Research interests
Nanotechnology, Surface Functionalization, Lipid bilayers, Atomic Force Microscopy, Force Spectroscopy, Friction Force Microscopy, Optical Microscopy, Biophysical Chemistry, Nanomedicine, Sensors, Biomaterials, Smart Surfaces, Antimicrobial Peptides, Single-molecule techniques, Nanomechanical characterization.
Biographical sketch
He earned his BSc in Chemistry and Chemical Technologies at the University of Genoa in 2007 and his MD in Industrial Chemistry at the University of Genoa in 2010. In 2014, he earned the PhD in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT-Nanophysics Department) by defending a thesis titled "Biocompatible surface modification for cell-sensing devices". He spent two years as postdoc at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Liège (Belgium) in the Nanochemistry and Molecular Systems laboratory, working on Modeling of the Network Regulating Bacillus licheniformis BlaP ß-Lactamase Induction. From October 2016, he is a postdoc research fellow at the S3 Centre (NanoStructures and BioSystems at Surfaces) of CNR-Nanoscience Institute in Modena. His research activity includes the study of nanomechanical properties of living cells by scanning probe microscopy.
Selected publications
N. Marín-Medina, A. Mescola, A. Alessandrini, "Effects of the peptide Magainin H2 on Supported Lipid Bilayers studied by different biophysical techniques". Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr, 2018.
G. Ragazzini, A. Mescola, L. Corsi, A. Alessandrini, "Fabrication of a low-cost on-stage cell incubator with full automation". Journal of biological education, 2018.
A. Mescola, C. Canale, D. Fragouli, A. Athanassiou, "Controlled formation of gold nanostructures on biopolymer films upon electromagnetic radiation". Nanotechnology, 2017.
A. Mescola, C. Canale, M. Prato , A. Diaspro, L. Berdondini, A. Maccione, S. Dante , “ Specific neuron placement on gold and silicon nitride patterned substrates through a two-step functionalization”. Lamgmuir, 2016.
I. Penna, A. Gigoni, D. Costa, S. Vella, D. Russo, A. Poggi, F. Villa, A. Brizzolara, C. Canale, A. Mescola, A. Daga, Cl. Russo, M. Nizzari, T. Florio, P. Menichini, and A. Pagano " The inhibition of 45A ncRNA expression reduces tumor formation, affecting tumor nodules compactness and metastatic potential in neuroblastoma cells". Oncotarget, 2016.
S. Bellani, A. Mescola, G. Ronzitti, H. Tsushima, S. Tilve, C. Canale, F. Valtorta, E. Chieregatti, “GRP78 clustering at the cell surface of neurons transduces the action of exogenous alpha-synuclein”. Cell Death and Differentiation, 2014.
A. Mescola, S. Vella, M. Scotto, P. Gavazzo, C.Canale, A. Diaspro, A. Pagano, M. Vassalli, "Probing cytoskeleton organization of neuroblastoma cells with single-cell force spectroscopy". Journal of Molecular Recognition, 2012.