Salvatore SORTINO

E-Mail: ssortino@unict.it

Sito web personale: http://docenti.unict.it/sortino

Researcher ID: E-4684-2011, ORCID: 0000-0002-2086-1276

Formazione

• Laurea con Lode in Chimica Industriale presso l’Università di Catania, 1990.
• Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze Chimiche presso l’Università di Catania, 1994.
• Post-Doc presso l’Istituto FRAE-CNR di Bologna, 1995-1996.
• Ricercatore di Chimica Generale e Inorganica presso l’Università di Catania, 1996-2004.
• Visiting Scientist, presso il Max-Planck Institut fur Strahlenchemie, Mulheim van der Ruer, Germany, 1998.
• Visiting Scientist presso la University of Ottawa, Canada, 1998-1999.
• Visiting Scientist presso la University of Miami, USA, 2004, 2011.
• Dal 2005 al 2015 a Professore Associato di Chimica Generale e Inorganica presso l’Università di Catania.
• Nel 2013 abilitato a Professore Ordinario per il SSD CHIM03 Chimica Generale e Inorganica.
• Dal 2015 Professore Ordinario di Chimica Generale e Inorganica presso l’Università di Catania.

Attività Scientifica

L’attività di ricerca nel corso degli anni ha coperto aspetti multisciplinari della Fotochimica molecolare, supramolecolare e applicata ai nano-materiali. Da quasi un ventennio essa è principalmente incentrata sulla progettazione e realizzazione di sistemi molecolari, polimerici e nanomateriali fotoattivabili per applicazioni nel campo emergente della nanomedicina con particolare interesse ai settori delle foto-terapie multimodali guidate da imaging fluorescente. L’attenzione è rivolta a sistemi in grado di generare, sotto l’esclusivo controllo di stimoli di luce visibile, ossido nitrico, specie reattive dell’ossigeno, calore e loro combinazioni, come agenti terapeutici “non-convenzionali” per superare chemio- e antibiotico-resistenza.

Attività Scientifica in Cifre

• 230 Pubblicazioni su riviste internazionali con referee, di cui 180 come Leader Author
• H Index = 43; numero totale di citazioni ~ 6600 (Scopus)
• 25 Cover Pages su riviste scientifiche internazionali con referee
• 13 Hot Papers and Highlights su riviste scientifiche internazionali con referee
• Oltre 200 Contributi a Congressi Nazionali ed Internazionali
• Oltre 60 Relazioni Orali ad Invito (Congressi e Scuole Nazionali ed Internazionali)
• 15 Progetti di Ricerca finanziati come Principal Investigator.
• 3 Brevetti Internazionali
• Editor del Libro: Light Responsive Nanostructured Systems for Applications In Nanomedicine, Springer, 2016.

Progetti di Ricerca Finanziati come Principal Investigator

Europei

• HORIZON-Europe 2020, Marie Curie Action-2021-PF-01-SUPREME: Polymeric Cyclodextrin-Based Supramolecular Constructs Photoreleasing Nitric Oxide for Combating Antibiotic Resistance. 24 mesi.
• FP7-PEOPLE-ITN 2013, Marie Curie Action - CYCLON-HIT: Nanocarriers for the delivery of antimicrobial agents to fight resistance mechanisms. 48 mesi.
• FP7-PEOPLE-ITN 2008, Marie Curie Action - CYCLON: Novel multifunctional cyclodextrin based nanocarriers for drug encapsulation and delivery as a strategy to overcome current therapeutics. 48 mesi.

Nazionali

• Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro, Investigator Grant IG-2017: Photocontrolled Release of Nitric Oxide as a Novel Strategy to Amplify Doxorubicin Activity in Cancer. 60 mesi.
• Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro, Investigator Grant IG-2012: Multimodal cancer therapy implemented with functionalized photoactivable nanoparticles. 36 mesi.
• PRIN-PNRR 2022 (MIUR): A Molecular Platform for Intracellular Nitric Oxide Sensing. 24 mesi
• PON 2007-2013 (MIUR) – Hippocrates: Sviluppo di Micro e Nano-Tecnologie e Sistemi Avanzati per la Salute dell'Uomo; 36 mesi.
• PRIN 2010-2011 (MIUR): Organizzazione funzionale a livello nanoscopico di biomolecole e ibridi per applicazioni nel campo della sensoristica, della medicina e delle biotecnologie. 36 mesi.
• PRIN 2008 (MIUR): Architetture ibride multifunzionali basate su biomolecole per applicazioni nel campo della sensoristica, della conversione di energia e del biomedicale. 36 mesi.
• PRIN 2006 (MIUR): Complessi porfirinici autoorganizzati su scala nanoscopica, proprietà e applicazioni tecnologiche. 36 mesi.
• PO FESR Sicilia 2014-2020 (MIUR). Action 1.1.5: Life Sciences. LiverSmartDrug – Innovative micro and nanosystems for effective treatment of liver tumour. 30 mesi.
• PON RI  2014-2020 (MIUR). Innovative Industrial Doctorates: Light-activatable polymeric nanoparticles for multimodal cancer therapy. 36 mesi.
• PON RI  2014-2020 (MIUR). Innovative Industrial Doctorates: Photoactivatable systems for therapeutic ocular applications. 36 mesi.
• FIR 2014 (UNICT): Development of a Multimodal Photo-Theranostic Nanoplatform for Cancer Diseases. 24 mesi.

Attività di Coordinamento e Organizzazione

• Coordinatore del Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze Chimiche dell’Università degli Studi di Catania, dal 2015 al 2024.
• Coordinatore per la Classe delle Scienze Sperimentali della Scuola Superiore dell'Università di Catania, dal 2011 al 2019.
• Membro della commissione brevetti di UNICT dal 2020 al 2021.
• Presidente della commissione brevetti di UNICT dal 2021 al 2023.
• Coordinatore dell’Obiettivo Formativo “Tecnologo esperto nello sviluppo di nano tecnologie abilitanti per il drug delivery” nell’ambito del Progetto di Formazine PON Hyppocrates 2012
• Membro del Consiglio Direttivo del Gruppo Italiano di Fotochimica, 2001-2005 e dal 2010 al 2014
• Membro del Consiglio Direttivo del Gruppo Interdivisionale di Fotochimica della Società Chimica Italiana, dal 2006 al 2010.
• Membro della European Photochemistry Association, dal 1996 a tutt’oggi.
• Membro del Comitato Organizzatore del 2nd Mediterranean Meeting on Photochemistry Giardini Naxos (2003)
• Organizzatore del Workshop Internazionale: Advances in Cyclodextrin Chemistry and Current Applications, nell’ambito del Progetto Europeo Cyclon, Catania 2010.
• Organizzatore della Summer School Internazionale su Photoactivable Antibacterials nell’ambito del Progetto Europeo Cyclon-Hit, Bologna 2016

Attività di Reviewer per Progetti di Ricerca Internazionali

Multinational Research Program on Self-Organized Nanostructures, EROCORES Programme, European Science Foundation; lNational University of Singapore; lNanoMed PhD, Fundacion Progreso y Salud, Spain; lACS Petroleum Research Fund, American Chemical Society (USA);    lProjects of Research Grants Council of Hong Kong; lAgence Nationale de la Recherche, France; lProjects of Research Grants GranCzech Science Foundation (GACR); lThird World Academy of Sciences Research Grants Programme.

Invited Lectures

• 18th International joint congress of Photobiology and Molecular and Experimental Pathology Society of Australasia,  Pert, Australia, August 2024  (Invited talk)
• 7th edition ofthe European Society for Photobiology School, Bressanone, Italy, June 2024
• 20th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Lion, France, August 2023 (Invited Talk)
• International Summer School on Photosentitive drugs: from therapies to instability, loss of activity and toxicity – Granada, Spain, July 2023

• Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, April 2023 (Invited Seminar) 
• V International Summer School on Cyclodextrins – Ascea September 2022
• VIII Workshop on Nitric Oxide in Cancer – Copenhagen June 2022 (Invited Talk)
• VIII International School on Photochemistry, Bologna, June 2022 
• 20th International Cyclodextrin Symposium, Giardini Naxos, Italy, May 2022 (Key Lecture)
• 19th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Salzburg, Austria, August 2021 (Invited Talk)
• 3rd International Conferences on Mateial Science and Engeneering: Recent Advances and Challenges, Alessandria, Egypt, March 2020 (Key Lecture)
• Controlled Release Society, Australian Chapter, Brisbane, Australia, November 2019 (Invited Talk)
• Department of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Australia, November 2019 (Invited Seminar)
• King’s College, London, October 2019 (Invited Seminar)
• XLVII Italian Division of Inorganic Chemistry, Bari, September 2019 (Key Lecture)
• VII International School on Photochemistry, Bologna, June 2019 (Invited Talk)
• Materials.it 2018, IItalian Conference on Material Science and Technology, Bologna, Italy, October, 2018 (Key Lecture)
• Conference of Italian Society of Photobiology, Udine, Italy, June 2018 (Plenary Lecture)
• Italian Photochemistry Meeting, Perugia, Italy, December 2017 (Plenary Lecture)
• XVI International Photodynamic Association World Congress, Coimbra, Portugal, June 2017 (Invited Talk)
• V International Workshop on Nitric Oxide and Cancer, Bologna, Italy, March 2017 (Plenary Lecture)
• Summer School on Photoactivable Antibacterials: from Basic Concepts to Practical Applications, Bologna, Italy, September 2016.
• 20th Meeting of The European Society of Surgery, Naples, Italy, June 2016 (Invited Talk)
• 7 Corso Nazionale di Introduzione alla Fotochimica, Bologna, Italy, June 2016 (Invited Talk)
• World Congress and Expo on Material Science and Polymer Engineering, Dubai, November 2015 (Invited Talk)
• Internatonal Workshop and Summer School on Advances in nanoparticulate carriers: applications in diseases and infections, Paris, France, October 2015 (Plenary Lecture)
• Conference of Italian Society of Biomaterials, Ancona, Italy, June 2015 (Plenary Lecture)
• Conference of Italian Society of Photobiology, Bari, Italy, June 2015 (Plenary Lecture)
• University of Siegen, Germany, Macromolecular Chemistry Department Chemistry – Biology, February 2015 (Seminar)
• Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e Fotoreattività, CNR, Bologna, Italy, March 2015 (Invited Seminar)
• Organic Chemistry Day, University of Pavia, October 2014 (Plenary Lecture)
• International Conference on Nanomedicine, Viterbo, Italy, September 2014 (Plenary Lecture)
• 8th International Conference on Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, Istanbul, Turkey, June 2014 (Invited Talk)
• Conference of Italian Society of Photobiology, Trento, Italy, June 2014 (Plenary Lecture)
• 17th International Cyclodextrin Symposium, Saarbrucken, Germany, May 2014 (Plenary Lecture)
• University of Brest, Department of Chemistry, France, March 2014 (Invited Seminar)
• International Workshop on New Advances in Biology and Medicine, Catania, Italy, May 2014 (Invited Talk)
• Università degli Studi di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnonolgia del Farmaco, Torino, Italy, January 2014 (Invited Seminar)
• XI National Conference of Supramolecular Chemistry, Padova, Italy, September 2013 (Key Lecture)
• Università degli Studi di Napoli, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Napoli, Italy, September 2013 (Invited Seminar)
• 2nd International School on Cyclodextrins, Giardini-Naxos, Italy, May 2013 (Invited Talk)
• 4th Italian Conference on Chemistry and Technology of Cyclodextrins, Giardini-Naxos,Italy, May 2013 (Plenary Lecture)
• Università della Basilicata, Dipartimento di Chimica, Potenza, Italy, May 2013 (Invited Seminar)
• Conference on Applications of Nanodrugs in Photodynamic Therapy, Goetheburg, Sweeden, April 2013 (Invited Talk)
• Summer School on Applications of Nanodrugs in Photodynamic Therapy, Goetheburg, Sweeden, April 2013 (Invited Talk)
• Conference of Italian Society of Photobiology, Padova, Italy, June 2012 (Plenary Lecture)
• XXV International Conference on Photochemistry, Beijing, China, August 2011 (Invited Talk)
• Summer School on Photochemistry and Applications in Photoactivable Anticancer Drugs, Bologna, Italy, September 2011 (Invited Lecture)
• International Workshop on Photochemistry in Confined Media, Toledo, Spain, March 2011 (Invited Talk)
• University of Praga, Department of Chemistry, May 2011 (Invited Seminar)
• S.I.F.I. Società’ Industria Farmaceutica Italiana, spa, Catania, Italy, February 2011 (Invited Seminar)
• School of Organometallic Chemistry, Bertinoro (FC), Italy, June 2010 (Invited Talk)
• 2nd France-Italy Meeting on Photochemisty, Marsille, France, December 2009 (Key Lecture)
• International Congress Molecular Modification of Inorganic Surfaces for Nanomedicine, Pavia, Italy, February 2009 (Plenary Lecture)
• Conference on Electronic Interactions in Supramolecular Systems, Luvain la Neuve, Belgium, September 2009 (Plenary Lecture)
• Universidad de Vigo, Departimento de Quimica, Spain, Decembre 2009 (Invited Seminar)
• Central European Conference on Photochemistry” Bad Hofgastein, Austria, February 2008 (Plenary Lecture)
• 2nd Symposium ChemoChips, Eisenach, Germany, November 2008 (Plenary Lecture)
• IV Joint Conference of Italian Society of Chemistry, Sicilia e Calabria Divisions, Cosenza, Italy, December 2008 (Plenary Lecture)
• IV Joint Conference of Italian Society of Photochemistry and Photobiology, Maratea (PZ), Italy, June 2007 (Plenary Lecture)
• Universitaet Munchen, Lehrstuhl fuer BioMolekulare Optik, Department fuer Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians, Germany, July 2008 (Invited Seminar)
• Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Departamento de Quimica Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica, July 1999 (Invited Seminar)