MOLLA GIANLUCA

Gianluca Molla graduated in Biology (1994) and subsequently obtained the PhD in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology (1999) at the University of Milan (Italy). In 1998 GM attended the University of Constance (Germany) as a "Visiting Researcher" and, from 2000 to 2002, completed his preparation in Enzymology as a Post-doc at the University of Varese (Italy). Since 2016, GM has been Associate Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (courses in Enzymology and Biochemistry) at the University of Insubria (Varese). He has been member of the Organizing Committees of various Conferences and Schools of the Italian Society of Biochemistry (SIB) of which he is a member.
GM's scientific career was focused on studying the structure-function relationship in enzymes using a multidisciplinary approach: kinetics studies (both rapid and steady state), reaction mechanism studies (substrate specificity, chemical modification and site specific mutagenesis ), structural studies (X-ray crystallography, limited proteolysis, CD) and structural bioinformatics (molecular docking, molecular dynamics). Gianluca Molla has also dedicated himself to the field of protein biotechnology (for example the application of flavo proteins and acylases as biocatalysts) and has been a consultant for various chemical and pharmaceutical industries. GM also specializes in the evolution of enzymes suitable for biotechnological applications (e.g., synthesis of semi-synthetic antibiotics and production of biosensors). GM also studied the molecular mechanisms of the modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission and their correlation with schizophrenia. In the last 3 years, GM's research activity has focused on the development of enzymes for the biodegradation of plastics and on molecular biotechnological approaches applied to the circular bioeconomy.