ALESSANDRA BONAMORE

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. BONAMORE Alessandra

Tel: 06/49910249
Mail: alessandra.bonamore@uniroma1.it

Education and training
2000: Degree in Biology (110/110 cum laude)
2005: PhD in Biochemistry
2005-2008: Post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”, University of Rome “Sapienza”.
Since November 2008: Researcher at the University of Rome “Sapienza”.

Scientific activity
The scientific activity of Dr. Bonamore has been mainly centered on bacterial hemoglobins studied by means of a multidisciplinary approach, including molecular biology and biochemistry as well as structural biology and analytical chemistry. Dr. Bonamore focused on industrial and biotechnological applications of bacterial hemoglobins, identifying and studying two novel proteins of the family: the first thermostable hemoglobin from the thermophilic actinomyces Thermobifida fusca and the chimeric protein from Streptomyces avermitilis. More recently, Dr. Bonamore has turned her research to the study of engineered ferritins and their biotechnological applications for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Dr. Bonamore scientific activity has also been focused in solving problems related to the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates achieving the production of recombinant enzymes like allyl alcohol dehydrogenase, norcoclaurine synthase, aromatic prenyl transferase. At present, Dr. Bonamore is working on the set up of a fully green method for the synthesis of novel chiral benzylisoquinoline alkaloids with potential pharmacological properties using different enzymes in a domino process.
Dr Bonamore is one of the founders of the University spin-off Company Molirom srl, where she currently covers the position of head of molecular biology lab.
Dr. Bonamore scientific activity is demonstrated by the publication of 40 papers on qualified international journals and 2 book chapters.
Dr. Alessandra Bonamore has participated to several national and international research projects. She has been Unit Coordinator of the 3 years project FIRB 2008 Futuro in Ricerca “Novel mechanisms of microbial response to oxidative and nitrosative stress”.
Dr. Bonamore has won the project Ricerca di Università 2012 “Novel globin based carriers for targeted drug delivery”.
Currently, she is Principal Investigator for Molirom srl in the framework of the European Project “Advanced XFEL and Synchrotron based Probes of Protein Structure and Dynamics”, founded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie.

Teaching experience
2005/2008: Inorganic and Organic Chemistry (corso di Laurea in Tecniche della Prevenzione nell’ambiente e nel Posto di Lavoro) 2 CFU - Sapienza, Università di Roma – II Facoltà di Medicina.
2009/2011: Chemistry and Propaedeutic Biochemistry (corso di Laurea in Tecniche di Laboratorio Biomedico) 1,5 CFU - Sapienza, Università di Roma - Polo Pontino.
2011/2017: Molecular Biology (corso integrato Basi Biochimiche delle Scienze Diagnostiche, corso di Laurea in Tecniche di Laboratorio Biomedico) 2 CFU - Sapienza, Università di Roma - Polo Pontino.
2015/2017: Biochemistry (corso integrato Basi Biochimiche delle Scienze Diagnostiche, corso di Laurea in Tecniche di Laboratorio Biomedico) 2 CFU - Sapienza, Università di Roma - Polo Pontino.
2010/2017: Molecular Biology (corso di Biochimica, corso di Laurea Medicina e Chirurgia E) 3 CFU - Sapienza, Università di Roma - Polo Pontino.

Scientific Publications

“Probing bulky ligand entry in engineered archaeal ferritins”, Calisti, L., Benni, I., Cardoso Trabuco, M., Baiocco, P., Ruzicka, B., Boffi, A., Falvo, E., Malatesta, F., Bonamore, A. (2017) Biochim. Biophys. Acta1861, pp 450–456.
“Humanized archaeal ferritin as a tool for cell targeted delivery”, de Turris, V., Cardoso Trabuco, M., Peruzzi, G., Boffi, A., Testi, C., Vallone, B., Montemiglio, L.C., Georges, A.D., Calisti L., Benni, I., Bonamore, A., Baiocco, P. (2017) Nanoscale 9, pp 647-655.
“A Novel Direct Method for Determination of Riboflavin in Alcoholic Fermented Beverages”, Bonamore, A., Gargano, M., Calisti, L., Francioso, A., Mosca, L., Boffi, A., Federico, R. (2016) Food Analytical Methods 9 (4), pp 840-844.
"Mapping the amide I absorption in single bacteria and mammalian cells with resonant infrared nanospectroscopy”, Baldassarre, L., Giliberti, V., Rosa, A., Ortolani, M., Bonamore, A., Baiocco, P., Kjoller, K., Calvani, P., Nucara, A. (2016) Nanotechnology, 27 (7), art. no. 075101
“A Novel Enzymatic Strategy for the Synthesis of Substituted Tetrahydroisoquinolines” A. Bonamore, L. Calisti, A. Calcaterra, O.H. Ismail, M. Gargano, I. D'Acquarica, B. Botta, A. Boffi, A. Macone, (2016) Chemistry Select Volum 1 (8) pp. 1525–1528.
“Electrocatalytic interconversion of NADH and NAD+ by Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin”, Shipovskov, S., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A., Ferapontova, E.E. (2015) Chemical Communications, 51 (89), pp. 16096-16098.
"Interplay of the H-bond donor-acceptor role of the distal residues in hydroxyl ligand stabilization of Thermobifida fusca truncated hemoglobin”, Nicoletti, F.P., Bustamante, J.P., Droghetti, E., Howes, B.D., Fittipaldi, M., Bonamore, A., Baiocco, P., Feis, A., Boffi, A., Estrin, D.A., Smulevich, G. (2014) Biochemistry, 53 (51), pp. 8021-8030.
"Role of local structure and dynamics of small ligand migration in proteins: A study of a mutated truncated hemoprotein from Thermobifida fusca by time resolved MIR spectroscopy” Patrizi, B., Lapini, A., Di Donato, M., Marcelli, A., Lima, M., Righini, R., Foggi, P., Baiocco, P., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A. (2014) Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 118 (31), pp. 9209-9217.
"Ligand uptake modulation by internal water molecules and hydrophobic cavities in hemoglobins”, Bustamante, J.P., Abbruzzetti, S., Marcelli, A., Gauto, D., Boechi, L., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A., Bruno, S., Feis, A., Foggi, P., Estrin, D.A., Viappiani, C. (2014) Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 118 (5), pp. 1234-1245.
"Molecular basis of thermal stability in truncated (2/2) hemoglobins”, Bustamante, J.P., Bonamore, A., Nadra, A.D., Sciamanna, N., Boffi, A., Estrin, D.A., Boechi, L. (2014) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects, 1840 (7), pp. 2281-2288.
“Direct electrochemistry and Os-polymer-mediated bioelectrocatalysis of NADH oxidation by Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin at graphite electrodes”, Sosna, M., Bonamore, A., Gorton, L., Boffi, A., Ferapontova, E.E. (2013) Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 42 (1), pp. 219-224.
"H-bonding networks of the distal residues and water molecules in the active site of Thermobifida fusca hemoglobin”, Nicoletti, F.P., Droghetti, E., Howes, B.D., Bustamante, J.P., Bonamore, A., Sciamanna, N., Estrin, D.A., Feis, A., Boffi, A., Smulevich, G. (2013) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Proteins and Proteomics, 1834 (9), pp. 1901-1909.
"Following ligand migration pathways from picoseconds to milliseconds in type ii truncated hemoglobin from thermobifida fusca”, Marcelli, A., Abbruzzetti, S., Bustamante, J.P., Feis, A., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A., Gellini, C., Salvi, P.R., Estrin, D.A., Bruno, S., Viappiani, C., Foggi, P. (2012) PLoS ONE, 7 (7), art. no. e39884.
"Fluoride as a probe for h-bonding interactions in the active site of heme proteins: The case of thermobifida fusca hemoglobin”, Nicoletti, F.P., Droghetti, E., Boechi, L., Bonamore, A., Sciamanna, N., Estrin, D.A., Feis, A., Boffi, A., Smulevich, G. (2011) Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133 (51), pp. 20970-20980.
"The optical spectra of fluoride complexes can effectively probe H-bonding interactions in the distal cavity of heme proteins”, Droghetti, E., Nicoletti, F.P., Bonamore, A., Sciamanna, N., Boffi, A., Feis, A., Smulevich, G. (2011) Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 105 (10), pp. 1338-1343.
“An enzymatic, stereoselective synthesis of (S)-norcoclaurine”, Bonamore, A., Rovardi, I., Gasparrini, F., Baiocco, P., Barba, M., Molinaro, C., Botta, B., Boffi, A., Macone, A. (2010) Green Chemistry 12 (9), pp. 1623-1627.
“Norcoclaurine synthase: Mechanism of an enantioselective pictet-spengler catalyzing enzyme”, Bonamore, A., Barba, M., Botta, B., Boffi, A., Macone, A. (2010) Molecules 15 (4), pp. 2070-2078.
"Heme pocket structural properties of a bacterial truncated hemoglobin from thermobifida fusca”, Droghetti, E., Nicoletti, F.P., Bonamore, A., Boechi, L., Arroyo Mañez, P., Estrin, D.A., Boffi, A., Smulevich, G., Feis, A. (2010) Biochemistry, 49 (49), pp. 10394-10402.
"Sulfide binding properties of truncated hemoglobins”, Nicoletti, F.P., Comandini, A., Bonamore, A., Boechi, L., Boubeta, F.M., Feis, A., Smulevich, I., Boffi, A. (2010) Biochemistry, 49 (10), pp. 2269-2278.
"Unusual proximal heme pocket geometry in the deoxygenated Thermobifida fusca: A combined spectroscopic investigation”, Arcovito, A., Bonamore, A., Hazemann, J.L., Boffi, A., D'Angelo, P. (2010) Biophysical Chemistry, 147 (1-2), pp. 1-7.
“Chromane derivatives of small aromatic molecules: Chemoenzymatic synthesis and growth inhibitory activity on human tumor cell line LoVo WT”, Macone, A., Lendaro, E., Comandini, A., Rovardi, I., Matarese, R.M., Carraturo, A., Bonamore, A. (2009) Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry 17 (16), pp 6003-6007.
"Peroxidase-like activity of Thermobifida fusca hemoglobin: The oxidation of dibenzylbutanolide”, Torge, R., Comandini, A., Catacchio, B., Bonamore, A., Botta, B., Boffi, A. (2009) Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 61 (3-4), pp. 303-308.
"(R)-1-Arylethanols from aryl iodides through a two-step one-pot enantioselective chemoenzymatic process”, Cacchi, S., Cirilli, R., Fabrizi, G., Sgalla, S., Macone, A., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A. (2009) Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 61 (3-4), pp. 184-187.
"Structural basis of enzymatic (S)-norcoclaurine biosynthesis”, Ilari, A., Franceschini, S., Bonamore, A., Arenghi, F., Botta, B., Macone, A., Pasquo, A., Bellucci, L., Boffi, A. (2009) Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284 (2), pp. 897-904.
“Flavohemoglobin: Structure and reactivity”, Bonamore, A., Boffi, A. (2008) IUBMB Life 60 (1), pp. 19-28.
“Globin Interactions with Lipids and Membranes”, Di Giulio, A., Bonamore, A. (2008) Methods in Enzymology 436, pp. 239-253.
"The X-ray structure of N-methyltryptophan oxidase reveals the structural determinants of substrate specificity”, Ilari, A., Bonamore, A., Franceschini, S., Fiorillo, A., Boffi, A., Colotti, G. (2008) Proteins: Structure, Function and Genetics, 71 (4), pp. 2065-2075.
"Cloning, expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray data analysis of norcoclaurine synthase from Thalictrum flavum”, Pasquo, A., Bonamore, A., Franceschini, S., Macone, A., Boffi, A., Ilari, A. (2008) Acta Crystallographica Section F: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications, 64 (4), pp. 281-283.
"Chiral (R)- and (S)-allylic alcohols via a one-pot chemoenzymatic synthesis”, Sgalla, S., Fabrizi, G., Cirilli, R., Macone, A., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A., Cacchi, S. (2007) Tetrahedron Asymmetry, 18 (23), pp. 2791-2796.
“Folding propensity and biological activity of peptides: New insights from conformational properties of a novel peptide derived from Vitreoscilla haemoglobin”, Bozzi, A., Coccia, C., Di Giulio, A., Rinaldi, A.C., Amadei, A., Mignogna, G., Bonamore, A., Fais, A., Aschi, M. (2007) Biopolymers, 87 (1), pp. 85-92.
“A novel chimera: The "truncated hemoglobin-antibiotic monooxygenase" from Streptomyces avermitilis”, Bonamore, A., Attili, A., Arenghi, F., Catacchio, B., Chiancone, E., Morea, V., Boffi, A. (2007) Gene, 398 (1-2 SPEC. ISS.), pp. 52-61.
“Horseradish peroxidase in ionic liquids. Reactions with water insoluble phenolic substrates” Sgalla, S., Fabrizi, G., Cacchi, S., Macone, A., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A. (2007) Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 44 (3-4), pp. 144-148.
“Interaction of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin with membrane lipids”, Rinaldi, A.C., Bonamore, A., Macone, A., Boffi, A., Bozzi, A., Di Giulio, A. (2006) Biochemistry, 45 (13), pp. 4069-4076.
“The desaturase from Bacillus subtilis, a promising tool for the selective olefination of phospholipids”, Bonamore, A., Macone, A., Colotti, G., Matarese, R.M., Boffi, A. (2006) Journal of Biotechnology, 121 (1), pp. 49-53.
“A novel thermostable hemoglobin from the actinobacterium Thermobifida fusca”, Bonamore, A., Ilari, A., Giangiacomo, L., Bellelli, A., Morea, V., Boffi, A. (2005) FEBS Journal, 272 (16), pp. 4189-4201.
“Unusual heme iron-lipid acyl chain coordination in Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin”, D'Angelo, P., Lucarelli, D., Della Longa, S., Benfatto, M., Hazemann, J.L., Feis, A., Smulevich, G., Ilari, A., Bonamore, A., Boffi, A. (2004) Biophysical Journal, 86 (6), pp. 3882-3892.
“Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin is an efficient alkylhydroperoxide reductase, Bonamore, A.”, Gentili, P., Ilari, A., Schininà, M.E., Boffi, A. (2003) Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278 (25), pp. 22272-22277.
“Interaction with membrane lipids and heme ligand binding properties of Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin”, Bonamore, A., Farina, A., Gattoni, M., Schininà, M.E., Bellelli, A., Boffi, A. (2003) Biochemistry, 42 (19), pp. 5792-5801.
“The X-ray structure of ferric Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin reveals an unexpected geometry of the distal heme pocket”, Ilari, A., Bonamore, A., Farina, A., Johnson, K.A., Boffi, A. (2002) Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277 (26), pp. 23725-23732.
“The distal heme pocket of Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin probed by infrared spectroscopy”, Bonamore, A., Chiancone, E., Boffi, A. (2001) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Protein Structure and Molecular Enzymology, 1549 (2), pp. 174-178.

Textbooks (Chapters)

Menendez P., D’Acquarica I., Delle Monache G., Ghirga F., Calcaterra A., Barba M., Macone A.,
Boffi A., Bonamore A., Botta B.
“Production of bioactive compounds: the importance of Pictet-Spengler reaction in the XXI century”.
In V. Cechinel Filho (Editor), Bioactive Principles from Plants and Drug Discovery: Practice and
Perspectives. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ-USA, 2011

Bonamore A., Macone A.
“Enzymatic, Stereoselective Synthesis of (S)-Norcoclaurine”.
In Practical Methods for Biocatalysis and Biotransformations 2, C–C Bond Formation and Decarboxylation. Edited by John Whittall and Peter W. Sutton. 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.