Dr. Francesco Falcioni
AstraZeneca UK,
Biomedical Campus, 1 Francis Crick Ave, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 0AA
Description of PI principally associated with DECADES
Dr. Falcioni is a scientific leader with almost 20 years’ experience in applied biocatalysis. He is passionate about developing novel enzymatic processes in an application-driven setting, to achieve innovative chemistry and make a real impact on people’s lives. Francesco has an all-round knowledge of industrial biocatalysis, encompassing all stages from molecular biology to bioprocess development.
He matured his expertise during his PhD on enzymes in novel ionic liquids at the University of York (UK), and during his post-doctoral research at the Dept. of Bio-Chemical Engineering (TU Dortmund, Germany) on the FP7 EU project Oxygreen (http://www.rug.nl/research/oxygreen/), in close collaboration with Evonik Industries.
He has since moved to industry, working in pharma for the last decade, in both small and big enterprises, where he progressively developed an interest in commercial and management aspects.
He is currently Biocatalysis Leader at Astra Zeneca, where he coordinates the identification and implementation of biocatalytic opportunities across the whole early portfolio and leads the company enzyme engineering team.
Key Research Facilities, Infrastructure and Equipment
AstraZeneca has state of the art research facility for both chemistry and biology, with a unique large-scale lab at the Macclesfield site for excellency in process design and optimization
Hosting University/Company:
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused pharmaceutical company. AstraZeneca is dedicated to transforming the future of healthcare by unlocking the power of what science can do for people, society and the planet.
Relevant Publications and/or Research / Innovation Product
Publications directly linked to the consortium’s topic:
PhD Thesis: Structure and activity of hydrolases in novel functionalised ionic liquids
Soluble, folded and active subtilisin in a protic ionic liquid. F. Falcioni, H.R. Housden, Z. Ling, S. Shimizu, A.J. Walker, and N.C. Bruce. Chem. Comm. (2010), vol. 46, pp. 749-751.