Rosario Vallone

I have a strong experience in protein biochemistry and biophysics and good skills in cellular biology. My principal research interests are the molecular in vitro characterization of calcium (Ca²⁺) sensor proteins.

During my PhD I was involved in a biochemical and biophysics study of uncharacterized plants calmodulin-like proteins, in terms of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ affinity, structural changes and targets interaction upon ions binding, in order to clarify whether these proteins may be endowed with the typical features of the Ca²⁺ sensors and elucidate their physiological role in plants Ca²⁺ signalling.

Currently I am involved in a detailed study focused to investigate the biochemical and biophysical properties of human Neuronal calcium sensors (hNCSs) and the effects of genetically inherited missense mutations associated to retinal dystrophies on the structural/functional features of these proteins.

Moreover I am involved in a study aimed to investigate a possible future application in retinal dystrophies therapy of nano-sized liposomes encapsulated with wild type NCSs proteins, with the final goal to replace mutated endogenous proteins.

Projects:

· Understanding the molecular basis of the functional defects in CIB2 related to Usher syndrome type 1J.

· Molecular design of nanovesicles for protein-replacement in retinal dystrophies therapeutics.