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Research

Bernardi's group has developed a widely recognized expertise in the design and synthesis of structural and functional mimics of complex oligosaccharides, using computer-assisted molecular design and new stereoselective synthetic methodology. In particular, functional mimics of ganglioside GM1 have been designed, synthesized, and tested as cholera toxin (CT) inhibitors with excellent results. In collaboration with other groups, polyvalent CT ligands have also been prepared by anchoring the monovalent mimics to multivalent scaffolds.

This glycomimetic program takes its inspiration from the realm of glycobiology. Protein-carbohydrate interactions are involved in a vast number of pathological and physiological events and creating molecules that can interfere with these interactions is our goal.

Prof. Bernardi was responsible for the molecular modelling programme of the Marie Curie Training Site “Design, Discovery and Synthesis of Functional Molecules (DesDisSyn)-HPMT-CT-2001-00293” at the University of Milano; she was the coordinator of the of the COST D13-0012 Working group “Rational Design of Glycomimetics” and of the European Research Network “New carbohydrate-derived scaffolds for the generation of bioactive libraries” (Glycidic scaffolds, HPRN-CT-2002-00173). Prof. Bernardi has supervised over 20 ESR and 6 post-docs from different countries.