AFFILIATION:
Magnetic Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry
University of Florence

ADDRESS:
Via L. Sacconi 6
50019 Sesto Fiorentino, (FI) -Italy

CONTACTS:
Tel: +39 055 4574261
e-mail: fragai[at]cerm.unifi.it ; marco.fragai[at]unifi.it

RESEARCH PROFILES:
ORCID_ID profile
Google scholar profile
University of Florence page

His research focus on understanding protein interactions inside cells and in the extracellular environment. He uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodologies to determine the structure and dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids, particularly drug targets, and to probe protein–protein and protein–ligand interactions. His studies have contributed to reveal a large part of the catalytic steps of matrix metalloproteinases by using substrate models, and to demonstrate the interdomain mobility and conformational heterogeneity that characterize these proteolytic enzymes. Recently his research activity has contributed to provide a detailed, experimentally-derived, and energetically favorable collagenolytic mechanism, and a significant insight into the role of catalytic and hemopexin-like domains in substrate recognition and proteolysis. His scientific experience includes the development of contrast agents for MRI and the use of NMR in biological applications such as structure-based drug discovery, including computational and screening methodologies. In particular, he has used paramagnetic metal ions to improve the sensitivity of NMR-based ligand screening strategies and he has contributed to develop new highly soluble matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors. He has also focused on the development of solid-state NMR for the characterization of immobilized enzymes, conjugated biologics and vaccines and amylodoigenic proteins. 

RESEARCH FIELDS:

NMR Spectroscopy, Drug Discovery, Biological Therapeutics

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

- Roscioli, E.; Zucconi Galli Fonseca, V.; Bosch, S. S.; Paciello, I.; Maccari, G.; Cardinali, G.; Batani, G.; Stazzoni, S.; Tiseo, G.; Giordano, C.; Yuwei, S.; Capoccia, L.; Cardamone, D.; Ridelfi, M.; Troisi, M.; Manganaro, N.; Mugnaini, C.; de Santi, C.; Ciabattini, A.; Cerofolini, L.; Fragai, M.; Licastro, D.; Wyres, K.; Dortet, L.; Barnini, S.; Nicolau, D. P.; Menichetti, F.; Falcone, M.; Abdelraouf, K.; Sala, C.; Kabanova, A.; Rappuoli, R. Monoclonal Antibodies Protect against Pandrug-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae. Nature 2025, 646 (8087), 1204–1213. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09391-3. (IF 48.5)

- Russomanno, P.; Zizza, P.; Cerofolini, L.; D’Aria, F.; Iachettini, S.; Di Vito, S.; Biroccio, A.; Amato, J.; Fragai, M.; Pagano, B. Expanding the Functions of KHSRP Protein: Insights into DNA G-Quadruplex Binding. Adv. Sci. 2025, 12 (8). https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202410086. (IF 14.1)

- Di Carluccio, C.; Padilla-Cortés, L.; Tiemblo-Martìn, M.; Gheorghita, G. R.; Oliva, R.; Cerofolini, L.; Masi, A. A.; Abreu, C.; Tseng, H.-K.; Molinaro, A.; Del Vecchio, P.; Vaněk, O.; Lin, C.-C.; Marchetti, R.; Fragai, M.; Silipo, A. Insights into Siglec-7 Binding to Gangliosides: NMR Protein Assignment and the Impact of Ligand Flexibility. Adv. Sci. 2025, 12 (21). https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202415782. (IF 14.1)

- Pérez-Ràfols, A.; Pérez-Ropero, G.; Cerofolini, L.; Sperotto, L.; Roca-Martínez, J.; Higuera-Rodríguez, R. A.; Russomanno, P.; Kaiser, W.; Vranken, W.; Helena Danielson, U. H.; Provenzani, A.; Martelli, T.; Sattler, M.; Buijs, J.; Fragai, M. Deciphering the RNA Recognition by Musashi-1 to Design Protein and RNA Variants for in Vitro and in Vivo Applications. Nucleic Acids Res. 2025, 53 (15). https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf741. (IF 13.1)

- Di Carluccio, C.; Nieto-Fabregat, F.; Cerofolini, L.; Abreu, C.; Padilla-Cortés, L.; Gheorghita, G. R.; Masi, A. A.; Buono, L.; Gumah Adam Ali, M.; Lamprinaki, D.; Molinaro, A.; Juge, N.; Smaldone, G.; Vaněk, O.; Fragai, M.; Marchetti, R.; Silipo, A. Fusobacterium Nucleatum Lipopolysaccharides O-Antigen Defines a Novel Siglec-7 Binding Epitope. JACS. Au. 2025, 5 (11), 5367–5380. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.5c00810. (IF 8.7)

- Garcia-Vello, P.; Tytgat, H. L. P.; Elzinga, J.; Van Hul, M.; Plovier, H.; Tiemblo-Martin, M.; Cani, P. D.; Nicolardi, S.; Fragai, M.; De Castro, C.; Di Lorenzo, F.; Silipo, A.; Molinaro, A.; de Vos, W. M. The Lipooligosaccharide of the Gut Symbiont Akkermansia Muciniphila Exhibits a Remarkable Structure and TLR Signaling Capacity. Nature Communications 2024, 15 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52683-x. (14.7)