Toxic Enzymes and Immunotargeting Lab

Teaching activity:

Internship for the preparation of the experimental graduate thesis (Medicine and Surgery, Biology of Health, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Medical Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Pharmacy)

Instrumentation:

Extraction, purification, and analysis of proteins

• Homogenizers, Ultra-Turrax, Blender, Potter for the trituration/homogenization of animal and plant cells and tissues. Cold room equipped with counters for performing experiments at 4°C. Low-pressure chromatography systems for small-scale purifying of plant, animal, and bacterial proteins with variable-dimension chromatograph columns (diameter from 0.5-5 cm; height from 1-100 cm).  Medium- and high-pressure chromatography systems (FPLC Pharmacia) and HPLC (Waters) with reverse-phase columns and size exclusion. Mass spectrometer Micromass ZQ (Waters). Nitrogen generator. Gamma counter (LKB). Chromatographic fraction collector for tube sizes from 0.5 ml to 20 ml (LKB, Pharmacia).

Molecular biology

• Systems for electrophoresis of DNA and proteins (horizontal and vertical) (Bio-Rad). Thermostatic incubator at 37°C (Heraeus), dry-air sterilizer at 300°C (Binder), orbital incubator/agitator(Queue), temperature-controlled water baths, spectrophotometer (Kontron), fluorimeter(Kontron),  electrophoresis e isoelectric focusing PhastSystem (Pharmacia).

Immunology

• Systems for Western blot (Bio-Rad), colorimetric reader for microplates (Termo Labsystems).

Cellular biology

• Laminar flow biohazard fume hood, inverted microscope with camera, cell harvester for collecting cells in suspension (Betaplate, Wallac), CO₂ incubator (Heraeus), freezers at -20°C e -80°C, liquid nitrogen containers for ctoring cells.

Generic instruments

• Analytical scale Mettler AE240, technical scale Mettler BB2400, fume hood, thermostat refrigerant for the chromatographic/electrophoresis columns (Applied Thermal Control), roller agitator (Table Universal), rocking agitator (Finepcr), ultrasonic bath (Elma), pH meters and conductivity meters (Radiometer), Beckman refrigerated centrifuge  with rotors for medium and large volumes (10 ml-2400 ml) and Eppendorf for small volumes (ml-μl).

Collaborations

Cecilia Chiarelli Olivari, grant holder,  team member

Chiara Roncuzzi, graduate student, team member

Andrea Di Vincenzo, intern, team member

Elisa Viviani, intern, team member