Pioneering BioNano Engineering for Peptide Therapeutics, Advanced Biomaterials and Bioinspired Solutions
The 29th American Peptide Symposium and 15th International Peptide Symposium are coming to San Diego! From June 15th – 19th, 2025, you will have the chance to hear from world-renowned peptide scientists, emerging talents, and pioneering leaders in peptide science. We will be there and cannot wait to connect with fellow peptide enthusiasts!
In this brief video, Lucia provides an overview of our ongoing research in the Lombardi Group. We hope it offers an engaging and informative glimpse into the work we are passionate about.
About Lucia
Jiaxu Li designed the nice cover for our article “Advancements in Loop Cyclization Approaches for Enhanced Peptide Therapeutics for Targeting Protein-Protein Interactions,” which was published in The Journal of Organic Chemistry in collaboration with Robin Shattock and Luke Granger.
De novo protein design has advanced such that many peptide assemblies and protein structures can be generated predictably and quickly. The drive now is to bring functions to these structures, for example, small-molecule binding and catalysis. The formidable challenge of binding and orienting multiple small molecules to direct chemistry is particularly important for paving the way to new functionalities.
The COST Action SNOOPY brings together a network of experts and young researchers from diverse disciplines (chemistry, biology, biochemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, medicine, physics) to overcome existing barriers to predict and implement bioactive peptides’ ability to self-assemble into functional nanostructures, including those at the interface with membranes, potentially forming pores and channels.
Visit the Lombardi Lab website to know who we are and what we do.
This study focuses on mimicking peptide loops as a strategy for PPI inhibition, utilizing synthetic peptide loops for replicating critical binding regions. This work explores turn-inducing elements and highlights the importance of proline in promoting favorable conformations for lactamization, yielding high-purity cyclic peptides.
This review explores the potential of peptide-based biomaterials to enhance biomedical applications through self-assembly, biological responsiveness, and selective targeting. Peptides are presented as versatile agents for antimicrobial activity and drug delivery, with recent approaches incorporating antimicrobial peptides into self-assembling systems to improve effectiveness and reduce resistance. The review also covers peptide-based nanocarriers for cancer drug delivery, highlighting their improved stability, targeted delivery, and reduced side effects.
What a great day! Lucia has been recognized with the Julia Higgins Award for her positive contribution to the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. Nice ceremony with nice people.
