SANTI Luca

Curriculum

LUCA SANTI Curriculum Vitae Part I – General Information Full Name LUCA SANTI Part II – Education University graduation 1997 University of Genoa, Italy Biology Degree at the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Science. Graduation grade 110 cum laudae, experimental thesis title: “Effects of glucocorticoids on the activity of the Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) in rat liver and kidneys”. PhD 2002 University of Cologne at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany PhD grade, Sehr Gut (Very Good); thesis title: “Intron mediated regulation of BKn3, a plant homeobox gene, as supported by BBR (GAGA) binding factor”. Graduate level course 2004 Law School of Arizona State University, Tempe, USA Patents and Intellectual Properties in Life Science and Biotechnology Part III – Appointments IIIA – Academic Appointments 07/2002 11/2002 Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. Cologne, Germany Postdoc 01/12/2002 06/01/2005 Postdoc position at Department of Infectious Disease and Vaccinology of the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA Postdoc 02/2003 08/2003 Icon Genetics GmbH, Halle, Germany Visiting Scientist 01/2005 06/2006 Department of Infectious Disease and Vaccinology of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, Tempe, USA Assistant Professor 07/2006 06/2010 Department of Biology, University Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. Contract Associate Professor (Italian Brain Drain Law, Legge Rientro dei Cervelli) 07/2010 04/2011 Department of Enviroment and Forests (DAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy Contract Researcher 05/2011 Present Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy Associate Professor SSD BIO15 IIIB – Other Appointments 11/2018 Present University of Tuscia Member of the committee for the University Library Centre 06/2021 Present University of Tuscia Vice Director of the committee for the University Library Centre 04/2022 Present University of Tuscia Department delegate for inclusion and equity 06/2022 12/2022 Sintalica Bioscience Corp Scientific consultant for ideation and establishment of a research and development program on pharmaceutical applications of psilocibin and other triptamin derivatives from Psilocybe mushrooms 11/2020 Present University of Tuscia Delegate for internalization for Plant Biotechnology Master’s degree course 2020 2023 University of Tuscia Scientific coordinator for Erasmus+ KA 107 international credit mobility with The Royal University of Buthan, college of Natural Resources, Buthan 2020 2023 University of Tuscia Scientific coordinator for Erasmus+ KA 107 international credit mobility with Prince of Sogkhla University, Thailand Part IV – Teaching experience 2013-2023 University of Tuscia Botany/ Bachelor's degree: Agriculture and Environmental Sciences - 8 CFU 2012-2023 University of Tuscia Plant Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Products/ Master’s degree: Biotechnology for the Security and Quality of Agricultural Productions - 6 CFU 2023 Prince of Songkhla University - Songkhla, Thailand Plant Biotech - 1 CFU 2019 Kathmandu University (KU) - Dhulikhel, Nepal Botany and Plant Biotech - 1 CFU 2019 Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) - Rampur, Nepal Botany and Plant Biotech - 2 CFU 2012 University of Tuscia Forest Biotechnology/ Master’s degree: Conservation and Restoration of Forest Environment and Soil Defense - 6 CFU 2011 University of Tuscia Organic Chemistry and Elements of General Chemistry/ Bachelor's degree: Science and Technology for the conservation of Forests and Nature - 8 CFU 2006-2009 University of Rome Tor Vergata Plant Virology and Applications/ Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology - 6 CFU 2006-2009 University of Rome Tor Vergata Production of Biopharmaceuticals in Plant/ Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology- 6 CFU 2006 University of Rome Tor Vergata Biopharmaceuticals/ International Master of II Level. European School for Scientific and Regulatory Assessment of New Medicine - 1 CFU 2005 Arizona State University Plant Biotechnology/Biomedicine and Biotechnology graduate program, School of Life Science – 18 h Part V - Member of teaching committees of PhD schools 2012-2023 University of Tuscia Animal and Plant Production Sciences 2011-2012 University of Tuscia Science and Technology for Forestry and Environmental Management 2009-2010 University of Rome Campus Bio-Medico Biochemical Science and Technologies Applied to Food and Nutrition 2006-2008 University of Rome Tor Vergata Cellular and Molecular Biology Part VI - Society memberberships, Awards and Honors 2022 Teaching award at the University of Tuscia for the Botany course as the most appreciated course of the University among technical-scientific subjects 2018 - Present Member of the Italian Botanical Society (SBI) Part VII - Funding Information VIIA - grants as PI-principal investigator or I-investigator 2006 Development of a plant derived vaccine against Hepatitis C virus PI - MIUR, Italian Brain Drain Law (Legge “rientro dei cervelli”) D.M. 1 Febrary 2005, n. 18. 300.000,00 2007 Plant and Virus- Derived Vaccine Vectors to Leishmaniasis and Toxoplasmosis” Research Unit PI Ministry of Health, Ricerca Finalizzata, Progetto Ordinario 50.000,00 2012 New perspectives in the development of substances with Leishmanicide activity. Development of antimicrobial peptides with leishmanicide activity exposed on the external surface of plant viral nanoparticles Ministry of Health, Italy, Current Research, IZSLT 07/12 RC 20.000,00 2017 Enhancement of Italian products deriving from OLIVE through Innovative analytical techniques – (VIOLIN) Research Unit PI – Ager, Network Foundation for Agri-food Research 1.008.000,00 2023 Advanced analytical characterization and synergic evaluation of volatile terpenes of selected β-caryophyllene containing spices for diabetes treatment Research Unit PI – MUR -PRIN 2022 247.323,00 2023 Sumac nutraceutical Potential through Innovative and Comprehensive Investigation (SPICE) Research Unit PI – MUR -PRIN 2022 PNRR 200.000,00 VIIB - grants as member of Research Unit (RU) 2004 Plant-made Microbicides and Mucosal Vaccines for sexually transmitted deseases. National Institute of Health, USA. 1-U19-AI-62150-01. Research Unit member 2004 Plant Production of Vaccines and Antibodies for Protection Against Biowarfare Agents Department of Defense, USA. DAMD 17-02-2-0015. Research Unit member 2007 Plant Biofactories for the production of vaccines against Dengue Virus Directorate General for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation - Prot. 269/P0152102 del 20-04-2007. Research Unit member 2017 Targeting Hedgehog pathway: Virtual screening identification and sustainable synthesis of novel Smo and Gli inhibitors and their pharmacological drug delivery strategies for improved therapeutic effects in tumors MUR. PRIN (20175XBSX4). Research Unit member 2018 Plant virus nanoparticles for blood-brain barrier crossing and medulloblastoma targeting (NANOCROSS) Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC). External project partner Part VIII – Research Activities Spices Phenolic compounds and terpenes from selected spices in type-2 diabetes control and prevention The International Diabetes Federation recently estimated that 415 million adults worldwide suffer from diabetes mellitus (DM), a number that is expected to increase to 600 million by 2040. Spices are traditionally used mainly as flavoring agents, however their richness in phytochemicals and the possibility of a daily intake opens the possibility for their nutraceutical employment. Scientific investigation of spice-derived specialized metabolites holds a great potential to isolate novel anti-diabetic prophylactic and therapeutic agents. In this context a multitarget approach for biological evaluation coupled with a precise phytochemical analysis is employed to perform a correlation analysis of extracts deriving from Rhus coriaria (sumac), Origanum vulgare (oregano), Piper nigrum (black pepper), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), Cinnamomum verum (cinnamon) and Curcuma longa (turmeric). Specialized metabolites belonging to the terpenes and phenolic compounds families are characterized by comprehensive analytic technologies and are tested for biological activity using acellular assays for the evaluation of enzymatic and AGE inhibition and cellular assays on liver and adipocytic cell line for glucose uptake, insulin stimulation, GLUT expression and PPAR modulation. Phenolic compounds Terpenes Type-2 diabetes Keywords Brief Description Olive oil waist products Valorisation of olive oil production waste products The olive (Olea europaea) oil industry is characterized by relevant amounts of by-products. Adequate, environmentally and economically sustainable disposal solutions are required in accordance with internationally agreed waste management strategies. Phenolic compounds possess important biological activities and potential antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities have been reported. With the aim of valorising the olive oil production waste products (OOPWP), polyphenols-rich-extracts obtained from olive by-products with an eco-friendly procedure are tested for their antimicrobial activity, evaluating the correlation of the polyphenolic composition and antimicrobial properties. Extracts enriched expecially in hydroxytyrosol are assayed for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus clausii and Rhodococcus fascians), Gram-negative (Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Escherichia coli) bacteria and fungi (Fusarium graminearum, Septoria tritici, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Verticilium dhaliae, Fusarium culmorum and Botrytis cinerea). Moreover, these enriched extracts are incorporated into Polyvinyl alcohol derived films to generate new functional packaging materials that could extend products shelf life. Phenolic compounds Antimicrobic New packaging materials Plant virus nanoparticles Plant virus derived nanoparticles as targetting and delivery systems Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) has been extensively characterized in view of its possible use in the pharmaceutical field. TBSV has an icosahedral capsid of ~30 nm in diameter made of 180 capsid protein (CP) subunits, with the capability to encapsulate in is internal cavity and display on its surface small molecules and polypeptides respectively. TBSV is neither toxic nor teratogenic and do not induce major alterations in tissues architecture. The possibility to be easily functionalized by entrapping a cargo and exposing targeting molecules makes it very interesting as delivery system. This opportunity is under evaluation for the delivery of different molecules to solid tumors for the development of “smart” imaging system and therapeutic plant virus nanoparticles (PVN) using a potent chemotherapeutic (doxorubicin, DOX), widely used in treatment of several cancers. The efficacy of the developed “smart” PVNs-based system is tested for the possibility to overcome the brain blood barrier (BBB) and/or increase the net uptake of DOX in the nuclei of Medullo Blastoma (MB) cells using consolidated in vitro and in vivo MB models. Delivery systems Solid tumors Part IX – Editorial activity GUEST EDITOR for the special issue: “Plant-Made Biologics” on BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL (2014), Published by Hindawi. GUEST EDITOR for the special issue:"Isolation, identification and bioactivity of food-derived compounds" 1st edition; on MOLECULES (2022), Published by MDPI. GUEST EDITOR for the special issue:"Isolation, identification and bioactivity of food-derived compounds" 2nd edition; on MOLECULES (2023), Published by MDPI. Currently reviewer for the following journals: Natural Products Research, Published by Taylor & Francis. Journal of Essential Oil Research, Published by Taylor & Francis. Frontiers in Plant Science, Published by Frontiers. Vaccine, Published by Elsevier. Part X – Summary of Scientific Achievements XA – Bibliometric indicators on the overall career Product type Number Data Base Start End Papers [international] 62 Scopus 2001 2023 Book chapter [scientific] 1 Scopus 2001 2023 Total Impact factor 209,8 Average Impact factor per Product 3,38 Total Citations 1952 Average Citations per Product 31,48 Hirsch (H) index 23 Normalized H index* 1 (from first publication) 1,1 (from PhD) 0.88 (from degree) *H index divided by the academic seniority.