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Pianoforte;

Scacchi;

Qualunque tipo di scienza.

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS

Scientific interests of Dr Francesco Bemporad concern protein folding and misfolding and the mechanisms by which factors altering the delicate equilibrium between these two processes lead to the onset of several human diseases. In particular, Dr. Francesco Bemporad is interested in studying the molecular pathway that from a normally soluble protein goes to amyloid-like aggregates and in understanding the crucial features of amyloid-competent aggregation-prone conformational ensembles. Dr. Francesco Bemporad carried out studies on protein dynamics and protein folding using model proteins.

EDUCATION

• 14th March 2008: Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and applied Biology at the Department of Biochemical Sciences (University of Florence). The defended thesis has been awarded a prize from Firenze University Press as best Ph. D. Thesis in the biomedical area for 2007.
• 17^th December 2003: Degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Florence with a thesis entitled “Studying the folding process of the acylphosphatase from S. solfataricus. A comparative analysis with the other proteins from the acylphosphatase superfamily”. Final marks were 110/110 cum laude

 POSITIONS HELD

• March 1^st 2017 / present: Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the Department of Experimental and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Florence (Italy);
• October 1^st 2012 / February 28^th 2017: "Ricercatore" at the Department of Experimental and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Florence (Italy);
• October 1^st 2010 / September 30^th 2012: Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Christopher Martin Dobson at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge (UK) with a fellowship from the European Commission CORDIS (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, Marie Curie Actions);
• March 3^rd 2009 / September 30^th 2010: Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Christopher Martin Dobson at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge (UK) with a fellowship from the Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS).
• January 2008 / February 2009: Post Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of the University of Florence in the group of Prof. Fabrizio Chiti.
• January 2005 / December 2007: PhD Student, supported by the Italian MIUR and by the “Accademia dei Lincei”, at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of the University of Florence in the group of Prof. Fabrizio Chiti.
• January 2004 / December 2004: Post-graduate contract from the Italian MIUR at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of the University of Florence in the group of Prof. Fabrizio Chiti.

GRANTS, BURSARIES

• 2013: Selected by the Italian Ministry of University MIUR (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca) within the call “Programma per Giovani Ricercatori "Rita Levi Montalcini"” (grant number: PGR10GFRBZ).
• 2012: Selected by the Italian Ministry of University MIUR (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca) for a project to be performed at the University of Florence (grant number RBFR109EOS).
• 2009: Assigned a grant by the European Commission CORDIS (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, Marie Curie Actions) for a project to be performed in the group of Prof. C. M. Dobson, at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge (UK).
• 2008: Selected by the Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) and European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) for a post-doctoral fellowship to be undertaken in the group of Prof. C. M. Dobson, at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge (UK).
• Janury 1^st 2007-December 31^st 2007: Post-graduate fellowship from the “Accademia dei Lincei” (Rome, Italy) performed at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of the University of Florence, in the group of Prof. Fabrizio Chiti.
• January 12^th 2004 - January 11^th 2007: Post-graduate research contract at the Department of Biochemical Sciences of the University of Florence supported by the Italian MIUR (FIRB project) with a project titled “Studies on the molecular bases of the conversion of acylphosphatase, b-2 microglobulin and apolipoprotein A2 in pathological aggregates”. Scientific supervisor to this project was Prof. Fabrizio Chiti.

CONGRESSES, SCHOOLS

• July 4^th -9^th 2015: Participation at the 40^th FEBS meeting in Berlin (Germany) and oral presentation entitled “Investigating partially unfolded conformations popuated by monomeric transthyretin”.
• May 15^th – 16^th 2015: Participation to the meeting “Miniworkshop e Convegno CIMN MISFOLDING PROTEICO E AMILOIDOSI X”, Genova (Italy). Oral presentation entitled “Insights into transthyretin folding/misfolding”.
• November 28^th 2014: Participation to the meeting “Misfolding proteico e amiloidosi nelle malattie neurodegenerative”, Roma (Italy). Oral presentation entitled “Insights into the mechanisms of native-like aggregation”.
• May 16^th – 17^th 2014: Participation to the meeting “Miniworkshop e Convegno CIMN MISFOLDING PROTEICO E AMILOIDOSI IX”, Genova (Italy). Oral presentation entitled “A complex equilibrium among partially unfolded conformations in monomeric transthyretin”.
• December 5^th-6^th 2012: Participation to the 6^th meeting “Molecular Science of Fluctuations toward Biological Functions”, Kyoto (Japan). Oral presentation entitled “Fluctuations between catalysis and misfolding: the case of the acylphosphatase from Sulfolobus solfataricus”.
• September 15^th-26^th 2012: Participation to the meeting “Proteine 2012”, Chieti, Italy. Oral presentation entitled “Characterizing intermolecular interactions that initiate native-like protein aggregation”.
• July 16^th-20^th 2012: Participation to the International Workshop “The Emerging Dynamic View of Proteins: Protein Plasticity in Allostery, Evolution, and Self-Assembly”, Dresden, Germany. Oral presentation entitled “Characterizing intermolecular interactions that initiate native-like protein aggregation”.
• August 23^rd-27^th 2011: Participation to the 8^th European Biophysics Congress (EBSA) in Budapest and presentation of the poster entitled “Characterizing the amyloidogenic state of the acylphosphatase from Sulfolobus solfataricus”.
• May 22^nd-26^th 2011: Participation to the IX European symposium of The Protein Society in Stockholm and presentation of the poster entitled “Characterizing the early stages of the amyloid-like aggregation of Sso AcP”.
• June 26^th - July 1^st 2010: Participation at the 35^th FEBS meeting in Gothenburg (Sweden) and oral presentation entitled “Characterization of the aggregation competent state of the acylphosphatase from S. Solfataricus”.
• Februaby 15^th-16^th 2008: Participation to the third EURAMY meeting at Charite Hospital in Berlin (Germany). Oral presentation entitled “The role of aromatic residues in amyloid formation”.
• July 24^th-27^th 2007: Participation to 21^st annual Symposium of the Protein Society (Boston, Massachussets). Presentation of the poster entitled “Enzymatic activity in a non-native state of a protein”.
• September 17^th-24^th 2006: Presentation of the poster “Biological function in a non-native partially folded state of a protein” at the “EMBO Young Investigator PhD course 2006” in Heidelberg (Germany);
• March 25^th-28^th 2006: presentation of the poster “Assessing the role of aromatic residues in the amyloid aggregation of human muscle acylphosphatase” at the “EMBO-FEBS workshop on amyloid formation: Structure, mechanism of formation and cellular effects of amyloid aggregates” in Florence (Italy);
• June 7^th-10^th 2005: Participation to the “18^th national meeting for Ph.D. students in Biochemical Sciences” in Brallo di Pregola (Pavia, Italy) and presentation of the poster “Studying the role of aromatic residues in the aggregation of human muscle acylphosphatase”.
• May 20^th 2004: Participation to the meeting “Proteins 2004” in Viterbo (Italy) and presentation of the poster “Presence of enzymatic activity in a partially folded state formed during folding of acylphosphatase from Sulfolobus solfataricus suggests a new adaptive force to extreme environments”.

Playing piano;

chess;

Science in general;