Education

• 1994 degree in Biological Science – University of Cagliari – Italy.
• 2001, Ph.D. degree in Biochemical Sciences – University of Sassari – Italy

Grants and work experience

• 1994-1997, Grants from the “Regione Autonoma della Sardegna” (Regional Sardinian Government), Environmental Department.
• 1997-1998, Temporary work experience at the University of Cagliari, cod.302 – Biomarine and Biotechnological study area.
• 1998 – 2001, Ph.D. in Biochemical Sciences – University of Sassari – Italy
• 2001-2002, Annual Grant, Department of Science Applied to Biosystems, University of Cagliari.
• Since 2002 – Researcher in Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Cagliari

Post-lauream qualifications

• “Study of the structure-activity relationship of molecules of chemical and biological interest” University of Cagliari, 1995-1996.
• “Biochemical and molecular Biology applied technologies”, University of Cagliari 1996-1997.
• “The structure of proteins”, University of L’Aquila and Teramo 1999.
• “Summer School of Proteomics”, Parco Scientifico della Sardegna, Pula 2008
• “Training course for the diagnosis of Fabry disease from dried blood spots”. 2009 – Hamburg, Germany.

SIB affiliation

Academic activity

• She is currently in charge of the courses of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Cagliari

Scientific activity

She has carried out a comparative study of the structural and functional properties of respiratory proteins of invertebrates and vertebrates, human haemoglobin included. The experimental data obtained in this study were always correlated to the differing physiological needs of the different species and can be considered important for the development of a modern molecular physiology of the respiratory processes. This comparative study particularly highlighted the development of sophisticated modulation mechanisms in the release of oxygen at peripheral tissue level in relation to the different needs of life and of the habitat. She has focused her attention on the study of natural human haemoglobin variants and the structural-functional relationships strictly correlated to the identification of the insurgence of possible pathologies ascribable to particular mutations. She has also carried out a study on the characterisation of myoglobin hydrophobic cavities through the use of NMR spectroscopy of the Xenon129 which will give further information regarding the accessibility and dynamics of protein-ligand interaction. She has collaborated in a research project on the identification of the reaction products between oxidative enzymes and biogenic amines.
She is currently part of some research teams working on:

• the study of synthesis compounds and their inhibitory activity on tyrosinase enzyme
• the study of purine and pyrimidine metabolites with different biochemical techniques
• the study of proteins and metabolites in the serum of fibromyalgia (FM) patients to find biomarkers to be used to identify individuals susceptible to the syndrome of FM, for the diagnosis of FM, for objective measures of disease activity.

She has been collaborating with:

• Prof. M. Casu, Department of Chemical Sciences University of Cagliari.
• Prof. P. Ruggerone and Dott. M. Ceccarelli, Department of Physical Sciences, University of Cagliari.
• Prof. R. Galanello, Department of Medical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Cagliari.
• Prof. G. Podda, Department Pharmaco-Chemical Technology, University of Cagliari.
• Prof. R. Medda, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari
• Dr. F. Lilliu, Ospedale Microcitemico, Cagliari.
• Dr V. Ruggiero and Dr E Cacace, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Cagliari

Publications from 2008 to 2013

1. The Use of Antidepressants in the Long-Term Treatment Should not Improve the Impact of Fibromyalgia on Quality of Life
2. Carta MG, Ruggiero V, Sancassiani F, Cutrano F, Manca AR, Peri M, Fais A and Cacace E
   Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 2013, 9, 120-124
3. Purine metabolites in fibromyalgia syndrome.
   Fais A, Cacace E, Corda M, Era B, Peri M, Utzeri S, Ruggiero V.
   Clinical Biochemistry, 46 (2013) 37-39.
4. Tyrosine-like condensed derivatives as tyrosinase inhibitors
   Maria João Matos, Lourdes Santana, Eugenio Uriarte, Silvia Serra, Marcella Corda, Maria Benedetta Fadda, Benedetta Era and Antonella Fais
   Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 64 (2012), 742-6
5. A NEW β CHAIN HEMOGLOBIN VARIANT WITH INCREASED OXYGEN AFFINITY: Hb SANTA GIUSTA SARDEGNA [β93(F9)Cys→Trp; HBB c.282T>G]
   Antonella Fais, Maria Carla Sollaino, Susanna Barella, Lucia Perseu, Benedetta Era, and Marcella Corda
   Hemoglobin, 36 (2) :151-156, (2012)
6. New halogenated phenylcoumarins as tyrosinase inhibitors
   Maria João Matos, Lourdes Santana, Eugenio Uriarte, Giovanna Delogu, Marcella Corda, Maria Benedetta Fadda, Benedetta Era, Antonella Fais.
   Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 21 (2011) 3342–3345
7. Structural and functional characterization of a New Double Variant Haemoglobin (HbG-Philadelphia/Duarte α₂^68Asn→Lys β₂^62Ala→Pro).
   Antonella Fais, Mariano Casu, Paolo Ruggerone, Matteo Ceccarelli, Simona Porcu, Benedetta Era, Roberto Anedda, Maria Carla Sollaino, Renzo Galanello, and Marcella Corda (2011) Structural and Functional ISRN Hematology, volume 2011, article ID 735314, 10 pages.
8. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Novel Series of Bis-Salicylaldehydes as Mushroom Tyrosinase Inhibitors
   Giovanna Delogu, Gianni Podda, Marcella Corda, Maria Benedetta Fadda, Antonella Fais and Benedetta Era
   Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 20 (2010) 6138–6140
9. Increase in urinary purines and pyrimidines in patients with methylmalonic aciduria combined with homocystinuria
   Simona Porcu, Marcella Corda, Franco Lilliu, Liliana Contini, Benedetta Era, Pietro Traldi, Antonella Fais.
   Clinica Chimica Acta 411 (2010) 853–858
10. Tyrosinase Inhibitor Activity of a New Series of Bis-salicylaldehydes.
    A. Fais, S. Utzeri, T. Perra, G. Delogu, G. Podda, M. Corda, M. B. Fadda, B. Era
    Journal of Biological Research-Vol. LXXXIII, N. 1 (2010) – pag. 72. ISSN 1826-8838
11. Hydroxy derivates of 3-arylcoumarins as tyrosinase inhibitors.
    Vazquez S, Quezada E, Vilar S, Delogu G, Santana L, Fais A, Era B.
    DRUGS OF THE FUTURE Volume: 34 Supplement: A Pages: 188-188 Published: OCT 2009
12. Catabolic Pathways for Arginine and Methylated Arginines by Plant and Mammalian Copper Amine Oxidases
    F. Pintus, A. Contini, A. Finazzi Agrò, G. Floris, S. Porcu, A. Fais, D. Spanò and R. Medda.
    J. Iran. Chem. Soc., Vol. 6, No. 4, December 2009, pp. 849-856
13. Tyrosinase Inhibitor Activity of Coumarin-Resveratrol Hybrids
    Antonella Fais, Marcella Corda, Benedetta Era, M. Benedetta Fadda , Maria Joao Matos, Elias Quezada , Lourdes Santana , Carmen Picciau, Gianni Podda and Giovanna Delogu.
    Molecules 2009, 14, 2514-2520
14. PEG-immobilization of cardol and soluble polymer-supported synthesis of some cardol-coumarin derivatives: preliminary evaluation of their inhibitory activity on mushroom tyrosinase.
    Tocco G, Fais A, Meli G, Begala M, Podda G, Fadda MB, Corda M, Attanasi OA, Filippone P, Berretta S.
    Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2009 Jan 1;19(1):36-9.
15. Evidences of Xenon-Induced Structural Changes in the Active Site of Cyano-MetMyoglobins: A (1)H NMR Study.
    Anedda R, Era B, Casu M, Fais A, Ceccarelli M, Corda M, Ruggerone P.
    J. Phys. Chem. B, 2008, 112 (49), 15856–15866
16. Tyramine oxidation by copper/TPQ amine oxidase and peroxidase from Euphorbia characias latex.
    Anna Mura, Francesca Pintus, Antonella Fais, Simona Porcu, Marcella corda, Delia Spanò, Rosaria Medda, Giovanni Floris.
    Arch. Biochem. and Biophy. 475 (2008) 18-24