Notizie
Dear Students,
all information concerning my lectures are on the E-Learning2 platform (login to visit) :
- Biochimica - Canale 1 - (Corso di laurea triennale in Schenze Chimiche)
https://elearning.uniroma1.it/course/view.php?id=2536
- Enzyme Kinetics (Master's degree in Biochemistry)
https://elearning.uniroma1.it/course/view.php?id=15311
- Enzyme Mechanisms (BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY) (Master's degree in Biochemistry)
https://elearning.uniroma1.it/course/view.php?id=13895
- Biochimica e Biotecnologie Biochimiche (Corso di laurea in Biotecnologie)
https://elearning.uniroma1.it/course/view.php?id=936
for any other information, please write to:
Orari di ricevimento
Tutti i giorni su appuntamento.
Scrivere a roberto.contestabile@uniroma1.it per concordare un appuntamento.
Il ricevimento può avvenire in presenze o a distanza, a seconda delle esigenze dello studente e delle norme vigenti sulla limitazione della diffusione del COVID-19.
Per ricevimenti a distanza il link zoom è:
https://uniroma1.zoom.us/j/3124659240?pwd=Z1FaMWZQZmZxVzg0bThPZFl1d0tOUT09
Curriculum
Present position: full professor of Molecular Biology (SSD BIOS-08/A) at the Department of Biochemical Sciences.
Education:
- Italian Laurea cum laude in Biological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 1992.
- Ph.D. in Biochemistry, School of Biosciences, Cardiff, University of Wales, UK, 1997.
Professional experience:
- Research assistant, School of Biosciences, Cardiff, University of Wales, UK, 1995-1997.
- Annual research fellowship of the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 1997-1998.
- Annual research fellowship of the Istituto Pasteur Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 1999-2000.
- Appointed as permanent researcher in the department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 2000-2010.
- Appointed as associate professor of Biochemistry in the department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 2011.
- Appointed as full professor of Molecular Biology in the department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 2022.
- Habilitated as full professor of Biochemistry (Professore di prima fascia, settore concorsuale 05/E1, Biochimica generale), 2017.
- Habilitated as full professor of Molecular Biology (Professore di prima fascia, settore concorsuale 05/E2, Biologia Molecolare), 2021.
Research experience: My research activity has mainly concerned pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes and vitamin B6 metabolism in bacteria and humans. Concerning PLP-dependent enzymes, I have dealt with their catalytic mechanism, catalytic promiscuity and evolution of catalytic activities, the design and experimentation of specific inhibitors, the mechanism of addition of PLP to apoenzymes and the folding mechanism. At the moment, I am mainly focused on the regulation of PLP biosynthesis and salvage pathways in bacteria and humans. In particular, I am interested in enzyme regulation mechanisms and transcriptional regulation, in the mechanism of PLP transfer to apoenzymes and in neurological disorders related to PLP metabolism.
Research grants: I have been the recipient of numerous Italian grants from Sapienza University and participated to projects funded by the Italian Ministero dell’Istruzione e dell’Università (PRIN and FIRB). I also participated to four different project funded by the Italian AIRC (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro). I have been the principal investigator of a project approved by the european iNEXT consortium (Infrastructure for NMR, EM and X-rays for Translational Research). I have also been the recipient of two three-year grants and two two-year grants from the Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti (2002-2004, 2018-2020, 2022-2023 and 2025-2027).
Invited speaker: in several international and national scientific meetings.
Teaching activities: I teach Biochemistry, Biochemical Methods, Enzymology and Enzyme Kinetics in Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Biotechnology and Biochemistry courses at Sapienza University.
Spoken languages: Italian, native language; English, proficient; French, basic.
Patents and participation to spin-off activities: Patent pending on "Eployment of nucleic acids as inhibitors of the enzyme serine hydroxymethyltranferase" in collaboration with Prof. Francesca Cutruzzolà (Sapienza, Università di Roma).
Co-founder of "SapienZyme", an enzyme assay facility operating within "MoLiRom" spin off of Sapienza Università di Roma (http://www.molirom.com/sapienzyme/).
Publications: I am author of 96 peer-reviewed publications on international journals (SCOPUS), of several chapters in scientific books, several chapters in Biochemistry textbooks and of a Biochemical Methods textbook.
SCOPUS ID: 6603347341; ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5235-9993
Rome, 29th April 2025