CASELLI Emilia

Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry
Department of Life Sciences (DSV), Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE)

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7248-9453
Scopus Author ID: 7003824707

BIBLIOMETRIC INDECES (Scopus)
Number of publications: 46
H-index: 24
Total Citations: 2371 (1886 documents)
Patents: 5
Papers in preparation: 5

PERSONAL DETAILS
3rd November 1971
Nationality: Italian


SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC CAREER
December 2018 to date Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry, DSV, UNIMORE

December 2015 - December 2018 Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, DSV, UNIMORE

2015 National Academic Qualification as Associate Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry

2014 National Academic Qualification as Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry

2014-2015 Research Contract (CoCoCo, 12 months), DSV, UNIMORE. "Challenges in beta-Lactamase Mediated Resistance"

2009-2014 Co-founder and Director of Reaserach of the academic spin off company "TheraBor Pharmaceuticals", devoted to the development of a technologic platform of chemicals containing the Boron atom.

2011-2012 Research Associate (AdR, 12 months), DSV. UNIMORE. "Design and stereoselective synthesis of beta-lactamase Inhibitors"

2009-2011 Research Associate (AdR, 24 months), Department of Chemistry, UNIMORE. "Design and stereoselective synthesis of beta-lactamase Inhibitors"

2005-2009 Research Contract (CoCoCo, 33 months), Dep. of Chemistry, UNIMORE. "Structure, function and inhibition of the beta-lactamase SHV"

2002-2005 Research Associate (AdR, 24 months), Dep. of Chemistry. UNIMORE. "Design and stereoselective synthesis of beta-lactamase Inhibitors"

2001 Research Contract (CoCoCo, 12 months), Dep. of Chemistry, UNIMORE. "Synthesis of potential beta-lactamase inhibitors"

Jan 2001 Ph.D. in Chemistry: "Design and synthesis of beta-lactamase inhibitors", supervisor Prof. F. Prati.

1998-1999 Visiting Ph.D. Student (13 months) at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Northwestern University, Chicago, supervisor Prof. B. K. Shoichet.

1997-2001 PhD student in Chemistry at the University of Modena, supervisor Prof. F. Prati.

1995 Bachelor of Science in Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, third class Honours

1994-1995 Erasmus Project (9 months) at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

1997 M.Sc. in Chemistry (110/110).

1990-1997 Undergraduate student at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Modena.

MATERNITY LEAVE
2002-2003 Maternity leave (Nov 2002-Apr 2003, 5 months)
2004-2005 Maternity leave (Feb 2004-March 2005, 13 months)
2007 Maternity leave (Feb 2004-March 2005, 9 months)
2011-2012 Maternity leave (Feb 2004-March 2005, 8 months)

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Biocatalytic Stereoselective Synthesis
During my thesis degree I worked on enzymatic resolution of 2-hydroxymehtylaziridines (J Chem Soc, Perkin Trans, 2002) and of carboxylated aziridine catalysed by Lipases, followed by ring opening reaction to afford stereochemically active beta-substitued aspartates (JOC, 1997)

Synthesis of Boronic Acids as Molecular Probes
In collaboration with Prof B. K. Shoichet, were I spent 13 moths during my PhD, we designed and synthesized alpha-acylaminomethaneboronic acids as a new class of beta-lactamase inhibitors. These boronic acids, bearing different canonical beta-lactam side chains, allowed an energetical analysis of the molecular recognition enzyme-substrate between these groups, typical of the antibiotics, and enzymes responsible for antibiotic resistance. (Chem Biol, 2001, WO Patent, 2002)

Stereoselective Synthesis of Boronic acids as Nanomolar Enzyme Inhibitors
The alpha-acylaminomethaneboronic acids were further derivatized by stereoselectively insert a meta-carboxyphenyl side chain on the carbon alpha to the boron, through the optimization of the Matteson omologation. This new class of compounds proved to be excellent beta-lactamase inhibitors. (Biochem, 2001, JACS, 2003)

Design and Synthesis of cross-active beta-lactamases Inhibitors
The synthesized boronic acids, besides being nanomolar enzyme inhibitors, proved to have good pharmacological profile, opening the possibility of using them as potential drugs. Starting from 2008 a fruitful collaboration with the clinical microbiologist Prof R. Bonomo (Case Western University, Cleveland) has began to examine in depth this possibility. (Biochem, 2009; Biochem, 2010; Prot Sci, 2011, Front in Microbiol, 2022)

Boronic Acids as Chemical Derivatizing Agent (CDA)
Enantioselective synthesis of chiral boronic acids as CDA. Development of a new strategy for the enanatiomeric composition determination of 1,2 diol mixtures, through formation of cyclic boronates. (Org Lett. 2003; Tet Asymm. 2005)

Boronic Acids active against Antibacterial Resistant Strains
Synthesis of chiral boronic acids optimized for the activity against bacterial resistant strains expressing Extended Serine Beta-Lactamases (ESBLs) (J Med Chem, 2013, Biochem, 2014) as well as against Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant strains (ACS Infec Dis, 2015) and Carbapenemase (AAC, 2016, AAC, 2020, PCT Patent 2022).

SAR studies: Synthesis of Sulfonamide Boronic Acids
Lead Optimization of the alpha-acilammido boronic acids was conducted by replacement of the amide side chain with a sulfonamide. The new class of inhibitors were synthesized and proved to be sub-nanomolar inhibitors of class C beta-lactamases, active also in vivo (J Med Chem, 2010; PNAS, 2012, WO Patent 2013, Antibiotics, 2023)

Synthesis of Boronic Acids containing the triazole ring
Synthesis of chiral 1-amido-2-triazolylethaneboronic acids (J. Med. Chem., 2015; AAC., 2016, back to back papers, WO Patent 2013) and of [(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl]-boronic acids (Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2015, ACS Infect. Dis., 2017, US Patent, 2017, Chem Med Chem 2020, ACS Infec Dis, 2020, AAC, 2023, J. Med. Chem., 2023) through copper-catalyzed azide- alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction.

Synthesis of Chiral alpha-boryl isonitrile
New innovative synthesis of chiral alpha-boryl isonitrile bearing aminoacid side chain as building block for multicomponent reactions (Org Biomol Chem, 2021)

Kinetic Target Guided Synthesis of beta-lactamase inhibitors
In situ click chemistry between an azide-bearing boronic acid warhead and a library of alkynes to select the best enzyme inhibitors of clinically relevant beta-lactamases (manuscript in preparation)

TEACHING ACTIVITIES
From A.Y. 2015/2016 to date
Appointed Professor in “Organic Chemistry” (10 ECTS),
M.Sc. in Pharmacy, DSV,UNIMORE.

From A.Y. 2019/2020 to date
Adjunctive Professor in “Organic Chemistry” (2 ECTS, Laboratory),
B.Sc. in Biology, DSV,UNIMORE.

A.Y 2023/2024
Adjunctive Professor in “Organic Chemistry” (2 ECTS, Laboratory),
B.Sc. in Biotechnology, DSV,UNIMORE.
A.Y. 2001/2002
A.Y. 2000/2001
Teaching Assistant of Organic Chemistry, M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (20 hours of exercise, first year), Department of Pharmacy, UNIMORE

SUPERVISOR of MSc and PhD STUDENTS
After I started the Ph.D. studies, I co-supervised several M.Sc. and then PhD students in Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. I supervised 7 M.Sc. students in Pharmacy and 4 Post Doctoral Research Associate

RECENT AWARDS AND GRANTS
NIH/NIAID 2024-2028,
Federal Award N° 2R01AI072219
Understanding β-Lactam Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii – II°
PI Prof. Robert Bonomo, Case Western Reserve University (CASE), Cleveland (Ohio, USA)
Role Co-PI

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – Horizon Europe
HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01 - Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
Boronic Acids as a New Strategy to Boost beta-Lactam Antibiotics for the Treatment of Tubercolosis” (BAN-BOOT)
Role Supervisor (V. Villamil recipient)

MIUR, PRIN2022
Fighting CArbapenemase RESistance by kinetic target guided Synthesis (CARESS)
PI Prof. MG Perilli, Università dell’Aquila
Role local PI

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – Horizon Europe
HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01 - Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors Synthesised through in Situ click chemistry (BLISS)
Role Supervisor (N.Santi recipient)

NIH/NIAID 2019-2023,
Federal Award N° 2R01AI072219-11
Understanding β-Lactam Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii – II°
PI Prof. Robert Bonomo, Case Western Reserve University (CASE), Cleveland (Ohio, USA)
Role key-personnel

NIH/NIAID 2019-2024,
Federal Award N° 2R01AI063517-11A1
Challenges in beta-Lactamase Mediated Resistance
PI Prof. Robert Bonomo (CASE, OH)
Role key-personnel

FFABR 2017(Base Research Grant), MIUR Italy (Ministry of Research and University).2018-2020
Role: PI

University Research Fund (FAR) – UNIMORE, 2017-2019
Boronic Acids as AI-2 Quorum Sensing Inhibitors affecting Biofilm Formation
Role PI

Harrington Discovery Institute (Cleveland, OH, USA), 2014-2019
Development of Novel Agents to Treat Emerging Infectious Disease Threats
PI Prof. Robert Bonomo, (CASE,OH)
Role key-personnel


INVITED SEMINARS

2021 - IC2AR (4th International Caparica Conference in Antibiotic Resistance, Portugal) (Keynote Communication) "Triazolyl Boronic Acids: novel scaffolds for cross class β-lactamase inhibition"
2023 Case VA Center for Antimicrobial Resistance (Case VA CARES) – Virtual Seminar “20 years research on boronic acids: from molecular probes to AMR candidates”
2023 - 14th beta-lactamase Meeting (Aquila, Italy) “MB076: a new Boronic Acid Inhibitor targeting Extended Spectrum b-lactamases (ESBL), Klebsiella Carbapenemase KPC, and Acinetobacter Derived Cephalosporinases (ADCs)”