PhD in BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

email: melinos@uniroma2.it
phone: +390672594410
building: Macroarea di Scienze
room: 13 settore F livello 0

1992 Master Degree, summa cum laude, in “Biological Sciences”/“Biochemistry”, University of Rome "Sapienza" Italy; 1992-1995 Specialization in Biotechnology cum laude (with fellowship Montedison-ENI), University of Rome "Tor Vergata"; 1997-2000 Ph.D in “Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics” at University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti, Italy; 2002 Researcher in Biochemistry (SSD- Bio10- 05/E1) at the Department of Sciences and Chemical Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”; 2003-2010 Member of the Centre for Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.; 2012/2013 National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professor in Biochemistry (SSD- Bio 10); 2013- present Member of the Editorial Board of Molecular & Cellular Oncology; 2015 Associate Professor in Biochemistry (SSD- Bio 10) at the of Sciences and Chemical Technologies; 2015 Member of the Spin-off Algares s.r.l. ; 2016 -present Founder and Member of CIMER-Interdepatmental Center of Regenerative Medicine–University of Rome Tor Vergata; 2017 National Scientific Qualification for Full Professor in Biochemistry (SSD- Bio 10); 2017 Rita Levi Montalcini Award as Italian leader of the joint-project with prof. D. Seliktar of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology of Haifa- Israel “Novel 3D Hydrogel Scaffolds for Tissue Repair and Regeneration” ; 2017 –present Member of “Commissione Paritetica” for Chemistry degree; 2018- present Member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Molecular Science; 2019 Member of “Commissione Scienza Orienta” for the Department of Sciences and Chemical Technologies. She has drawn the following INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS signed with the University of Rome Tor Vergata: 2009 Deakin University Melburne- Australia; 2013 Uniwersytet Jagiellonski w Krakowie- Poland; 2011 Technion-Israel Institute of Technology of Haifa- Israel. 2018 Technion-Israel Institute of Technology of Haifa- Israel.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY For more than 20 years she has been investigating in Biochemistry field. Initially the Sonia Melino’s research work was focused on the structural and functional characterization of proteins/peptides including: proteins of the phase II of the detoxification system and viral proteases, Calmodulin-like proteins, Reticulon1-C and WW domains and metal antimicrobial peptides. Her current research is focused on the study of the effects on pluripotent and cancer cells of Organo-sulfur Compounds that are hydrogen sulfide releasing agents, and on the fabrication of novel composite 3D-scaffolds based on proteins for tissue regeneration and cancer models. At this moment, she is a co-author of 90 papers published on international peer-reviewed journals. She has been referee for several international scientific journals.
TEACHING ACTIVITY. 2002-2009 Teacher of “Laboratory of Biochemistry”, University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Master Degree in Chemistry); 2009-present Teacher of “Biochemistry and Laboratory (9 CFU)”, University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Master Degree in Chemistry); Teacher of “Macromolecules and Biochemical Processes” (6 CFU), University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Master Degree in Material Sciences and Technologies); 2010-present Member of Teaching Council of the PhD Program in “Molecular and Cellular Biology”, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.
Recent Congress Communications
 Giulia Cinotti, Silvia Buonvino , Dror Seliktar and Sonia Melino 3D-culture system changes migration, proliferation and response to the H2S-releasing donors treatment of breast cancer cells PNG 2022- Roma
 Silvia Buonvino, Noemi Labbate, Matteo Ciocci, Francesca Nanni, Ilaria Cacciotti and Sonia Melino Vegetal waste-based biomaterials from Lupinus albus for mesenchymal stem cell scaffold in tissue repair PNG 2022- Roma
 Ilaria Cacciotti, Matteo Ciocci, Francesca Nanni, Sonia Melino (corresponding author: I. Cacciotti), Organosulfur compounds loaded poly(lactic acid) fibrous membranes as active protection mask filter, Book of Abstracts 3rd International CBRNe Workshop (IW CBRNe 2016): Building a strong CBRNe Scientific Community, ISBN 9788888748894.
 Ilaria Cacciotti, Matteo Ciocci, Francesca Nanni, Sonia Melino, Membrane fibrose a base di acido polilattico e composti organosolfuri come scaffold per la rigenerazione tessutale, In: Bedini R, Pecci R, Meleo D, Meli P (Ed.). 4° Convegno Nazionale del Forum On Regenerative Methods: Tecnologie innovative nelle metodiche di rigenerazione tissutale (FORM 2017), 11th-12th May 2017. Riassunti. Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy; ISTISAN Congressi 17/C2, ISSN 0393-5620.
 2021 45th FEBS congress Slovenia S. Buonvino, M. Ciocci, D. Seliktar and S. Melino H2S donors for Photo¬-Polymerization Damage Protection in 3D ¬Stem Cell Culture Systems FEBS OPEN BIO 11, 490-490
 2019 Congresso Nazionale Biomateriali 5-7 giugno Centro residenziale e studi (CRS) della Scuola Nazionale dell'Amministrazione (SNA), Caserta Cacciotti I., Ciocci M., Di Giovanni E., Melino S. INNOVATIVE H2S RELEASING FIBROUS MATS AS PROMISING PLATFORMS FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
 2017 28th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials Athens, Greece: 1) M.Ciocci, I. Cacciotti, E. Di Giovanni, F. Nanni and S. Melino. H2S-ReleasingNanofibers for improving the therapeutic effectiveness of Progenitor Stem Cells
2) M. Ciocci, I. Cacciotti, E. Di Giovanni and S. Melino. Exploring 3D protein hydrogel scaffolds: from use of fibrous proteins to protein microspheres for driving the fate of human progenitor cells
 2016 41st FEBS Congress (Federation of European Biochemical Societies) - Kusadasi, Turkey:
1) M. Ciocci, E. Di Giovanni, F. Mochi, P. Prosposito, P. Di Nardo, M.Casalboni and S. Melino. 3D Composite Hydrogel Scaffolds for Driving the Fate of Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells (FEBS J, 283: P-07.01.3-028. doi:10.1111/febs.13808)
2) M. Ciocci, E. Di Giovanni, M. Colaiacovo and S. Melino. Slow-Releasing H2S Donors: Growth-Stimulating Molecules for Cardiac Tissue Repair (FEBS J, 283: P-06.02.3-001. doi:10.1111/febs.13808)
 4° National Congress Forum On Regenerative Methods: Tecnologie innovative nelle metodiche di rigenerazione tissutale (FORM 2017), 11th-12th May 2017. Ilaria Cacciotti, Matteo Ciocci, Francesca Nanni, Sonia Melino, Membrane fibrose a base di acido polilattico e composti organosolfuri come scaffold per la rigenerazione tessutale, In: Bedini R, Pecci R, Meleo D, Meli P (Ed.). Riassunti. Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy; ISTISAN Congressi 17/C2, ISSN 0393-5620.
 3° National Congress FORM. Forum On Regenerative Methods. Metodiche rigenerative: applicazioni innovative in odontostomatologia e ortopedia. Roma, 7-8 aprile 2016 Ilaria Cacciotti, Francesca Nanni, Sonia Melino Sistemi multifunzionali a base di acido polilattico e filler naturali: proprietà termiche, meccaniche e antimicrobiche, In: Bedini R, Pecci R, Meleo D, Meli P (Ed.). . Riassunti. Roma: Istituto Superiore di Sanità; 2016 (ISTISAN Congressi 16/C1), ISSN 0393-5620.
 Ilaria Cacciotti, Matteo Ciocci, Francesca Nanni, Sonia Melino Organosulfur compounds loaded poly(lactic acid) fibrous membranes as active protection mask filter, Book of Abstracts 3rd International CBRNe Workshop (IW CBRNe 2016): Building a strong CBRNe Scientific Community, ISBN 9788888748894.
 2016 - National Biomaterial Congress SIB 2016 - Ischia (NA), Italy:
M. Ciocci, I. Cacciotti and S. Melino. 3D Silk-Fibroin Hydrogel Scaffolds Functionalized with Protein-Microspheres for Cardiac Tissue Repair (J Appl Biomaterial Funct Mater. 2016 Jul 26;14(3):e314-e393. doi:10.5301/jabfm.5000321)
 2017 – Nature Conferences, Regeneration 2017 – San Raffaele Congress Center, Milan, Italy:
E. Di Giovanni, M. Ciocci, I. Cacciotti and S. Melino. Slow-releasing hydrogen sulfide donors: innovative tools for stem cell based tissue repair and regeneration
 2016 - 3rd International CBRNe Workshop - Univerisity of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy:
 I. Cacciotti, M. Ciocci, F. Nanni and S. Melino. Organosulfur compounds poly(lactic acid) fibrous membranes as active protection mask filter 2016 National Biomaterial Congress SIB 2016 - Ischia (NA), Italy:
I. Cacciotti, M. Ciocci, F. Nanni and S. Melino. The influence of garlic extracts on the thermal, mechanical and biological properties of electrospun poly(lactic acid) fibers (J Appl Biomaterial Funct Mater. 2016 Jul 26; 14(3):e314-e393. doi:10.5301/jabfm.5000321)
 2016 18th Italian National Conference on Photonic Technologies - Rome, Italy:F. Mochi, P. Prosposito, R. Francini, F. De Matteis, S. Melino, Matteo Ciocci, Paolo Di Nardo, Slava Ksenzov, Sigurd Schrader, Mauro Casalboni. Advanced biocompatible photolithographic scaffolds for tissue engineering (doi:10.1049/cp.2016.0944)
 2016 5th National Bioengineering Congress (GNB 2016) - Univerisity of Naples “Federico II”,Italy:
I. Cacciotti, M. Ciocci, F. Nanni and S. Melino. Organosulfur compounds loaded poly(lactic acid) fibrous mats for tissue regeneration
 2016 International Conference on Processing & Manufacturing of Advanced Materials (THERMEC’16) - Graz, Austria:
P. Prosposito, S. Melino, M. Ciocci, R. Francini, F. Mochi, F. De Matteis, P.Di Nardo, Sl. Ksenzov, S. Schrader, M. Casalboni. Photolithography of 3D scaffolds for Artificial Tissue
 2017 11th International Phycological Conference - Szczecin, Poland:
E. Bellini, M. Ciocci, S. Savio, S. Antonaroli, D. Seliktar, S. Melino and R. Congestri. Trichormus variabilis (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) exopolymers for hydrogel applications in enzyme encapsulation and tissue engineering