Biografia

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• Education and key qualifications
2002-2004 Associated scientist at the Max Planck Institut, Germany in the group of Prof. Ada Yonath, Chemistry Nobel Prize 2009. Topic: structural studies of the ribosome.
2000 PhD in Chemistry, Department of Physical Chemistry, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
1995-1997 PhD fellow at the European Molecular Biology Lab, Hamburg
1995 Chemistry degree (summa cum laude) at the University “Federico II” of Naples, Italy

• Current and previous positions
2019- Research Director at the Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Department of Biomedicine, National Research Council, CNR, Italy
2024-2026 National Coordinator of the Macromolecular Biology Section within the Italian Crystallography Association (AIC)
2025-2028 Elected National Expert for the ERC LS1 domain – Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures, and Functions – within the Research Management framework of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). As an LS1 expert, she contributes to shaping strategic decisions and scientific priorities within CNR, especially in areas aligned with ERC evaluation domains.
2025- Scientific Advisory Board of the National Facility for Structural Biology, Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
2025- Scientific Committee Member – EYE LAB (Cryo-EM Platform, ISASI-CNR)
2022- External evaluator for the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, Sweden),
2021- EMBL Alumni Mentor, guiding early-career scientists through the EMBL Mentorship Programme and fostering excellence in European research.
2020- External evaluator for FNRS (Belgium), Life Sciences domain.
2019- Review Editor for Frontiers in Microbiology, topics bacterial pathogenesis, structural biology, and vaccine development

Interessi di ricerca

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Berisio Lab is integrated in a wide research area, endowed with top level instrumentation for computational chemistry, protein engineering, macromolecular crystallography, cryo-EM, biophysical and biochemical techniques to unravel molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and resistance mechanisms in several infectious pathogens.
Her lab focuses on structural biology of complex macromolecular complexes of interest for human health. Main scientific interests are in the field of infectious diseases, which started with structural biology of the ribosome in complex with antibiotics in the lab of Prof Yonath (2002-2004), Chemistry Nobel Prize 2009. In this field, she has been PI of several International and National grants focused on structural vaccinology. Dr. Berisio has published over 190 papers in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, such as Nature Structural Biology, Molecular Cell, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Plos Pathogens, PNAS.
Already in 2006, Dr Berisio won the Award of the Italian Crystallography Association (AIC) for her contribution to unveiling the structure of the ribosome in complex with macrolide antibiotics. 7 publications by Dr. Berisio in collaboration with the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2009 Prof A. Yonath were cited in the Nobel Lecture.
She has been visiting scientist at Imperial College London (2026), University of Daejeon, South Korea (2018-2019), at the Meiji University of Tokyo. (2016), at the University of Wroclaw (2016), at ICGEB New Delhi, India, (2015). Dr Berisio has delivered tens of keynotes and invited oral presentations at National and International conferences. Dr Berisio has trained over 15 PhD students and is currently tutor of 5 PhD. She serves as an external evaluator for several prestigious European funding bodies.

Pubblicazioni scelte

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Otwinowska A, Olejniczak S, Latka A, Pozniak M, Majkowska-Skrobek G, Maciejewska B, Koszucki J, Panicker VR, Jablonska S, Hulsens M, Stender J, Niazi M, Green S, Bugert JJ, Tournebize R, Brouns SJJ, Squeglia F, Berisio R, Hammerl JA, Lavigne R, Briers Y, Mostowy RJ, Drulis-Kawa Z. DepoCatalog: mapping diversity of 129 recombinantly produced Klebsiella phage depolymerases. Nat Commun. 2026 May 22;17(1):6724. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-73570-7. PMID: 42173870; PMCID: PMC13385381.

Barra G, Sala M, Scala MC, Campiglia P, Kim HJ, Ruggiero A, Berisio R. Structural and binding studies of the mycobacterial heat shock protein reveal a silent state and offer insights into dendritic cell activation. Int J Biol Macromol. 2026 Apr;353:151218. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151218. Epub 2026 Mar 5. PMID: 41794242.

Nieto-Fabregat F, Privitera M, Marseglia A, Takahashi M, Fallarini S, Napolitano V, Molinaro A, Olejniczak S, Drulis-Kawa Z, Squeglia F, Marchetti R, Berisio R. From structure to function: binding determinants of a miniaturised phage depolymerase and their immunological relevance in Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule degradation. Int J Biol Macromol. 2026 Aug 29;381(Pt 2):154278. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.154278. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42667942.

Kramarska E, Toumi E, Squeglia F, Laverde D, Napolitano V, Frapy E, Autiero I, Sadones O, Huebner J, Skurnik D, Romero-Saavedra F, Berisio R. A rationally designed antigen elicits protective antibodies against multiple nosocomial Gram-positive pathogens. NPJ Vaccines. 2024 Aug 18;9(1):151. doi: 10.1038/s41541-024-00940-x. PMID: 39155280; PMCID: PMC11330964.

Berisio R, Schluenzen F, Harms J, Bashan A, Auerbach T, Baram D, Yonath A. Structural insight into the role of the ribosomal tunnel in cellular regulation. Nat Struct Biol. 2003 May;10(5):366-70. doi: 10.1038/nsb915. PMID: 12665853.

Progetti in evidenza

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EVADERE (Enhanced VAccines DEsign against antimicrobial Resistance) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. (2026-2030). Role: Vice-coordinator and research coordinator

TENET - “Targeting bacterial cell ENvelope to reverse rEsisTance in emerging pathogens”, 202288EJ8B, funded by Next Generation EU, Mission 4, CUP B53D2301595 0006. 2023-2026. National coordinator.

PI of INF-ACT “One Health Basic and Translational Research Actions addressing Unmet Needs on Emerging Infectious Diseases PE00000007”, PNRR Mission 4, EU “NextGen-erationEU”. 2022-2026.

BactiVax - Anti-Bacterial Innovative Vaccines, EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, GA 860325. (2019-2024). Role: PI and research coordinator.

DELETE_COVID. DEveLopmEnT of a rapid biosEnsor against COVID19. FISR2020IP_00014 (2021-2022). National coordinator

DRAT - DRug development Against Tuberculosis. Funded by EU, Programme FP7 Indigo Policy Linking Program Italy-India-England. (2015-2017). International Coordinator

Mizutani Foundation for Glycoscience. “Molecular mechanisms of defense response induced by chitin oligosaccharides. (2011-2012). International coordinator. The project was selected among the most excellent carried out from 2012 to 2016. Documentation: Letter from Prof Shuichi Miyaura, of the Mizutani Foundation of Glycoscience, dated 15.02.2017.

COST Action (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research) BM1003. “Microbial cell surface determinants of virulence as targets for new therapeutics in Cystic Fibrosis” (2010-2012) Role: PI and Grant Holder.