Elisabetta Bergantino
Elisabetta Bergantino
e-mail:
affiliation: Università di Padova
research area(s): Molecular Biology, Chemical Biology
Course: Biosciences and Biotechnologies
University/Istitution: Università di Padova
Education
1978: High School Diploma, Liceo Classico “Concetto Marchesi”, Padova (Italy)
1983: Laurea in Biological Science, University of Padova (Italy).
1990: PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathology, University of Padova (Italy).

Research
1982-1983: Undergraduate student, at the Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Padova. Laurea Thesis on the genetic and molecular characterization of mutants of the mitochondrial gene OXI3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
1985-1989: PhD student at the Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Padova. Topic: Expression of the mitochondrial split gene COXI in S.cerevisiae: RNA splicing pathway and characterisation of the protein encoded by the second intron of the gene.
1985-1987: Research fellowship from the “Fondazione A.Gini” (University of Padova) at the “Centre de Génétique Moléculaire du CNRS”, Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Topic: expression of the mitochondrial split gene COXI in S.cerevisiae; production and screening of intronic mutations.
1989: visiting scientist at the “Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire” of the “École Normale Supérieure” (Paris, France), performing experiments aimed at revealing the possible endonuclease activity of the yeast mitochondrial protein aI2.
1990-1992: Post-Doctoral fellow. Partecipation to the European sequencing project of chromosome III of S. cerevisiae, at the Department of Biology, University of Padova.
From 1992: Assistant Professor in Molecular Biology at the Department of Biology, University of Padova, in the group directed by Prof. Giorgio M. Giacometti. Topic: molecular basis of photosynthesis, studied in cyanobacteria and green plants.

Teaching
Assistant professor for the courses: Biochemical Methodologies (1997/98), Recombinant Technologies (from 1997 to 2002), Model Organisms in Biology (from 2002 to 2005), Advanced Recombinant Technologies (from 2003) and Molecular Biology (from 2009).
Previous research activity:
molecular basis of photosynthesis, studied in cyanobacteria (Synechocystis) and green plants (Zea mays, Spinacia oleracea, Arabidopsis thaliana), with particular regards to the structural-functional relationships of some minor subunits of photosystem II.

Present topics:
1) identification and characterization of photosynthesis-related ion channels in cyanobacteria;
2) recombinant expression in heterologous systems (E.coli, cyanobacteria, yeast, insect and mammalian cells), purification, and characterization of proteins of medical and industrial interest.
Publications (2012-2008)
• Checchetto V, Segalla A, Allorent G, La Rocca N, Leanza L, Giacometti GM, Uozumi N, Finazzi G, Bergantino E, Szabò I (2012). Thylakoid potassium channel is required for efficient photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109:11043-8.
• Berto P, D'Adamo S, Bergantino E, Vallese F, Giacometti GM, Costantini P (2011). The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is able to express an active [FeFe]-hydrogenase without additional maturation proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 405:678-83.
• Zanetti M, Teardo E, La Rocca N, Zulkifli L, Checchetto V, Shijuku T, Sato Y, Giacometti GM, Uozumi N, Bergantino E, Szabò I (2010). A Novel Potassium Channel in Photosynthetic Cyanobacteria . PLOS ONE, 5:e10118-e10119.
• Fogal S, Motterle R, Castellin A, Arvotti G, Bergantino E (2010). Biocatalyzed synthesis of testosterone. Chemical Engeneering Transaction, 20:61-66 (E Bardone, A Viglia Eds.).
• Zuppini A, Gerotto C, Moscatiello R, Bergantino E, Baldan B (2009). Chlorella saccharophila cytochrome f and its involvement in the heat shock response. J Exp Bot, 60:4189-200.
• Tessari I, Bisaglia M, Valle F, Samorì B, Bergantino E, Mammi S, Bubacco L (2008). The reaction of alpha-synuclein with tyrosinase: possible implications for Parkinson disease. J Biol Chem, 283:16808-17.
• Sandal M, Valle F, Tessari I, Mammi S, Bergantino E, Musiani F, Brucale M, Bubacco L, Samorì B (2008). Conformational equilibria in monomeric alpha-synuclein at the single-molecule level. PLoS Biol, 6:99-108.

Patents (2012-2010)
• Bergantino E, Bubacco L, Fogal S (2012). Modified human tyrosinase and methods for its production. PCT/EP2012/064853 (Università degli Studi di Padova).
• Fogal S, Bergantino E, Motterle R, Castellin A, Arvotti G. (2010). Process for the preparation of testosterone. WO2011/000693A1 (F.I.S.-Fabbrica Italiana Sintetici S.p.A.)
• Motterle R, Arvotti G, Bergantino E., Castellin A, Fogal S, Galvagni M (2010). Synthesis of (4aS, 7aS)-octahydro-1H-pyrrolo [3,4-b] pyridine . WO 2010/100215 A1 (F.I.S.-Fabbrica Italiana Sintetici S.p.A.)
No projects are available to students for the current accademic year.