Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry
University of Catania - Department of Chemical Sciences
Catania, Italy
From nature's blueprint to new molecules: I reinvent bioactive compounds via chemical and enzymatic synthesis, decoding structure-activity relations to sharpen their power, while extracting and characterizing novel ones from plants and agricultural waste.
I'm Vera Muccilli, Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Catania. My research stands on two complementary pillars that reinforce each other.
The extraction approach: from waste to wealth.
Every year, agriculture discards mountains of by-products. In our lab, we see them as untapped reservoirs of bioactive molecules. We extract natural products from this waste, transforming what's thrown away into compounds with real therapeutic promise. This is sustainability and health in a single move: we close the loop on agricultural waste while feeding new value into the pharmaceutical and food industries.
The synthetic approach: from nature's blueprint to better molecules.Through chemical and enzyme-driven (biomimetic) synthesis, we modify these natural compounds to sharpen their activity, improve their stability, and design molecules nature never made. By studying structure–activity relationships, we engineer optimized inhibitors aimed at the enzymes behind today's most pressing metabolic diseases—obesity, type 2 diabetes, and beyond.
Why both matter.
Extraction grounds us in real, sustainable sources. Synthesis lets us push past nature's limits. Together they form a complete pipeline: discover, extract, redesign, and deliver. With nearly 100 publications proving the chemistry works, we're now ready to take these discoveries from the bench to applications that reach people.
Two faces, one mission: turning what we discard—and what we design—into what keeps us healthy.
Skills
Interests
Project cooperation
Seeking MSCA Postdoctoral Fellows
Our research activity deals with the Chemistry of Natural Products. From the extraction and valorization of agricultural waste, to the synthesis of novel natural products analogs with enhanced biological activity.
Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry at University of Catania - Department of Chemical Sciences
Catania, Italy
Project cooperation
Seeking Partners for Doctoral Networks
Seeking partners for a joint Doctoral Network on agricultural waste valorization. Our research spans the Chemistry of Natural Products: from extraction and valorization of agri-waste to the synthesis of natural product analogues with enhanced activity
Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry at University of Catania - Department of Chemical Sciences
Catania, Italy