C ATERINA

M USETTI,

P h.D.

Department

of

Chemistry

and

Biochemistry,

Georgia

Institute

of

Technology,

Atlanta

GA

30332

Email:

acc6xq@r.postjobfree.com

Phone:

404.824

6614

O BJECTIVE

Biophysics

expert

seeking

new

opportunities

for

professional

growth

in

a

pharmaceutical,

medical

or

biotech

environment.

Q UALIFICATIONS

Strong

expertise

in

advanced

analytical,

biophysical

chemistry

and

molecular

biology

techniques

to

•

identify

and

address

challenging

questions

in

the

field

of

drug

discovery

and

development.

Target

identification

and

ligand

validation,

lead

compound

optimization,

characterization

of

•

macromolecular

complexes

and

their

interaction

kinetics

and

thermodynamics.

Ability

to

work

effectively

in

a

team

environment.

Strong

interpersonal

skills.

Quick

adaptability

for

•

new

techniques

and

environments.

Understanding

of

regulatory

documents

preparation.

•

R ESEARCH

S KILLS

Spectroscopy:

UV-

Visible,

Fluorescence,

FRET,

Circular

Dichroism,

Thermal

denaturation.

•

Surface

Plasmon

Resonance

(SPR):

Biacore

•

Calorimetry:

Isothermal

(ITC)

and

Differential

Scanning

Calorimetry

(DSC).

•

Chromatography:

RP-

HPLC,

Size

exclusion,

Ion

exchange,

LC-

MS.

•

PCR

•

Mass

Spectrometry:

ESI

and

MALDI.

•

Gel

electrophoresis:

PAGE,

SDS

PAGE,

Agarose,

Western

blot.

•

DNA

Radiolabelling

•

Enzyme

inhibition

assays

•

Pre-

formulation

studies:

pka,

partition

coefficients,

pH

solubility

profiles,

dissolution

assay.

•

Informatics

skills:

Windows

and

Mac

OS,

Excel,

Word,

Power

Point,

Sigma

plot,

Kaleidagraph,

Igor,

ISIS

•

Draw,

Chem

Draw.

Knowledge

and

ability

to

use

scientific

databases

(Beilstein

and

Scifinder)

E DU CATION

M.S.

Pharmaceutical

Biotechnology

University

of

Padova

(Italy)

2013

•

Ph.D.

Biomedicine

University

of

Padova

(Italy)

2011

•

M.S.

Chemistry

Georgia

State

University,

Atlanta

(GA)

2010

•

M.S.

Pharmaceutical

Chemistry

and

Technologies

University

of

Padova

(Italy)

2005

•

P ROFESSIONAL

E XPERIENCE

POSTDOCTORAL

ASSOCIATE

Georgia

Institute

of

Technology,

Atlanta,

GA

Feb

2013

–

Present

(fellowship

supported

by

NASA

Exobiology)

• An

ongoing

project

aimed

to

challenge

the

potential

of

small

molecules

(intercalators)

to

promote

the

assembly

of

nucleic

acids

containing

alternative

backbones.

• Investigating,

by

CD

and

UV

spectroscopy,

the

folding

and

stability

of

nucleic

acids

in

non

aqueous

media

(Deep

Eutectic

Solvents).

POSTDOCTORAL

ASSOCIATE

University

of

Padova,

Italy

Mar

2011

–Dec

2012

(fellowship

supported

by

AIRC,

Italian

Association

for

Cancer

Research)

• Identified

and

characterized,

using

UV,

CD

and

mass

spectrometry,

the

psoralen

moiety

as

a

new

scaffold

for

G-

quadruplex

DNA

targeting

with

potential

relevance

for

anticancer

treatment.

Investigated

the

energetics

of

interaction

of

a

metal

complex

with

distinct

G-

quadruplex

DNA

•

structures

formed

in

the

human

telomere

using

ITC

and

Circular

Dichroism.

• Characterized,

by

mass

spectrometry

and

SDS

PAGE,

the

reactivity

profile

of

transplatin

derivatives

towards

model

proteins

and

successfully

demonstrated

protein

oligomerization

occurring

through

compound

mediated

cross-

linking.

SCIENTIFIC

CONSULTANT

Fyton

Wellness

Srl,

Verona,

Italy

Jan

2011

–

Dec

2012

• Created

and

formulated

a

new

line

of

nutritional

supplements

currently

in

production

(www.fyton.it).

DOCTORAL

CANDIDATE

University

of

Padova,

Italy

Jan

2008-

Mar

2011

• Developed

new

efficient

and

selective

telomerase

inhibitors,

endowed

with

pharmacological

activity.

• Investigated

the

DNA

binding

properties

of

phenantroline

derivatives

in

presence/absence

of

transition

metals

and

showed

how

different

complex

geometries

can

affect

the

pattern

of

DNA

recognition.

• Defined

the

ability

of

transplatin

amine

derivatives

to

form

DNA-

adducts,

their

reactivity,

the

nature

and

kinetics

of

adduct

formation

with

distinct

DNA

targets.

• Part

of

the

Ph.

D.

research

was

completed

Georgia

State

University,

in

the

lab

headed

by

Dr.

David

Wilson,

focusing

on

quantitative

evaluation

of

heterocyclic

cations-

DNA

interaction

by

biosensor-

surface

plasmon

resonance,

spectroscopic

and

calorimetric

techniques.

GRADUATE

FELLOW

University

of

Padova,

Italy

Jan

2007-

Dec

2007

• Synthesized

and

characterized

by

HPLC

and

gel

electrophoresis,

polymers

of

DNA

bases

(analogues

of

the

drug

Defibrotide)

as

potential

anticoagulant

agents.

PHARMACIST

Farmacia

Martini,

Verona,

Italy

Jan

2006-

Dec

2006

• Work

required

processing

of

prescriptions,

patient

counseling,

preparation

of

galenic

medications.

UNDERGRADUATE

FELLOW

GlaxoSmithKline,

Verona,

Italy

Apr

2005-

Oct

2005

• Developed

a

USP

II

based

dissolution

test

using

fasted

(FaSSIF)

and

fed

states

(FeSSIF)

simulating

media

for

qualitative

forecasting

of

formulation

and

food

effects

on

the

availability

of

a

poorly

soluble

weak

base

drug.

SUMMER

INTERN

GlaxoSmithKline,

Verona,

Italy

Summer

2003

• Sampled

and

tested

raw

materials

for

stability

control

and

evaluation

of

the

most

common

excipients

used

by

the

company.

• Assisted

senior

analytical

chemists

and

technicians

in

daily

operation

of

lab

activities.

L ANGUAGES

Fluent

in

spoken

and

written

English

and

Italian.

•

R ESPONSIBILITIES,

A WARDS

A ND

A FFILIATIONS

Records

of

productivity

in

advanced

scientific

writing

as

well

as

effective

communication

and

•

presentation

skills.

Trained

and

mentored

several

graduate

and

undergraduate

students.

Teaching

assistant

experience

in

•

chemistry

laboratory

classes.

Reviewed

manuscripts

for

internationally

recognized

journals.

•

“Doctor

Europaeus”

Mention

(2011).

•

Biennial

post-

doctoral

fellowship

“Gabriele

Santoro”

grant,

awarded

by

Associazione

Italiana

per

la

•

Ricerca

sul

Cancro

(2010).

COST

Action

MP0802

grant

for

Training

School

within

the

COST

scientific

program

on

“Self-

assembled

•

guanosine

structures

for

molecular

electronic

devices”

(2011).

Graduate

fellowship

grant

“Synthesis

of

analogues

of

Defibrotide”,

awarded

by

Gentium

SpA

(2007).

•

Member

of

American

Chemical

Society,

Italian

Chemical

Society

and

American

Association

for

Cancer

•

Research.

P UBLICATIONS

( S E LECTED )

Pinato,

O.;

Musetti,

C.;

Sissi,

C.;

“Pt-

based

drugs:

the

spotlight

will

be

on

proteins”

(2013)

Metallomics,

•

Review

paper,

in

press

Bianco,

S.;

Musetti,

C.;

Krapcho,

A.

P.;

Palumbo,

M.;

Sissi,

C.;

“Ni2+

and

Cu2+

complexes

of

•

phenathroline-

based

ligand

bind

to

G-

quadruplex

at

non

overlapping

sites”,

ChemComm

(2013),

49,

8057-

8059.

Musetti,

C.;

Krapcho,

A.

P.;

Palumbo,

M.;

Sissi,

C.;

“Effect

of

G-

quadruplex

polymorphism

on

the

•

recognition

of

telomeric

DNA

by

a

metal

complex”,

PlosOne

(2013),

8

(3):

e58529.

Pinato,

O.;

Musetti,

C.;

Farrell,

N.;

Sissi,

C.;

“Platinum

based

drugs

and

proteins:

reactivity

and

•

relevance

to

DNA

adduct

formation”,

Journal

of

Inorganic

Biochemistry

(2013),

122:

27-

37.

Alcaro,

S.;

Musetti,

C;

Distinto,

S.;

Artese,

A.;

Parrotta,

L.;

Moraca,

F.;

Costa,

G.;

Ortuso,

F.;

Maccioni,

•

E.;

Sissi,

C.:

“Identification

and

characterization

of

new

DNA

G-

quadruplex

binders

selected

by

a

combination

of

ligand

and

structure-

based

virtual

screening

approaches”.

J.Med.Chem

(2013),

56

(3):

843-

855.

Nanjunda,

R.;

Musetti,

C.;

Kumar,

A.;

Ismail,

M.

A.;

Farahat,

A.

A.;

Wang,

S.;

Sissi,

C.;

Palumbo,

M.;

•

Boykin,

D.

W.;

Wilson,

D.

W.

“Heterocyclic

Dications

as

a

New

Class

of

Telomeric

G-

Quadruplex

Targeting

Agents”.

Current

Pharmaceutical

Design.

(2012),

18(14):

1934-

1947.

Musetti,

C.;

Bianco,

S.;

Krapcho,

A.

P.;

Palumbo,

M.;

Sissi,

C.

“Differential

binding

mode

of

a

•

phenanthroline-

base

metal

complex

to

a

DNA

or

RNA

telomeric

sequence”.

International

Review

of

Biophysical

Chemistry.

(2011),

2

(4).

Musetti,

C,

Nazarov,

A.

A.;

Farrell,

N.

P.;

Sissi,

C.

“DNA

Reactivity

Profile

of

trans-

Platinum

Planar

Amine

•

Derivatives”.

ChemMedChem.

(2011),

6

(7):

1283-

1290.

Bianco,

S.;

Musetti,

C.;

Sparapani,

J.

D.;

Krapcho,

A.

P.;

Palumbo,

M.;

Sissi,

C.

“

Bis-

phenanthroline

•

derivatives

as

suitable

scaffolds

for

effective

G-

quadruplex

recognition”.

Dalton

Trans.,

(2010),

39:

5833-

5841

Musetti,

C.;

Lucatello,

L.;

Bianco,

S.;

Krapcho,

A.

P.;

Cadamuro,

S.

A.;

Palumbo,

M.;

Sissi,

C.

“Metal-

ion

•

mediated

assembly

of

effective

phenanthroline-

based

G-

quadruplex

ligands”.

Dalton

Trans.,

(2009),

19:

3657-

3670.

C ONFERENCE

P RESENTATIONS

A ND

P OSTERS

18

posters

and

5

oral

presentations

in

several

national,

international

and

local

scientific

conferences.

•

Contact this candidate