MOLLA GIANLUCA

Gianluca Molla is Full Professor of Biochemistry at the Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria (Varese, Italy). His research activity focuses on biochemistry, protein engineering, and applied biotechnology, with particular interest in enzyme structure-function relationships, flavoprotein oxidases, biocatalysis, and computational approaches for protein analysis. His work includes the development of evolved enzymes for industrial and environmental applications, enzymatic plastic degradation, PET recycling and upcycling, biosensor development, and the exploitation of insects as biofactories for waste biomass valorization within the framework of the circular bioeconomy.

Since 2006, he is responsible for the molecular biotechnology of the "The Protein Factory 2.0" research group (University of Insubria). He is Principal Investigator of the PRIN2022 PET2POLY project and coordinator of the Biochemistry research unit within the PRIN2020 NICE-PET project, both focused on innovative strategies for sustainable plastic recycling through protein engineering, synthetic biology, and biocatalysis. He has also participated in several projects funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, Fondazione Cariplo, Regione Lombardia, and Fondazione Regionale per la Ricerca Biomedica.

He is author of more than 110 international scientific publications, 25 book chapters, 2 patents, and 17 structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. His publications received more than 4600 citations (H-index 39, Scopus source, May 2026). He has extensive teaching experience in biochemistry, enzymology, bioinformatics, and industrial biotechnology, supervising undergraduate, PhD, and postdoctoral researchers. He is member of the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SIB) and regularly participates as invited speaker, chairman, and lecturer at national and international conferences in biochemistry and biotechnology.