LINXS welcomes junior guest researcher Samuele Masoni who joins the IPDD theme

LINXS is delighted to welcome Samuele Masoni, PhD student in Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa (Italy), to Lund and LINXS as junior guest researcher and fellow. He is invited as part of the work within the IPDD theme. He will stay at LINXS from January unto June.

His research is focused on the synthesis of novel small molecules interfering with cell metabolism, particularly glucose and lipid metabolism, applied in relevant pathologies, such as neurodegenerative and cancer diseases.

Samuele Masoni is a PhD student in Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa (Italy).

In this short interview, he highlights his motivations for coming to LINXS.

Why did you want to come to LINXS?

The first and main goal to join the LINXS network is to meet new researchers, hopefully but not necessarily, aligned with my interests and research field. Networks are very important in research, because they offer the opportunity to establish collaborations and productive exchange of information, such as new ideas and research questions, as well as innovative methods and approaches.

Additionally, LINXS has a network of international level with fellows from all over the world!

The IPDD theme is very aligned with my interests and research project, because I am a medicinal chemist, so the understanding of the interactions between a drug (small drugs in my case) and the target, is a fundamental part for the development of a novel marketable drug, which is my final goal. This stay could represent a valid network basis for my future career.

The use of neutrons and X-rays, which is main focus of LINXS work, is part of my research field and project, because it could enhance and accelerate the development of novel small drugs, and one of the goals would also be to understand something more about this technique, and how the instruments work, thanks to the educational seminar/webinar, schools and workshops, and by meeting other experts at LINXS events.

What are your research interests?

My interest cover all the process of drug development. From computational studies to synthetic strategies to pharmacological assays. In particular, as a medicinal chemist, I’m interested in innovative and greener (more eco-friendly) synthetic strategy and techniques, such as MW-assisted (microwave) and ultrasound -assisted synthesis, multicomponent reactions (MCRs), use of green solvents (ionic liquids) or no-solvent strategies and flow chemistry. I’m not an expert in all of these topics (especially ionic liquids and flow chemistry) but they’re part of the green strategies that I’m interested in, and I still have a basis theory knowledge of them.

What will you do at LINXS and in Lund?

During my period in Lund, I will study and specialize in the SPR technique, using a Biacore 3000 instrument, that is used to evaluate the affinity and potency of an interactions. In particular, I have, during my PhD, developed novel molecules targeting a protein called CD36, which is a target with WG1 of IPDD. I will closely collaborate with the Structure Based Drug Design working group and the group leader, Raminta Venskutonyte, who is an expert in structural biology, to further develop the targeting molecules and help the group to bring the project to the next level.