Team-Franci-G

What's our secret? Great people.​

Gianluigi franci

PhD, professor of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology. Head of the Clinical Program: “Advanced diagnostics for microbial resistance”. 3X entrepreneur.

Research and Development

Gianluigi Franci

Research and Development

Class 78, graduate in Industrial Biotechnology with PhD in Biochemistry and Specialization in Clinical Pathology.
He is associate professor in Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology at the DIPMED of the University of Salerno.
He directs a group of people consisting of about 10 units. The research fields are manifold and range from bacteriology, to virology passing through parasitology. The melting point of all the themes of interest is the search for molecular mechanisms to be used as potential targets for the screening of molecules capable of altering the physio-pathogenicity in the micro-organism-host interaction. His training in the field of epigenetics and proteomics allows Professor Franci to conduct projects:

i)
on the interaction between peptides and microbial membrane;
ii) screening of small molecules with epigenetic activity such as new anti-microbial drugs;
iii) studies of epigenetic mechanisms in the interaction of the host microorganism, in particular in the infection and replication phases of some of the most common viruses worldwide;
iv) study of epigenetic variations in human cells following exposure from “vesicles of the outer membrane” by K. Pneumoniae;
v) identification of the genome-binding proteome in HPV models;
vi) study of extracellular macrovesicles in the mechanisms of viral infections;
vii) Study of the microbiota and its alterations in human pathologies.

The many years spent abroad at the most important international research centres have contributed to making Professor Franci one of the reference people in the National and International scene for the identification of small commercial and proprietary molecules with epigenetic characteristics capable of interfere with homeostasis and microbiological pathogenicity. He made translational medicine his reason for living. He has won many corporate competitions such as Vulcanicamente 2019, Start-Cup Campania (2X), Tech-Hub, Mind The Bridge, etc. With his colleagues he has raised private, national and international funds for over 2 million euros. He is author of 50
international publications.

Selected Papers:

Martora F., Pinto F., Folliero V., Cammarota M., Dell’Annunziata F., Squillaci G., Galdiero M., Morana A., Schiraldi C., Giovane A.,
Galdiero M., Franci G.
Isolation, Characterization and Analysis of Pro-Inflammatory Potential of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Outer Membrane Vesicles.
Microb Pathog Nov. 13 2019.

Franci G., Folliero V., Cammarota M., Zannella C., Sarno F., Schiraldi C., de Lera A.R., Altucci L., Galdiero M.
Epigenetic modulator UVI5008 inhibits MRSA by interfering with bacterial gyrase.
Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 3;8(1):13117. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31135-9.

Franci G, Sarno F, Nebbioso A, Altucci L.
Identification and characterization of PKF118-310 as a KDM4A inhibitor.
Epigenetics. 2017 Mar 4;12(3):198-205. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2016.1249089. Epub 2016 Oct 21.

Franci G, Falanga A, Zannella C, Folliero V, Martora F, Galdiero M, Galdiero S, Morelli G, Galdiero M.
Infectivity inhibition by overlapping synthetic peptides derived from the gH/gL heterodimer of herpes simplex virus type 1.
J Pept Sci. 2017 Apr;23(4):311-319. doi: 10.1002/psc.2979. Epub 2017 Feb 14.

Franci G, Casalino L, Petraglia F, Miceli M, Menafra R, Radic B, Tarallo V, Vitale M, Scarfò M, Pocsfalvi G, Baldi A, Ambrosino C,
Zambrano N, Patriarca E, De Falco S, Minchiotti G, Stunnenberg HG, Altucci L.
The class I-specific HDAC inhibitor MS-275 modulates the differentiation potential of mouse embryonic stem cells.
Biol Open. 2013 Aug 22;2(10):1070-7. doi: 10.1242/bio.20135587. eCollection 2013.

Grüring C, Heiber A, Kruse F, Flemming S, Franci G, Colombo SF, Fasana E, Schoeler H, Borgese N, Stunnenberg HG, Przyborski JM, Gilberger TW, Spielmann T.
Uncovering common principles in protein export of malaria parasites.
Cell Host Microbe. 2012 Nov 15;12(5):717-29. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2012.09.010.

Funds/Grants

2019. Head of the C.A.R.O
Funded by the Bartolo Longo III millennium Foundation. The aim of the project is the identification of pharmacological molecular targets in the treatment of human papilloma virus infections.

2018. Head of the IDEAL project

Funded by the Campania region with reference Public notice for supporting businesses in carrying out feasibility studies (Phase 1) and technology transfer projects (Phase 2) consistent with RIS 3. Decree granting subsidies: DD no. 588 of 29/10/2018. Costs admitted to financing: 1,382,856.64 euros.

2015. Partecipant of Unit 9 of the “Ocean Medicine” Project in Call H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015

The aim of the project was the formation of a network between academic bodies and companies to develop 
molecules deriving from marine microorganisms with antibiotic and antiviral activity and / or and with anticancer activity.

Scientific Part for the department:

Moreover, the DIPMED is focused on the high capacity infrastructure dedicated to genomic research that take the name of Genomics Research Center for Health (CRGS), configured as a large research infrastructure and Italian high-capacity development dedicated to translational genomics and computer science for health, in particular in order to provide high performance in genomics (NGS) and bioinformatics and to allow the generation, study with innovative methodologies for ‘big data’ analysis and the safe storage of large volumes of sequencing and biomedical data, in order to make possible large national and international projects of genomics and precision medicine.
On the other hands, the technical skills of the department are based on the possibility to perform accurate Mass Spectrometry analysis, thanks to the equipment such as LC/MS/MS LTQ Orbitrap XL ESI-mass spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific) equipped with a nano-ESI source, coupled with a nano-Aquity capillary UPLC (Waters).