Paola Valentini obtained her M.Sc. (full marks) in Medicinal Chemistry from University of Rome “La Sapienza” in 2005. During her Master Degree, she spent two years abroad in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry of Utrecht University (The Netherlands), studying the interactions between multivalent molecules, in the group of Prof. Rob Liskamp. She then moved to Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, where she obtained her PhD (70/70 cum laude) in Molecular Biology and worked as a research assistant until 2010, investigating the interaction between HIV-1 integrase and cellular acetyl-transferases. After a brief experience in the Regulatory sector of a multinational pharmaceutical company (Sanofi-Aventis), she obtained a Master in International Business (MIB) from “La Cattolica” University in Milan. In 2012 she started working as a post-doc in Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Biomolecular Biotechnology, in Arnesano (Lecce). Since September 2015, she moved to IIT Central Research Labs in Genova, where she is presently working as a researcher. She has tutored several PhD and master degree students and is the author/coauthor of 23 peer-reviewed publications and 7 patents.
Bertolacci L.*, P. Valentini#, and P.P. Pompa#* (2020). "A nanocomposite hydrogel with catalytic properties for trace-element detection in real-world samples", Scientific Reports, 10, 18340. # co-senior authors.
Udayan G., A. Marsella and P. Valentini* (2020). “Naked-eye detection of rare point mutations in DNA”, Journal of Visualized Experiments, (162), e61514, doi:10.3791/61514, Invited Methods Article
Udayan G., A. Marsella and P. Valentini* (2020). “An ultrasensitive colorimetric test for the detection of somatic rare mutations in DNA”, Nanoscale, 12, 2973 – 2979.
Papadopoulou P., P. Valentini, F. Mussino, P.P. Pompa, A. Athanassiou, and I. Bayer (2018). “Antibacterial Bioelastomers with Sustained Povidone-Iodine Release”, Chemical Engineering Journal, 347: 19–26. Highlighted in Advances in Engineering, 2019, https://advanceseng.com/smart-antiseptic-materials-biomedicine
Pinto, J., D. Magrì, P. Valentini, F. Palazon, J. Heredia-Guerrero, S. Lauciello, S. Barroso-Solares, L. Ceseracciu, P.P. Pompa, A. Athanassiou, and D. Fragouli. (2018) “Antibacterial melamine foams decorated with in situ synthesized silver nanoparticles", ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 10(18):16095-16104.
Valentini P., A. Galimberti, V. Mezzasalma, F. De Mattia, M. Casiraghi, M. Labra, and P. P. Pompa (2017). “DNA barcoding meets nanotechnology: development of a smart universal tool for food authentication”, Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 56(28): 8094-8098. Highlighted in Nature Nanotechnology doi: 10.1038/nnano.2017.173
Morselli D., P. Valentini, G. Perotto, A. Scarpellini, P. P. Pompa, A. Athanassiou, and D. Fragouli (2017). “Thermally-induced in situ growth of ZnO nanoparticles in polymeric fibrous membranes”, Composites Science and Technology, 149, 11-19.
Contardi M., J. A. Heredia-Guerrero, G. Perotto, P. Valentini, P. P. Pompa, R. Spano, L. Goldoni, R. Bertorelli, A. Athanassiou and I. S. Bayer (2017). "Transparent ciprofloxacin-povidone antibiotic films and nanofiber mats as potential skin and wound care dressings", Eur J Pharm Sci., 104, 133-144.
Valentini, P. and P. P. Pompa (2016). "A Universal Polymerase Chain Reaction Developer", Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 55(6): 2157-2160.
Valentini, P., A. Marsella, P. Tarantino, S. Mauro, S. Baglietto, M. Congedo and P. P. Pompa (2016). "Naked-eye fingerprinting of single nucleotide polymorphisms on psoriasis patients", Nanoscale 8(21): 11027-11033.
Valentini, P. and P. P. Pompa (2016). “A naked-eye colorimetric PCR developer”, of SPIE Vol. 9887 98870N-1
Marsella, A., P. Valentini, P. Tarantino, M. Congedo and P. P. Pompa (2016). “A gold nanoparticles-based colorimetric test to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms for improvement of personalized therapy of psoriasis”, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 9887 98870P-1
Cecere, P., P. Valentini and P.P. Pompa (2016). “Hybrid nanosensor for colorimetric and ultrasensitive detection of nuclease contaminations”, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 9887 98870O-1
Francis, A.C., C. Di Primio, V. Quercioli, P. Valentini, A. Boll, G. Girelli, F. Demichelis, D. Arosio and A. Cereseto (2014). “Second generation imaging of nuclear/cytoplasmic HIV-1 complexes", AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 30(7): 717-726.
Valentini, P., S. Persano, P. Cecere, S. Sabella and P.P. Pompa (2014). “Gold nanoparticles based colorimetric nanodiagnostics for cancer and infectious diseases”, of SPIE Vol. 8955 89551E1
Valentini, P., R. Fiammengo, S. Sabella, M. Gariboldi, G. Maiorano, R. Cingolani and P. P. Pompa (2013). "Gold-nanoparticle-based colorimetric discrimination of cancer-related point mutations with picomolar sensitivity", ACS Nano 7(6): 5530-5538.
Persano, S., P. Valentini, J. H. Kim and P. P. Pompa (2013). "Colorimetric detection of human papilloma virus by double isothermal amplification", Chemical Communications 49(90): 10605-10607.
Valentini, P. and P. P. Pompa (2013). "Gold nanoparticles for naked-eye DNA detection: smart designs for sensitive assays", RSC Advances 3(42): 19181-19190.
Terreni, M., P. Valentini, V. Liverani, M. I. Gutierrez, C. Di Primio, A. Di Fenza, V. Tozzini, A. Allouch, A. Albanese, M. Giacca and A. Cereseto (2010). "GCN5-dependent acetylation of HIV-1 integrase enhances viral integration", Retrovirology 7: 18.
Costi, R., R. Di Santo, M. Artico, G. Miele, P. Valentini, E. Novellino and A. Cereseto (2007). "Cinnamoyl compounds as simple molecules that inhibit p300 histone acetyltransferase", J Med Chem 50(8): 1973-1977.
Arnusch, C. J., S. Andre, P. Valentini, M. Lensch, R. Russwurm, H. C. Siebert, M. J. Fischer, H. J. Gabius and R. J. Pieters (2004). "Interference of the galactose-dependent binding of lectins by novel pentapeptide ligands", Bioorg Med Chem Lett 14(6): 1437-1440.
Arosio, D., I. Vrasidas, P. Valentini, R. M. Liskamp, R. J. Pieters and A. Bernardi (2004). "Synthesis and cholera toxin binding properties of multivalent GM1 mimics", Org Biomol Chem 2(14): 2113-2124.
Vrasidas, I., S. Andre, P. Valentini, C. Bock, M. Lensch, H. Kaltner, R. M. Liskamp, H. J. Gabius and R. J. Pieters (2003). "Rigidified multivalent lactose molecules and their interactions with mammalian galectins: a route to selective inhibitors", Org Biomol Chem 1(5): 803-810.
SmartCup Liguria 2016 - 1st prize. Spin-off project Nanochrome
SmartCup Liguria 2016 - Life Science category prize. Spin-off project Nanochrome
Best Talk Award at ISN2A 2014, International Symposium on Nanoparticles/Nanomaterials and Applications, 20th - 22nd January 2014 - Lisbon, Portugal
Best Poster Award at THINC 2010, Targeting HIV Integration Co-factors, 1st -2nd April 2010, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pise, Italy.
L’Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) è una fondazione di diritto privato - cfr. determinazione Corte dei Conti 23/2015 “IIT è una fondazione da inquadrare fra gli organismi di diritto pubblico con la scelta di un modello di organizzazione di diritto privato per rispondere all’esigenza di assicurare procedure più snelle nella selezione non solo nell’ambito nazionale dei collaboratori, scienziati e ricercatori ”.
IIT è sotto la vigilanza del Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca e del Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze ed è stato istituito con la Legge 326/2003. La Fondazione ha l'obiettivo di promuovere l'eccellenza nella ricerca di base e in quella applicata e di favorire lo sviluppo del sistema economico nazionale. La costruzione dei laboratori iniziata nel 2006 si è conclusa nel 2009.
Lo staff complessivo di IIT conta circa 1440 persone. L’area scientifica è rappresentata da circa l’85% del personale. Il 45% dei ricercatori proviene dall’estero: di questi, il 29% è costituito da stranieri provenienti da oltre 50 Paesi e il 16% da italiani rientrati. Oggi il personale scientifico è composto da circa 60 principal investigators, circa 110 ricercatori e tecnologi di staff, circa 350 post doc, circa 500 studenti di dottorato e borsisti, circa 130 tecnici. Oltre 330 posti su 1400 creati su fondi esterni. Età media 34 anni. 41% donne / 59 % uomini.
Nel 2015 IIT ha ricevuto finanziamenti pubblici per circa 96 milioni di euro (80% del budget), conseguendo fondi esterni per 22 milioni di euro (20% budget) provenienti da 18 progetti europei, 17 finanziamenti da istituzioni nazionali e internazionali, circa 60 progetti industriali
La produzione di IIT ad oggi vanta circa 6990 pubblicazioni, oltre 130 finanziamenti Europei e 11 ERC, più di 350 domande di brevetto attive, oltre 12 start up costituite e altrettante in fase di lancio. Dal 2009 l’attività scientifica è stata ulteriormente rafforzata con la creazione di dieci centri di ricerca nel territorio nazionale (a Torino, Milano, Trento, Parma, Roma, Pisa, Napoli, Lecce, Ferrara) e internazionale (MIT ed Harvard negli USA) che, unitamente al Laboratorio Centrale di Genova, sviluppano i programmi di ricerca del piano scientifico 2015-2017.
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is a public research institute that adopts the organizational model of a private law foundation. IIT is overseen by Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca and Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze (the Italian Ministries of Education, Economy and Finance). The Institute was set up according to Italian law 326/2003 with the objective of promoting excellence in basic and applied research andfostering Italy’s economic development. Construction of the Laboratories started in 2006 and finished in 2009.
IIT has an overall staff of about 1,440 people. The scientific staff covers about 85% of the total. Out of 45% of researchers coming from abroad 29% are foreigners coming from more than 50 countries and 16% are returned Italians. The scientific staff currently consists of approximately 60 Principal Investigators, 110 researchers and technologists, 350 post-docs and 500 PhD students and grant holders and 130 technicians. External funding has allowed the creation of more than 330 positions . The average age is 34 and the gender balance proportion is 41% female against 59% male.
In 2015 IIT received 96 million euros in public funding (accounting for 80% of its budget) and obtained 22 million euros in external funding (accounting for 20% of its budget). External funding comes from 18 European Projects, other 17 national and international competitive projects and approximately 60 industrial projects.
So far IIT accounts for: about 6990 publications, more than 130 European grants and 11 ERC grants, more than 350 patents or patent applications, 12 up start-ups and as many which are about to be launched. The Institute’s scientific activity has been further strengthened since 2009 with the establishment of 11 research nodes throughout Italy (Torino, Milano, Trento, Parma, Roma, Pisa, Napoli, Lecce, Ferrara) and abroad (MIT and Harvard University, USA), which, along with the Genoa-based Central Lab, implement the research programs included in the 2015-2017 Strategic Plan.
