Prof. Angelo Fontana
University of Naples "Federico II"

Prof. Angelo Fontana is Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Naples "Federico II" and Director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council in Italy. As the author of more than 250 papers and patents, his research has focused on naturally occurring biologically active small molecules mostly from marine organisms. He was co-founder of BioSEArch SRL, a start-up for the development of marine natural products in medicine and as ingredients in foods and cosmetics. In 2009 he received the Apivita Award from the Phytochemistry Society of Europe for the contribution in the field of natural products. His current interests concern the discovery and development of small molecules capable of activating or suppressing the immune response in cancer and chronic degenerative diseases, the biosynthesis of lipids and secondary metabolites in marine eukaryotes and opisthobranchs, and the biological synthesis of hydrogen in the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana.