Investigator (Recipient) of a 3-year Research Grant funded by Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Istituto Pasteur entitled “Synthesis of pyridoxal phosphate in the vitamin B6 salvage pathway and targeting of the cofactor to apo-enzymes” (three years fundings, 2008-2010);
• Recipient, in 2002, of a “Wood-Whelan Fellowship Award” for the research project “Structure-function relationship in E. coli pyridoxine 5’-phosphate oxidase” (1,5 months);
• Participant of a 3-year Research Grant funded by Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti-Istituto Pasteur entitled “Regulation of vitamin B6 metabolism and bioavailability in Eubacteria” (2018-2020);
• Participant of a 5-year project funded by AIRC (Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro) on “A Structure-guided Approach to Target the Aurora-A/N-Myc complex in MYCN-amplified Neuroblastoma” (2017-2021);
• Participant of a 3-year project funded by AIRC (Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro) on “Serine hydroxymethyltransferase as potential target for anticancer therapies” (2013-2015);
• Participant to diverse scientific research projects founded by Sapienza Università di Roma from 2001 to now;
• Participant of several 2-year research projects PRIN (Progetto di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale) funded by the Italian Ministry of Scientific Research and University in 2003, 2005, 2007;
• Participant of the 2-year research project FIRB (Fondo per gli Investimenti della Ricerca di Base) funded by the Italian Ministry of Scientific Research and University in 2001;
• Participant to several scientific research projects funded by School of Sciences at Sapienza Università di Roma from 2001 to 2007;

TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Dr. Di Salvo has been involved in several curricular classes (General Biochemistry, Applied Biochemistry, Biochemical Methodologies at Sapienza University of Rome since he was hired in 2001. His teaching activities are directed to undergraduate and master students of Biology, Biotechnology and Biochemistry courses in the School of Sciences and in the School of Pharmacy and Medicine.
Dr. Di Salvo is also a lecturer in Biochemistry for Ph.D. and Specialization Schools of Sapienza University of Rome and is enrolled as Advisor/Supervisor for diverse Programs and Degrees within Sapienza University (from Bachelor to Ph.D.).

PATENTS AND PARTECIPATION TO SPIN-OFF ACTIVITIES
• Patent pending on “A novel engineered Escherichia coli strain for self-directed in cell production of methionine-derivatives and incorporation into recombinant proteins” in collaboration with Prof. Nediljko Budisa and Prof. Peter Neubauer from Technische Universität Berlin, Germany.
• Co-founder of “SapienZyme”, an enzyme assay facility operating within "MoLiRom" spin off of Sapienza Università di Roma (http://www.molirom.com/sapienzyme/).

TECHNICAL SKILLS
General biochemical methodologies. Protein purification and characterization. Enzyme kinetics. Spectrophotometry methodologies (absorbance, CD and fluorescence). Structural biology (protein crystallization and 3-dimensional structure determination).
General molecular biology methodologies. Recombinant DNA techniques. Metabolic engineering, in-cell protein translation reprogramming.

PUBLICATIONS
Dr. Di Salvo is author and co-author of a number of publications on international peer-reviewed scientific journals, scientific books and university textbooks, and has been invited as speaker to several national and international scientific conferences. For a complete list of publications, see below. .

SPOKEN LANGUAGES
• Italian, native language
• English , proficient
• French, proficient
• German, basic