Docente i. CV Amerigo Beneduci Via Piersanti Mattarella, 16 87100

Docente
i. CV
Amerigo Beneduci
Via Piersanti Mattarella, 16
87100 Cosenza (CS), Italy
e-mail: [email protected]
tel.: +393930602129
EDUCATION
Degree in Chemistry, University of Calabria, Italy, 1993-1998. Area of Specialization:
Chemical-Physics.
Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences, University of Calabria, 1999-2002. Area of Specialization:
Interaction between millimeter waves and biological systems.
AWARDS and TRAINING
Young Researchers Project-MURST, Graduate Research Grant, 2000.
30 Ore per la Vita Project, Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro i Tumori, Research
Grant, 1999-2000.
Regione Calabria E.F. 2001 Graduate Research Fellowship, 2002-2005.
PROSICA Project Graduate Research Fellowship, 2006-present.
Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Research Grant, 2006.
Cell Culture Techniques and Methods for Biochemistry Training, Cell Biology
Laboratory of Consortium TEBAID, 1999.
Electron Microscopy of Cells Training, Department of Ecology, Electron Microscopy
Laboratory, University of Calabria, 2000.
Techniques for Measuring Spectral Power Density of Weak mm-Wave Signals
Training, Institute of Electronic Measurements, KVARZ, Nizhnj Novgorod, Russia,
2001.
I GIMAMP National School, Microwaves Applied to Materials and Processes,
University of Salerno, Italy, 2003.
BD Bioscience Training on Basic Flow Cytometry, 2004.
BD Bioscience Training on Flow Cytometry and DNA, 2005.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Post-Doctoral Research: Department of Chemistry University of Calabria, Chemical-Physics
Laboratory 2005-present:
 Study of the effects induced by millimeter waves on cell systems cultured in vitro.
 Study of the mechanisms of interaction between millimeter waves and biological
membranes at a molecular level, by mean of anisotropic nuclear magnetic resonance
spectroscopy.
 Development of millimeter wave apparatus for exposure studies.
 Development of methods for studying the dielectric properties of biological systems at
millimeter-wave frequency range.
 Study of the coupling between millimeter radiation and cell samples contained in
commercial culture dishes.
Institute of Biochemistry of macromolecules-NMR Unit, School of medicine and Surgery, The
Second University of Naples:
 Development of a High Resolution Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1HNMR) methodology for metabolomic analysis of urine samples.
Doctoral Research: Department of Chemistry University of Calabria, Chemical-Physics
Laboratory, 1999-2002 (Research Adviser: Prof. Giuseppe Chidichimo).
 Study of the effects induced by millimeter waves on cell systems cultured in vitro.
 Study of the mechanisms of interaction between millimeter waves and biological
membranes at a molecular level, by mean of anisotropic nuclear magnetic resonance
spectroscopy.
NATIONAL COOPERATION
Istituto di Neurobiologia e Medicina Molecolare Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Via del
Fosso del Cavaliere, 100 00133 Roma-Italy
Since 2007, my research team is collaborating with Dr. Alfonsina Ramundo-Orlando on the
evaluation of the mechanisms of interaction between millimeter waves and biological membranes
We are now studying the MMWs-induced effects on phospholipid bilayer membrane systems
arranged in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUV), whose diameter is comparable to that of human
eukaryotic cells. Recently, we presented a contribution entitled “Morphological Changes Induced
by 53.37GHz Radiation on Giant Vesicles” at the International Symposium organized by the
Electromagnetic Academy "Progress In Electromagnetic Research Symposium Abstracts ",
Hangzhou, China, 24-28 March, 2008.
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics “Francesco Cedrangolo”, Second University of
Naples, Naples, Italy
Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Child Health IRCCS-Burlo
Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
High resolution 1D Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for metabonomics analysis of urines
and any other biological fluids.
INTERANTIONAL COOPERATION
University of Nizhnj Novgorod, Russia:
 the research field treated during my researcher career, led me to interact with Russian
experts in millimeter wave technology and then to establish fruitful cooperation with
researchers at the University of Nizhnj Novgorod. Moreover, I took care of important
commercial agreements between University of Calabria and the UWHOM Company of
Nizhnj Novgorod, a company leaders in the MMW technology. I have capitalized from such
scientific cooperation for learning the foundation of microwave engineering and of
waveguide circuits.
Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, OHIO, USA:
 since 2005, my research team is collaborating with professor Philip Westermann, on the
biophysical mechanism of interaction between MMW and biological membranes.
Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona Science Park, Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, and CIBERER, Spain
High resolution 1D Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for metabonomics analysis of urines
in order to understand the tubular handling of amino acids and their age dependent excretion, to
infer possible new networks, common transporters and pathways.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
 My primary scientific interest is the bioelectromagnetism. As already written, I have focused my
research efforts on the interaction between the specific millimeter-wave frequency range (MMW)
from 40 GHz up to 80 GHz and biological systems. I have studied the effects induced by these
radiations on several human cell systems cultured in vitro, either healthy or tumoral, exposed at
very low power. The original idea was to verify if mm-waves could act as potential selective
anticancer agent (at least in vitro). I have discovered that in certain exposure conditions, MMW
could be used as a physical mean in order to inhibit the proliferative behavior of several tumoral
cells, without affecting the healthy cell systems [1]. I have also observed significant cell
morphological alterations [2-4]. Moreover, I have shown that the frequency of the radiation and
the irradiation time influence the observed effects [2]. The alterations on the cytoplasmic
membrane of the irradiated cells, brought me to think at this structure as one of the principal
targets of the MMW. I began the study of the interaction of the MMW with model membrane
systems starting from three fundamental considerations: 1) at these frequencies, water is a highly
absorbing medium; 2) the absorption of the radiation by water molecules can perturb the equilibria
involved at the membrane/water polar interface; 3) this can induce relevant biological effects. In
reference [5] I have described a MMW effect on a model membrane system, that was
unequivocally shown to be not a thermal effect because it was opposite to a thermal increase.
I am studying also the absorption properties of some biological systems in the millimeter range of
frequencies and also the coupling between MMW and cell systems cultured in culture dishes.
 Dielectric relaxation mechanisms of water.
 1H-NMR Spectroscopy of urine and other biological fluids (Metabolomics): in cooperation with
dr. Gabriele Pontoni at The Second University of Naples, we have standardized a simple NMR
methodology enabling multi-component analysis (aminoacids and other metabolites) useful in
both diagnosis and follow-up of a wide range of inherited metabolic diseases and also we have
optimized a methodology for population screening studies for which normal levels of
metabolites have to be detected and quantitated.
SUPERVISOR OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
University of Calabria:
Experimental Degree Thesis in Chemistry of M. E. Miceli. “Millimeter Wave Dielectric
Spectroscopy of Aqueous Systems”, 2005.
Experimental Degree Thesis in Biology. M. Vitale. “In vitro study of the biological effects induced
on NCTC 2544, RPMI 7932 and K562 human cells by MW radiation in the UMTS frequency
band”, 2006.
Experimental Degree Thesis in Diagnostica per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali. S. Gigliotti. “Studio
della distribuzione di consolidanti e protettivi a base di polimeri fluorurati in matrici carbonatiche”,
2008.
University of Calabria in cooperation with Kent State University:
Experimental Degree Thesis in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology of D. Boetti “Study of
the electric properties of yeast cells and phospholipid vesicles in the frequency range 0÷1 MHz”.
UNIVERSITY TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Department of Chemistry, University of Calabria, 1999-2001.
Teaching Assistant for the second year basic course in Thermodynamics and Kinetic Chemistry.
Teaching Assistant for the specialization course in Solid Phase Spectroscopic Techniques.
Department of Earth Science, University of Calabria, 2002-present.
Teacher of Analytical Chemistry for the second year course in Sciences and Techniques for the
Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage.
LIST OF PUBBLICATIONS
[1] Beneduci A. et al., Metabonomics of urinary amino acids by 1-D High Resolution 1H-NMR
Spectroscopy: optimized methodology for population screening studies, (submitted).
[2] P. D’Adamo, S. Ulivi, A. Beneduci, G. Pontoni, G. Capasso, C. Lanzara, G. Andrighetto, U.
Hladnik, V. Nunes, M. Palacin, and P. Gasparini, Metabonomics and population studies: agerelated amino acids excretion and inferring networks through the study of urine samples in two
Italian isolated populations, Amino Acids (in press).
[3] Beneduci A., Filippelli L., Cosentino K., Chidichimo G., 2008 Millimeter Waves Exposure SetUp For Real-Time Monitoring Of Biological Processes At A Molecular Level By Nuclear
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. 5th International Workshop on Biological Effects of
Electromagnetic Fields September 28th - October 2nd 2008, Città del Mare, Terrasini, Palermo.
[4] Beneduci A. 2008. Review on the mechanisms of interaction between millimeter waves and
biological systems, In: Bioelectrochemistry Research Developments. Bernstein E. M. (ed.),
Chap. 2, Nova Science Pub. Inc. (NY, USA): pp. 35-80.
[5] Beneduci A. 2008. Which is the effective time scale of the fast Debye relaxation process in
water? Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2007, Vol. 138, n. 1-3, pp. 55-60.
[6] Beneduci A. et al. 2007. Evaluation of the Effects Induced by Near Infrared Low Intensity Laser
Radiation on Bovines Affected by Subacute Mastitis: a Single-Quarter Foremilk Sampling
Study". Journal of Animal and veterinary Advances (JAVA), Vol. 6, n. 6, pp. 761-767.
[7] Beneduci A. et. al. 2007. Antiproliferative effect of millimeter radiation on human
erythromyeloid leukemia cell line K562 in culture: ultrastructural-and metabolic-induced
changes, Bioelectrochemistry 71 (2) 182-188.
[8] Filippelli L., Beneduci A. and Chidichimo G. 2006. Effect of low power millimeter waves
irradiation on C12EO5/2H2O membrane model: A 2H-NMR spectroscopy investigation.
Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Biological Effects of EMFs, Vol. I, pag. 574581 Crete, Greece, 16-20 october.
[9] Beneduci A. et. al. 2005. Frequency and irradiation time-dependant antiproliferative effect of
low-power millimeter waves on RPMI 7932 human melanoma cell line, Anticancer Research
25:1023-1028.
[10] Beneduci A. et. al. 2005. Transmission electron microscopy study of the effects produced by
wide-band low-power millimeter waves on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in culture,
Anticancer Research 25:1009-1014.
[11] Chidichimo G., Beneduci A. et. al. 2002. Selective inhibition of tumoral cells growth by low
power millimeter waves. Anticancer Research 22:1681-1688.
ATTENDED WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES
1. 5th International Workshop on Biological effects of EMFs: Beneduci A., Filippelli L.,
Cosentino K. and Chidichimo G., Millimeter waves exposure set-up and real-time monitoring of
biological processes at molecular level by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Palermo, September
28th-October 2, 2008. (poster presentation).
2. Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Abstracts: Ramundo-orlando A. , Cappelli
M., Longo G., Girasole M., Tarricone L., Beneduci A., Morphological Changes Induced by
53.37GHz Radiation on Giant Vesicles. Hangzhou, China, 24-28 March, 2008, Electromagnetic
Academy:2008, pp. 338-339.
3. 4th International Workshop on Biological effects of EMFs: Filippelli L., Beneduci A.,
Chidichimo G., Effects of low power millimeter waves irradiation on C12EO5/2H2O membrane
model: a 2H-NMR spectroscopic investigation. Crete, Greece, 16-20 October, 2006 (speaker).
4. Giornate Scientifiche 2005 Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli: Pontoni G., Beneduci A.,
Dardo G., Pontoni L., Chidichimo G., Uso della spettroscopia di risonanza magnetica nucleare
delle urine per lo screening di malattie metaboliche. Napoli, 4-6 Luglio 2005 (poster
presentation).
5. Conference of the International Institute of Anticancer Research:
Beneduci A., Straface S. V., De Rose R., Chidichimo G., Filippelli L., Antiproliferative effects
of low power millimeter waves on the RPMI 7932 human skin melanoma cell line. Corfù 25-30
Ottobre 2004 (speaker).
6. Conference of the International Institute of Anticancer Research:
Beneduci A., Chidichimo G., Tripepi S., Perrotta E., Vitetti A.. Transmission electron
microscopy study of the effects produced by wide band low power millimeter waves on the
MCF-7 and K562 tumoral cell lines. Corfù 25-30 Ottobre 2004 (speaker).
7. International Conference on New Anticancer Agents, Giugno 2001, organized by the
International Institute of Anticancer Research:
A. Beneduci et al, A novel and selective fisical anticancer agent. Anticancer Research, 21, 1509,
2001 (poster presentation).
8. International Conference on New Anticancer Agents, Giugno 2001, organized by the
International Institute of Anticancer Research:
G. Chidichimo, A Beneduci et al. "Selective depression of tumoral cell growth by low power
millimeter waves".Anticancer Research, 21, 1517, 2001 (poster presentation).
9. Conference-Workshop Horizons in Hydrogen Bond Research:
Beneduci A., Chidichimo G., Filippelli L., Water as “primary antenna” in the millimeter wavesbiological systems interaction. XIVth, Torino 2-7 Settembre, 2001 (speaker).
Orario di ricevimento
Periodo di riferimento: Gennaio 2009-Marzo 2009. Orario: Giovedì ore 14.30-16.30
SSD di afferenza
CHIM/01