Lab Members
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Prof. Mattia Mori | Prof. Andrea Tafi | Luigi Cutarella, Ph.D. | Martina Fiabane | Nicolò Messano
Prof. Mattia Mori
Prof. Mattia Mori is the Principal Investigator of the Lab-Mori research group working in the field of medicinal chemistry through advanced computational simulations and biophysical studies, aimed at the characterization of target macromolecules and small molecules with pharmacological potential, capable of interacting with macromolecules of different nature.
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Prof. Andrea Tafi
Prof. Andrea Tafi earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1994, focusing on the application of computational techniques to medicinal chemistry. After research experience at the National Technical University of Athens, he joined the University of Siena, where he was a Researcher in Medicinal Chemistry from 1996 to 2005 and has been Associate Professor since 2005. He currently teaches Quantitative Pharmaceutic Analysis. His research is centered on computational medicinal chemistry, with particular emphasis on molecular modeling, molecular dynamics, and quantum mechanics methods applied to drug–receptor interactions, biological macromolecules, and structure–activity relationship studies of pharmaceutical compounds.
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Luigi Cutarella, Ph.D.
Luigi Cutarella is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Siena, where he obtained his PhD in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences under the supervision of Prof. Mattia Mori. He earned his MSc in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, where he developed a strong passion for molecular modelling. He is currently supported by a research fellowship funded by the Fondazione per la Ricerca sulla Fibrosi Cistica (FFC Ricerca). During a research experience at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, he gained expertise in coarse-grained molecular dynamics, enabling him to develop multiscale approaches that integrate coarse-grained and all-atom simulations. His research applies these methods, together with high-throughput virtual screening and advanced membrane models, to investigate complex protein–membrane systems, antimicrobial resistance in multidrug-resistant pathogens, and the design and optimization of anticancer small molecules. He is an active member of EURESTOP, a COST Action network dedicated to outsmarting antimicrobial resistance.
Martina Fiabane
Martina Fiabane graduated in Pharmacy at the University of Siena. She began her scientific journey within Prof. Mattia Mori’s research group during her Master's thesis, subsequently consolidating her expertise as a research fellow. Currently, she is a second-year PhD student in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, conducting her research in industrial partnership with Aquaprox srl. Her project focuses on AMR, specifically targeting bacterial G-quadruplexes and proteins. Additionally, in line with the industrial co-funding, she investigates innovative solutions for wastewater treatment. Her multidisciplinary approach integrates computational methods—such as Molecular Modeling, Virtual Screening, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics simulations—with biophysical techniques, particularly Circular Dichroism and UV-Vis spectroscopy. She is an active member of the EURESTOP and BIOAQUA COST Actions.
Nicolò Messano
Nicolò Messano is a PhD Student in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Siena, where he is currently conducting research under the supervision of Prof. Mattia Mori and Prof. Andrea Tafi. He earned his Master’s Degree in Pharmacy from the same institution, completing a thesis project focused on the identification of new Metallo-β-Lactamases inhibitors through computational repurposing within Prof. Mattia Mori’s lab. His research interests are centered on computational chemistry, specifically in molecular modeling, molecular dynamics, and molecular docking using software such as GOLD, Fred, and AutoDock. He also works with the Amber package and Linux environments. Nicolò has co-authored several scientific publications in international journals.