Contacts:
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Supervisor(s):
Prof. Gaetano Angelici
Title of the PhD project:
De novo design and sustainable synthesis of new green materials based on cross-linked hyaluronic acid for surgical applications
Abstract of the PhD project:
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the main components of human connective tissues. Its physico-chemical properties (biocompatibility, biodegradability, viscoelasticity) are very useful for the development of soft-materials, which are used in several medical fields, such as ophthalmology, aesthetic medicine, arthrology, as drug delivery. It is known that small changes at molecular level can have a great impact on the macroscopic properties of materials; therefore, modification of hyaluronic acid through cross-linking reactions, with different cross-linkers, or derivatization with biopolymers, oligomers or biomolecules (peptides, peptidomimetics, natural molecules etc.) can lead to the synthesis of different materials, with new properties. The project will run on two parallel lines, one more fundamental and the other one more applicative. In the first one we will study the synthesis and conformational analysis (NMR, CD and theoretical calculations) of oligomers of natural and unnatural molecules, which could be used to derivatize HA. The applicative side of the project will contribute to develop sustainable synthesis of HA membranes, through cross-linking reactions. HA will be derivatized covalently with different cross-linkers (PEG, collagen, peptides etc) and with the oligomers synthesized in the previous part of the project. A careful chemical characterization of the synthesized materials will be performed during a 6 months PhD period at Matex Lab Switzerland SA (Geneve), while during another 6 months period at UB-Care (Pavia, Italy) mechanical and rheological properties, biological activity and toxicity will be studied.
Publications:
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Oral communications at conferences:
• F. Cordella, G. Angelici, F. Bellina, A. Cuzzola, N. Dragone, M. Lessi, D. Vergara, “A structure-activity relation study of amino acid derivatives of pterostilbene analogues”, flash presentation, Chemistry for the future International Conference, Pisa, 2021
• F. Cordella, G. Angelici, “A proline mimetic for the design of new stable secondary structures”, Peptoid Symposium, Virtual Symposium, 2021
Poster communications at conferences:
• F. Modugno, J. La Nasa, F. Cordella, A. Ferretti, M. P. Colombini, I. Degano, “Selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) in heritage science: non-invasive VOCs profiling of natural and synthetic resins”, The plastics heritage congress 2019: History, limits and Possibilities, Lisbona, 2019
• F. Cordella, G. Angelici, F. Bellina, A. Cuzzola, N. Dragone, M. Lessi, D. Vergara, “A structure-activity relation study of amino acid derivatives of pterostilbene analogues”, Chemistry for the future International Conference, Pisa, 2021
Other achievements:
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