Michele Sciacca

msciacca@umich.edu

Biophysics 930 N. University Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (734) 763-9318

Academic Background

Postdoctoral fellow: January 2011-Date

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Mentor: Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy

Ph.D. in Chemical Science: November 2006 - October 2009

University of Catania, Catania, Italy

Mentor: Domenico M. Grasso

M.S. in Industrial Chemistry: October 1998 - December 2004

University of Catania, Catania, Italy

Mentor: Carmelo La Rosa

Research project

Interactions of IAPP with model membranes

Professional experiences

From January 2010 to October 2010: National Council of Research, IBB institute, contract of teaching collaboration.

From July 2006 to October 2007: University of Catania, contract of scientific collaboration on “Measurements of isothermal calorimetry and scanning calorimetry of polypeptides” involving differential scanning calorimetry and spectrofluorimetric measurements. From February 2006 to March 2006 University of Catania, contract of scientific collaboration on “ role of the liquid crystalline environment in the membrane-peptide interactions” involving differential scanning calorimetry measurements.

From July 2005 to November 2005: University of Catania, contract of scientific collaboration on “Thermodynamics of misfolding and unfolding of protein and interaction with model membranes” involving of differential scanning calorimetry measurements.

From January 2005 to June 2005: University of Catania, contract of scientific collaboration on “Molecular basis of protein conformational diseases. Synthesis, characterization and physico-chemical mechanism of action of new antifibrillogenic molecules.” involving differential scanning calorimetry measurements.

Publications

D. MILARDI, M.F.M. SCIACCA, M. PAPPALARDO, D.M. GRASSO, C. LA ROSA. The role of aromatic side-chains in amyloid growth and membrane interaction of the islet amyloid polypeptide fragment LANFLVH. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL, (2011), 1, 1-12.
G. DI NATALE, G. PAPPALARDO, D. MILARDI, M.F.M. SCIACCA, F. ATTANASIO, D. LA MENDOLA, E. RIZZARELLI. Membrane Interactions and Conformational Preferences of Human and Avian Prion N-Terminal Tandem Repeats: The Role of Copper(II) Ions, pH, and Membrane Mimicking Environments, JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B, (2010), 114, 13830-13838.
S. SCALISI, M.F.M. SCIACCA, G. ZHAVNERKO, D.M GRASSO, G. MARLETTA, C. LA ROSA. Self-assembling pathway of hIAPP fibrils within lipid bilayers. CHEMBIOCHEM, (2010), 11(13), 1856-1859.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, M. PAPPALARDO, F. ATTANASIO, D. MILARDI, C. LA ROSA, D.M. GRASSO. Are fibril growth and membrane damage linked processes? An experimental and computational study of IAPP 12-18 and IAPP 21-27 peptides. NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, (2010), 34(2), 200-207.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, V. CARBONE, M. PAPPALARDO, D. MILARDI, C. LA ROSA, D.M. GRASSO. Interaction of human amylin with phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine membranes. MOLECULAR CRYSTALS AND LIQUID CRYSTALS, (2009), 500, 73-81.
M. PAPPALARDO, M.F.M. SCIACCA, D. MILARDI, D.M. GRASSO, C. LA ROSA. Thermodynamics of azurin folding: the role of copper ion. JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY, (2008), 93, 575-581.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, M. PAPPALARDO, D. MILARDI, D.M. GRASSO, C. LA ROSA. Calcium activated membrane interaction of the islet amyloid polypeptide: Implications in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes mellitus. ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS, (2008), 477, 291-298.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, D. MILARDI, M. PAPPALARDO, C. LA ROSA, D.M. GRASSO. The role of electrostatics in the thermal stability of Ubiquitin. A combined DSC and MM study. JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY, (2006), 86, 311-314.

Conferences

S. SCALISI, M.F.M. SCIACCA, G. ZHAVNERKO, D.M. GRASSO, G. MARLETTA, C. LA ROSA, Self assembling pathway of hIAPP fibrils within bilayer. In: E-MRS 2010 Spring Meeting. Strasbourg (France), 7-11 June 2010.
G. DI NATALE, G. PAPPALARDO, D. MILARDI, M.F.M. SCIACCA, F. ATTANASIO, D. LA MENDOLA, E. RIZZARELLI, The role of Cu(II) ions in the conformational preferences and membrane interaction of human and avian prion proteins’ N-terminal tandem repeat peptides. In: 10^th International Symposium on Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry. Debrecen (Hungary), 25-28 September 2009.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, M. PAPPALARDO, D. MILARDI, C. LA ROSA, D. GRASSO, Dissecting the properties of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide hIAPP_12-18 and hIAPP_21-28 sequences: amyloidogenic propensity is not associated to membrane damage. In: International Bunsen Discussion Meeting "Structure of Amyloid Fibrils and Mechanism of Amyloid Formation". Halle an der Saale (Germany), 8 - 11 February 2009.
S. SCALISI, C. SATRIANO, M.F.M. SCIACCA, D.M. GRASSO, G. MARLETTA, C. LA ROSA, Lipid bilayers increase fibrils formation of full length human amylin, In: International Bunsen Discussion Meeting "Structure of Amyloid Fibrils and Mechanism of Amyloid Formation". Halle an der Saale (Germany), 8 - 11 February 2009.
G. DI NATALE, G. PAPPALARDO, M.F.M. SCIACCA, D. MILARDI, D. LA MENDOLA, F. ATTANASIO, E. RIZZARELLI. Conformational preferences and membrane interaction of the N-terminal octarepeats of the prion protein: the role of Cu (II) ions. In: XXX Annual Congress on Calorimetry, Thermal Analysis and Chemical Thermodynamics. Pisa (Italy), 9-12 December 2008.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, M. BURGIO, R. CHILLEMI, D.M. GRASSO, S. SCIUTO. Studio delle interazioni del ct-DNA con derivati idrosolubili dell’ (E)-resveratrolo. In: IV Convegno congiunto della SCI sezioni Calabria e Sicilia. Arcavacata di Rende (CS) (Italy), 1-2 December 2008.
R. CHILLEMI, D. GRASSO, M.F.M. SCIACCA, S. SCIUTO, O-Phosphoryl derivatives of (E)-resveratrol: some biological properties. In: International PSE Symposium on Natural Products in Cancer Therapy. Napoli (Italy), 23-26 September 2008.
D. MILARDI, C. LA ROSA, M. PAPPALARDO, M.F.M. SCIACCA, D.M. GRASSO, Molecular basis of the toxic potential of amyloidogenic peptides: the effect of hIAPP on the liquid-crystalline structure of membranes. In: 8° National Conference of Liquid Crystal Italian Society. Aci Trezza (CT) (Italy), 4-7 June 2008.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, V. CARBONE, M. PANNUZZO, M. PAPPALARDO, D. MILARDI, C. LA ROSA, D.M. GRASSO, Interaction of human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide with phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylesrine model membranes. In: 8° National Conference of Liquid Crystal Italian Society. Aci Trezza (CT) (Italy), 4-7 June 2008.
M.F.M. SCIACCA, V. CARBONE, M. PANNUZZO, M. PAPPALARDO, D. MILARDI, F. ATTANASIO, C. LA ROSA, D.M. GRASSO. Interaction of fibrillogenic hIAPP fragments with liquid-crystalline membranes. In: 8° National Conference of Liquid Crystal Italian Society. Aci Trezza (CT) (Italy), 4-7 June 2008.
C. LA ROSA, D. MILARDI, M.F.M. SCIACCA, D.M. GRASSO. Gel-Liquid Crystal Phase Transition as a Tool of Cell Membrane-Protein Interaction:The Case of Amylin. In: 7° National Conference of Liquid Crystal Italian Society. Castiglioncello (Italy), 7-9 June 2006.

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