I received my PhD in Pharmaceutical Science in 2002, and soon after I started intensive training in carbohydrate chemistry under the mentorship of Alessandro Dondoni PhD (University of Ferrara, IT). Here I focused on the synthesis of C-glycosides and their conversion into constrained peptidomimetics by thiazole-based aminohomologation. Then from 2004-2005 I worked in a spin-off company (Protera s.r.l., Florence, IT) on the development of glycans-based therapeutics and, in particular, on the synthesis of monosaccharides bearing inhibitors of Matrix Metalloproteinases. After I moved to the lab of Cristina Nativi, PhD (University of Florence, IT) as a post-doctoral fellow for two years studying and mastering the synthesis of mimetics of tumor associated carbohydrate antigens. Then, in 2007, I awarded a fellowship on a strategic project of the Tumor Tuscany Institute and I focused synthesis of a complex oligosaccharide epitopes related to glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors.
In 2007, I was awarded the position of Assistant Professor (Department of Chemistry, University of Florence (IT)) and, in 2017, I was promoted to Associate Professor. In 2015, I obtained the Diplôme d’Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches, (Universitè Grenoble-Alpes, FR).
Currently, I am a PI of the GlycoFluoNano lab that is located within the Department of Chemistry at the University of Florence (IT) and I am the Scientific Representative and Leader of the Working Group on immunity of the COST Action CA18103 (INNOGLY).
CURRENT POSITION
2017 Associate Professor,Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence (IT).
PREVIOUS POSITIONS
2007-2017Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence (IT).
2007 Post-doc fellow. Tuscany Tumour Institute, Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Florence (IT). Synthesis of the central core of glycosilphosphatidilinositol (GPI).
2006 Post-doc fellow. Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Florence (IT). Synthesis of mannose-based derivatives as mimetics of the tumour antigen GM3-Lactone.
2004-2005 Junior researcher. Spin off Protera s.r.l. (Florence, IT). Synthesis of a new family Matrix Metalloproteinases inhibitors.
2003 Post-doc fellow. Center of excellence on inflammatory diseases, University of Ferrara (IT). Synthesis of C-glycosides as potential anti-inflammatory drugs.
ACADEMIC DEGREES
2015 Diplôme d’Habilitation à Diriger les RecherchesSPECIALITE CHIMIE, Universitè Joseph Fourier Grenoble-Alpes (FR).
2002 PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Messina (IT). Nucleoside analogues: New approaches towards the synthesis of chemokine antagonists and Inverse Transcriptase inhibitors.
VISITING SCIENTIST
12/2019 Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (Florida International University, Miami, USA). COST Action CA18103 INNOGLY.
Collaboration with Robert. Sackstein (M.D., Ph.D.) on the development of selective fucosyltransferase inhibitors.
10/2018 Harvard Medical School, Boston (USA).
10/2013 University of Bristol (UK). COST Action CM1102 MultiGlycoNANO.
Collaboration with Carmen. Galan (Ph.D.) on the conjugation of CdSe/ZnS nanodots to multivalent glyco-derived small molecules and MMPIs.
06/2012 CERMAV-CNRS in Grenoble (FR). COST Action CM1102.
Collaboration with Anne Imberty (Ph.D.) on ITC Studies for the Assessment of Binding Interactions between small synthetic glycomimetics and bacterial lectin.
10-12/2010 University College of Dublin (IR), Center for Synthesis and Chemical Biology. Collaboration with Stefan Oscarson (Ph.D.) on the synthesis of microbial oligosaccharides for the production of glycoconjugate vaccines.
GRANTED RESEARCH PROJECTS
Role: Scientific Head /Principal Investigator
2019 Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze. Development of sphingosine-1-phosphate inhibitors: toward the control of atrophy muscle fibrosis.
2018 EU COST Action CA18103: INNOvation with GLYcans: new frontiers from synthesis to new biological targets. Role: Scientific representative, MC member, WG3 leader: Glycan dependent fine tuning of immunity.
2017 Regione Toscana, POR-CREOFESR 2014-2020. Multi-functional Nanofiller with UV-absorbing and preserving activity.
2015 Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze. Targeting microbial fucose-specific lectins: Synthesis and binding studies of multivalent systems containing a fucose mimetic.
2014 Tuscany Tumor Institute. Chemotherapic-induced pain: development of a new family of compounds with antihyperalgesic efficacy.
2008 MiUR, Italian Department of Public Education, PRIN project of national interest Ionic polysaccharides immunomodulators containing ammonium or sulfonium ions as cationic motif. Role: Co-Principal Investigator.
Scientific research contracts with private companies/institutions
2020 Jaber Innovation s.r.l.. Nanochitin functionalization with bioactive molecules.
2020 Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS. Biomimetic antimicrobial stent coated by graphene oxide to prevent biofilm formation and stent occlusion.
2019 Cromology Italia. Conjugation of modular fluorescent tools to carbohydrate-based biopolymers for the development of new generation fluorescent paints.
2017 Associazione CIEMMESSE-Girotondo per sempre O.N.L.U.S. Synthesis and biological evaluation of new ligands of b3-adrenergic receptor.
2017 Cromology Italia. Functionalized nanomaterials for new generation paints.
Donations from ONLUS foundations
2019-2021 L’Amore di Matteo Coveri ONLUS. Rational design and synthesis of b3-adrenergic ligands: toward the development of new anticancer therapeutic approaches.
2018Un Amico per tutti O.N.L.U.S. Rational design and synthesis of b3-adrenergic ligands: toward the development of new anticancer therapeutic approaches.
Role: Member of the Research Unit
2020 EU H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020, "SUPRO-GENE" Supramolecular Polyamine Gene Vectors for Cancer Therapy.
2018 COST Action ERNEST: European Research Network on Signal Transduction. Substitute member of the Management COMMITTEE.
2015 MiUR, Italian Department of Public Education, PRIN project of national interest. Nanoplatforms for enhanced immune response.
2012 AIRC, Italian partnership for cancer research. Nanosystems for multivalent presentation of a stable GM3 lactone mimetic as modulator of melanoma progression.
2011 EU COST Action CM1102: Multivalent Glycosystems for Nanoscience. Role: MC substitute member (IT).
2010 MiUR, Italian Department of Public Education, PRIN project of national interest. Italian network for the development of multivalent nanosystems (MULTINANOITA).
2008 Tuscany Tumour Institute. “Immunotheraphy of Melanoma: Production and Characterization of a Novel anti-GM3 Monoclonal Anibodies”.
AWARDS
2016Richichi,B. et al. ACS Med Chem Lett. 2016. 7, 28-33was selected, for its innovation and for significant impact of scientific results, to be featured in World Biomedical Frontiers (section: Cancer, http://biomedfrontiers.org/cancer-2016-4-22/).
2014Richichi, B. et al Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2014, 53, 11917-11920 was highlighted in Science-Business eXchange a weekly publication that gets together the most prominent scientific results of Nature Publishing Group (SciBX 7(39), doi:10.1038/scibx.2014.1147).
2013Richichi, B.* et al. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2013, 11, 4086-4094was selected for inclusion in the weekly RSC Publishing press pack.It was also published on the OBC blog as paper of relevant scientific impact in the section “Chemical Biology and Medicinal”.
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
2020-2021 Scientific expert for the French National Research Agency (ANR).
2019 to date Scientific Head of the academic consortium WeGONANO. (http://www.instm.it/news/0000002201.aspx).
2019 to date Referee of PhD thesis, for the European School of Molecular Medicine (CAMPUS IFOM-IEO, Milan (IT)) and for the Doctoral school of Chemical Science (University of Milan).
2016 to date Member of Board of the Italian Chemical Society Section of Tuscany.
2014 Referee for the VQR 2011-2014. Italian evaluation process of the scientific research.
ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETING
10/2020 Co-chair in the WG1-WG3 joint meeting: Glycosylation in Cancer and Tumour Immunology. i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto,
Porto, Portugal - Virtual Conference.
10/2018 Member of the organizing committee of the XXII International Conference on Organic Synthesis (22-ICOS), Florence (IT).
2009-2016 Member of organizing committee of the Advanced School on Carbohydrate Chemistry (Pontignano-Siena, IT).
EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
2019 Lead Guest Editor, Special Issue: “Metalloenzymes as Therapeutic tergets”, Curr.Med.Chem., 2019, 26 (15). DOI: 10.2174/092986732615190725122012.
2010 to date Referee for the journals published by the Royal Chemical Society and Checker for the scientific book Carbohydrate chemistry, proven synthetic methods. Bethesda: Pavol Kovac, ISBN: 9781439866894.
PERIOD OF LEAVE
09/2014-02/2015 Maternity leave
03/2015-04/2015 Sick leave
06/2017 Sick leave
SUPERVISOR ACTIVITY
2017 to date Supervisor 4 short-fellows on the synthesis of Glycomimetics and Nanomaterials.
2015 to date Supervisor 11 post-doc on the synthesis of Glycomimetics and Nanomaterials.
2014 to date Supervisor of 3 PhD Thesis in Chemical Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Florence (IT).
2004 to date Co-supervisor/supervisor of more than 19 master degree within the Laurea course in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, 11 master degree with the Laurea course in Chemical science, 3 Bachelor degree in Biotechnology.
TEACHING
2021 to date Associate Professor in the course: Membrane associated glycoconjugates: structure, synthesis and molecular recognition in physiological and pathological events. Laurea course in Biotechnology.
2016 Lecture: The biological role and specificity of O-glycosides. (Post-Laurea) Master in “Drug design and Synthesis” (University of Siena, IT)
2012-2013 Lecture: Sugar-derived compounds in cycloaddition reactions: synthesis of bioactive molecules. PhD course in Chemical Science (University of Florence, IT).
2007 to date: Assistant Professor (2007-2017) and Associate Professor (2017 to date) in Organic Chemistry within the Laurea courses in: Biotechnology, Quality assurance, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science.
My lab (GlycoFluoNano) is located at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Firenze and it is engaged in three main areas of Glycoscience that are at the interface between Glycochemistry and Glycobiology, specifically in the: i) synthesis of glycomimetics and glycan-based therapeutics; ii) synthesis and functionalization of glyconanomaterials; and iii) the synthesis of fluorescent probes. In the GlycoFluoNano lab we are studying Sulphur chemistry to develop glycomimetics with an original architecture aimed at exploiting glycan mimicry for the development of anticancer vaccines and antimicrobial agents. More recently, these mimetics have been repurposed as selective inhibitors of glycosyltransferases by opening of a new intriguing research area for the laboratory. We have also developed a new generation of modular and functional BODIPY-based fluorescent tools aimed either at the targeting of C-type lectins on immune cells or as serving as carbohydrate synthetic receptor for the labelling of complex glycoproteins. My lab is also engaged in research projects aimed at technology transfer for industrial applications, by working on the development of smart bioactive nanomaterials for diverse industrial-driven and biomedical applications (i.e, biomedical implants, textile, paints). Then, recently, we developed, in collaboration with the European Oncological Institute in Milan, a biocompatible carbohydrate-based hybrid nanoplatform with applications in combined radio- and immuno-therapy. We are also addressing the chemical synthesis of glycan-based therapeutics and bioactive small molecules that find specific applications (i.e., cancer, pain management) by targeting specific enzymes (i.e., proteases, kinases) or transmembrane receptors (GCPRs).
GLYCOFLUONANO LAB
Progetti di ricerca per Tesi di Laurea (Triennali e Magistrali)
1.Progettazione e sintesi di glicoconiugati di membrana e glicomimetici(sviluppo di vaccini tra cui antitumorali, antimicrobici, e per le malattie autoimmuni).
2.Nanoparticelle a base di biopolimeri (rilascio di farmaci, adiuvanti per la regolazione del sistema immunitario) preparazione e funzionalizzazione attraverso processi in ‘batch’ e viameccanochimica.
3.Sondefluorescenti costituite da piccole molecole organiche (bioimaging, studi di rilascio di farmaci, terapia fotodinamica nel cancro).
4.Inibitori enzimatici (tra cui glicosidasi e fosfatasi. Applicazioni: antitumorali, malattie muscolari, cancro).
5.Nanoadditivi ad attività preservante per applicazioni industriali (settori di ricerca delle aziende con cui il gruppo di ricerca collabora: vernici, abbigliamento, packaging alimentare)
6.Ligandi di recettori (adrenergici e sfingolipidici) di membrana (antitumorali).
Compatibilmente con il progetto selezionato sarà possibile svolgere un periodo della tesi in laboratori di ricerca (in Italia e all’estero) con cui il gruppo ha attive collaborazioni di ricerca o in azienda dove lo studente potrà acquisire competenze complementari quali saggi biologici e microbiologici in vitro ed in vivo.
Tra le collaborazioni attive:
-Istituto Oncologico Europeo (Milano)
-Fondazione Umberto Veronesi (Milano)
-Florida International University (Miami, Florida, USA)
-Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Milano (IT)
-University of Exert (UK)
-Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Sperimentali e Cliniche, Università di Firenze (IT)
-Università di Santiago de Compostela (Spagna)
-University of Zaragoza (Spagna)
-CICbiomaGUNE di San Sebastian (Spagna)
-University of Nottingham (UK)
-University of Montreal (Canada)
-CNRS di Strasburgo (Francia)
-Karolinska Institute (Stoccolma)
-University of Groningen (Olanda)
-University of Lillè (Francia)
-University of Ljubljana(Slovenia)
-Cromology Italia (Toscana)
-Beste S.p.A. (Toscana)
-Yacht Pride (Toscana/Malta)
Legenda
