Giuseppina Lacerra

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Giuseppina Lacerra

Researcher

+39 081 6132603   giuseppina.lacerra@igb.cnr.it

Genetics, Genomics and Epigenetics of Diseases

Keywords: Haemoglobinophaties; molecular epidemiology; unstable variants; mRNA quality control; in silico analysis; PON2 regulation of expression.

Hemoglobinophaties

  • Molecular basis, epidemiology and genotype-phenotype relationship of hemoglobinopathies in Southern Italy;
  • Biobanking of biological samples from selected patients with hemoglobinopathies;
  • Transcriptional analysis of globin mutants by means of reticulocytes and erythroid cell culture in vitro from PBSC (Peripheral Blood Stem Cell) of carriers or by transient transfection in cellular systems;
  • Molecular modeling studies and in silico analysis to define the effect of mutations on globin and mRNA stability.
  • Data base and software for the population genetic analysis.

Transcriptional and the posttranslational regulation of the Paraoxonase 2

  • Transcriptional analysis of the PON2 mRNA isoforms present in epithelial cellular systems and genotype for the most common PON2 variants;
  • Silencing of genes in cell lines, by the use of siRNAs and analysis of mRNA modulation of the “PON2 cluster of genes” sharing sequencing in the 3’UTR, by qRT-PCR.

Education

  • 1988 Degree in Biological Sciences summa cum laude, University of Naples “Federico II”.
  • 1993 Obtained the diploma to exert the profession of Biologist at the University of Naples.

Appointments

  • 1989-present: Research Scientist at the Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR (National Research Council);
  • 1999-2000: Visiting scientist at the University of North Carolina, NC, USA;
  • 2005-present: Group leader of a research group on Hemoglobinopathies at IGB-CNR.

Research Experience

  • Grants Support from Regione Campania, MIUR, CNR-DSB Progetto Bandiera "InterOmics".
  • 2003-present: IGB member in the commission "IGB-IBBR-IBBC-TIGEM mini-library consortium" for sharing the bibliographic heritage.
  • Supervisor of fellowship, technician and Master Degree theses.
  • Reviewer for ISI scientific journals and International grant sponsor in the field of hematology and molecular biology.
  • Design and development of bioinformatics tools as part of MIUR Projects: software “Genowin” for the analysis of data from patients with hemoglobinopathies; web platform http://quality4lab.igb.cnr.it for the cataloging and dissemination of guidelines, model systems and molecular tools.
  • Author of more than 40 research papers on international scientific journals.

Romeo Prezioso
Bioinformatician

+390816132411   romeo.prezioso@igb.cnr.it

Progetto:  Bioinformatic analysis on globin mutants