Skip to main content
Fabrizio Pertusati

Dr Fabrizio Pertusati

Lecturer

School of Chemistry

Email
PertusatiF1@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29225 12036
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I hold a MSc in Physical Organic Chemistry from Turin University (synthesis and characterisation of cationic surfactants) and a PhD in asymmetric organic chemistry from the Cardiff School of Chemistry, (atropisomeric bis-quinazolinones).

I conducted my post-doctoral training at Emory University (solid-phase synthesis of polymethine dyes) and in the laboratory of the Nobel laureate Prof. George Olah, at the University of Southern California, where I gain expertise in organofluorine, organoboron and polymer chemistry).

Since 2011, I have been working in Chris McGuigan’s group where I was involved in various drug discovery projects. 

Research in our group involve the design and synthesis of small molecules as therapeutics against Rare diseases (congenital disorder of glycosylation, Mitochondrial depletion syndrome, Niemann-Pick), infectious diseases, and recently antimicrobial drug discovery

Key Expertises

  • Organofluorine, organophosphorus, carbohydrates chemistry.
  • Design and synthesis of phosphate/phosphonate prodrugs of carbohydrate scaffolds
  • Translational drug Discovery
  • Rare diseases drug discovery: GNE myopathy, Cystinosis and Niemann-Pick releated disorders.
  • Synthesis of small molecules with antibiotic activities

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2011

2007

Articles

Book sections

Conferences

Thesis

Research

The research in the group is mainly in synthetic organic chemistry aimed to solve a range of medicinal chemistry problems in the area of:

Rare Diseases

  • Lysosomal Storage diseases: cystinosys, Nieman-Pick, Mucolipidoses IV.

Inborn errors of metabolism

  • Synthesis of carbohydrate based compounds for the treatment of congenital disorder of glycosylation.
  • Nucleoside derivative for the treatment of Mitocondrial Depletion Syndrome.

Infectious diseases

  • Synthesis of nucleosides and non nucleoside scaffolds as novel antibacterial agents.
  • Fluorinated heterocycles as anti-biofilm and antimicrobial agents.
  • Fluorinated small molecules as novel antileishmaniasys drugs.

Synthetic Chemistry

-Synthesis of new acyclic nucleoside phosphate and phosphonate scaffolds as antiviral, anticancer and antibacterial drugs.

-Development of synthetic methodologies for the diasteroselective and enantioselective preparation of organophosphorus compounds via P(V) and P(III) chemistries.

Collaborators

Rare Diseases:

  • Dr Emyr Lloyd Evans (Lysosomal storage disease, School of Bioscience)
  • Professor Hudson Freeze (Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation, Sanford Burnham Institute, California)
  • Professor Michael W. Lawlor (Mitochondrial Depletion Syndrome, Medical College of Wisconsin)

Infectious diseases

Antibacterial and antibiofilm.

Teaching

PH1125: Chemical and Biological Properties of Drug Molecules ( Module leader)

PH2114: Principles of Drug Design and Drug Disposition

PH3101: Optimisation of Drug Design

PH4116: Pharmacy Research or Scholarship Project

At the Cardiff School of Chemistry (2018-2020):

  • CH0003 Chemistry of organic compounds
  • CH4207 Intoduction to the chemistry of life
  • CHT354 Drug Development from Laboratory to Clinic
  • CHT216 Colloquium

Biography

I obtained my MSc degree in physical organic chemistry from Turin University (synthesis and characterisation of cationic surfactants). After three years spent in PCB industry as formulator scientist, I obtained my PhD in synthetic organic chemistry (Cardiff School of Chemistry, atropisomeric bis-quinazolinones as chiral auxiliaries for asymmetric synthesis). I conducted my post-doctoral training at Emory University (solid-phase synthesis of polymethine dyes) and in the laboratory of the Nobel laureate Prof. George Olah, at the University of Southern California (organofluorine, organoboron and polymer chemistry).

Since 2011, I have been working in Chris McGuigan's group where I was involved in various medicinal chemistry projects spanning from diastereoselective synthesis of nucleosides (cyclic and acyclic) phosphoroamidate prodrugs, to fluorinated androgen-receptors antagonist for prostate cancer treatment, and design and synthesis of novel compounds acting on the Central Nervous System).

In 2016, I was promoted to Research Fellow in medicinal chemistry. My current research interests are in the synthesis of novel fluorinated antibiotics for the treatment of Gram-positive bacterial infections and biofilm formation (in collaboration with prof. Hans Steenackers at Leuven University) and in congenital disorders of glycosylation. I am also interested in drug design for the treatment of lysosomal storage disorders (Niemann-Pick, Huntington) in collaboration with Dr. Lloyd-Evans (Cardiff School of Bioscience).

Professional memberships

  • Member of Scientific Advisory Board of Ichorion Therapeutics (2017-2018)
  • Member of Glycobiology Society

Committees and reviewing

  • Reviewer for The following Journal.

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, The journal of Organic Chemistry, ChemMedChem, Molecules, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, Journal of Fluorine Chemistry, Organic Letters and Dyes and Pigments.

  • Reviewer Grant: MRC-fellowship.
Researchers discover potential new treatment for rare muscle-wasting disease

Researchers discover potential new treatment for rare muscle-wasting disease

21 November 2019

External profiles