Education and Training
November 2015- October 2018
PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology. University of Bologna
Activity: Experimental thesis entitled: “The heat-shock response of Helicobacter pylori: genomic and molecular characterization of the master repressor HspR”. (Tutors: Prof. Scarlato Vincenzo and Roncarati Davide). Experience in bacteria cell colture (E.coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Helicobacter pylory);molecular cloning; Primer exptesion assay;Hydroxil-radical and DNaseI Footprinting assays; Northern Blot; Real-Time PCR; DNA/RNA electrophoresis; EMSA assay; recombinant protein expression and purification; Western blot; ChIp-sequencing; RNA extraction and purification; Co-ImmunoPrecipitation; Experiences in using radioisotopes (32P)
Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology (110/110 e Lode). University of Bologna
Activity: Experimental thesis entitled: “The heat-shock response of Helicobacter pylori: defining the regulon of the transcriptional repressor HspR” (Tutor: Prof.Scarlato Vincenzo).
Bachelor degree in Biological Sciences (110/110). University of Bologna
Activity: Experimental thesis entitled: “Application of pseudo-peptides in photochemical processes”. (Tutor: Prof.Tomasini Claudia).
Working experience
May 2020 –February 2025
University of Bologna, Department of Pharmacy and Biotecnology – FaBiT
Research contract (Assegno di ricerca)
(Tutor: Prof. Giovanni Capranico)
Activity: Cell coltures, Proximity-Ligation assay; fluorescence and confocal microscopy. Construction and analysis of transcriptional and translational reporter genes (GFP, EGFP, luciferase)
April 2019 – March 2020
University of Bologna, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine – DIMES in collaboration with Nouscom company s.r.l. (Castel Romano-RO)
Research contract (Assegno di ricerca)
(Tutor: Prof.ssa Campadelli-Fiume)
Activity: Cell coltures, manipulation of virus HSV-1 and generation of recombinant virus; virus infections, viral yields and preparation of gradient purified virions stocks; Cells transfections; Elisa assay; RNA extraction and purification.
Genuary 2019
Professor on contract in Molecular Biology course-eukariotic laboratory (BIO/11), degree course in Biotechnology [cod. 16621]. University of Bologna
Teaching experience
- University of Bologna: Bando contratti di tutorato FarmaBio a.a. 2017/18 - Bologna e Imola, selezione per l'attribuzione di una attività di tutorato relativa all'insegnamento denominato Biologia Molecolare con Laboratorio [cod. 12946]
- University ofBologna: Bando contratti di tutorato FarmaBio a.a. 2018/19 - Bologna e Imola, selezione per l'attribuzione di una attività di tutorato relativa all'insegnamento denominato Laboratorio di Microbiologia generale modulo 3-Cds Biotecnologie [cod. 13877]
- University of Bologna: Bando contratti di tutorato FarmaBio a.a. 2021/2022 - Bologna e Imola, selezione per l'attribuzione di una attività di tutorato relativa all'insegnamento denominato Biologia Molecolare modulo 4-laboratorio eucariotica-CdS Biotecnologie [cod. 16621]
- University of Bologna: Bando contratti di tutorato FarmaBio a.a. 2022/2023 - Bologna e Imola, selezione per l'attribuzione di una attività di tutorato relativa all'insegnamento denominato Biologia Molecolare modulo 4-laboratorio eucariotica-CdS Biotecnologie [cod. 16621]
- University of Bologna: Bando contratti di tutorato FarmaBio a.a. 2023/2024 - Bologna e Imola, selezione per l'attribuzione di una attività di tutorato relativa all'insegnamento denominato Biologia Molecolare modulo 4-laboratorio eucariotica-CdS Biotecnologie [cod. 16621]
University of Bologna: Co-supervisor of Master degree thesis
Peer-reviewed publications
- Campilongo R., Fung R. K. Y., Little R. H., Grenga L., Trampari E., Pepe S., Chandra G., Stevenson C., Roncarati D. and Malone J.G. (2017). One ligand, two regulators and three binding sites: How KDPG controls primary carbon metabolism in Pseudomonas. PLoS Genet. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1006839.
- Pepe S., Pinatel E., Fiore E., Puccio S., Peano C., Brignoli T., Vannini A., Danielli A., Scarlato V., and Roncarati D. (2018). The Helicobacter pylori Heat-Shock Repressor HspR: Definition of Its Direct Regulon and Characterization of the Cooperative DNA-Binding Mechanism on Its Own Promoter. Front Microbiol. 9:1887. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01887.
- Vannini A, Petrovic B, Gatta V, Leoni V, Pepe S, Menotti L, Campadelli-Fiume G, Gianni T. (2020). Rescue, Purification, and Characterization of a Recombinant HSV Expressing a Transgenic Protein. Methods Mol Biol. 2060:153-168. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9814-2_8.
- Menotti L, Leoni V, Gatta V, Petrovic B, Vannini A, Pepe S, Gianni T, Campadelli-Fiume G. (2020). oHSV Genome Editing by Means of galK Recombineering. Methods Mol Biol. 2060:131-151. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9814-2_7.
- Pepe S., Scarlato V. * and Roncarati D.*. The Helicobacter Pylori HspR-Modulator CbpA Is a Multifunctional Heat-Shock Protein. (2020). Microorganisms. 8, 251 ; doi:10.3390/microorganisms8020251.
- De Lucia M., Cotugno G., Bignone V., Garzia I., Nocchi L., Langone F., Petrovic B., Sasso E., Pepe S., Froechlich G., Gentile C., Zambrano N. Campadelli-Fiume G., Nicosia A., Scarselli E. and D’Alise A.M. Retargeted and Multi-cytokine-Armed Herpes Virus Is a Potent Cancer Endovaccine for Local and Systemic Anti-tumor treatment. (2020). Molecular Therapy – Oncolytics. doi: 10.1016/j.omto.2020.10.006.
- Pepe S., Duardo R.C., Guerra F., Capranico G. “Non-B DNA structures as a booster of genome instability”. Biochimie. Volume 214, Part A, November 2023, Pages 176-192. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.07.002.
