Mauro Botta

Mauro Botta

Professor of Chemistry


e-mail: mauro.botta@mfn.unipmn.it
phone: +39 0131 360253
fax: +39 0131 360250
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Date and place of birth: 07/07/1958, Verzuolo (CN) - Italy
Nationality: Italian
Education: 1977 Diploma, Liceo Classico, Thiene (Vicenza)
  1985 Laurea "Magna cum Laude" in Chemistry, University of Torino, Italy
Thesis Title: "The promoting role of the metal-metal bond cleavage in the CO substitution reaction in metal carbonyls clusters"
Advisor: Prof. Silvio Aime
Career/Employment: 1986-1987 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Torino.
Advisor: Prof. Luciano Milone
  • Analysis of biological fluids by NMR techniques
  • Solid state NMR studies on metal carbonyls complexes
  1987 Postdoctoral Fellow, California State University Northridge
Advisor: Prof. Edward Rosenberg
  • Catalyzed reactions of Ru clusters with aliphatic amines
  1988-1989 Postdoctoral Fellow; Department of Chemistry IFM, University of Torino.
Advisor: Prof. Silvio Aime.
  • Paramagnetic metal complexes as MRI contrast agents
  • NMR relaxation mechanisms of paramagnetic systems
  1990-1998 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry IFM, University of Torino.
  1998-2004 Associate Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, Università del Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro", Alessandria, Italy
  2004-present Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, Università del Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro", Alessandria, Italy
Awards: 1998 Gold Medal "Raffaello Nasini" of the Division of Inorganic Chemistry of the Italian Chemical Society
Affiliations:
  • Italian Chemical Society
  • European Rare Earth and Actinide Society
  • European Society for Molecular Imaging
  • Italian Discussion Group on Magnetic Resonance (member of the Management Committee 1995-2001)
  • Interdivisional Group of Magnetic Resonance of the Italian Chemical Society (member of the Management Committee 2000-2003)
Field of Expertise:
  • Lanthanide (III) complexes as MRI diagnostic probes
  • Relaxation mechanisms of paramagnetic systems
  • Interaction of metal complexes with biomolecules
  • Field-cycling relaxometry and NMR solution studies of paramagnetic molecules
  • Coordination chemistry
  1998-2000 Project Coordinator of the NATO Collaborative Research Grants Programme: "Solution and Solid State Characterization of Water Soluble Lanthanide(III) Complexes", in collaboration with Prof. K. Hardcastle, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (USA)
  2003-2005 Project Coordinator of the NATO Collaborative Research Grants Programme: "New Lanthanide Complexes as Diagnostic Probes of Enhanced Efficacy", in collaboration with Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic), Tbilisi University (Georgia), Emory University, Atlanta, GA (USA)
  2000-2005 Member of the Working Group "Structure, stability and factors affecting the efficency of lanthanides chelates relevant to Magnetic Resonance Imaging" within the COST Action D18 of the European Community: "Lanthanide Chemistry for Diagnosis and Therapy"
  2006-present Member of the Working Group "MRI Contrast Agents" within the COST Action D38 of the European Community: "Metal-Based Systems for Molecular Imaging Applications"
Collaborations:
  • Prof. Silvio Aime, Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Italy.
  • Prof. Kenneth Raymond, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley.
  • Prof. David Parker, Department of Chemistry, University of Durham, U.K.
  • Prof. Ivan Lukes, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
  • Prof. Win-Tak Wong, Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, China
Publications:
  • Number of papers in refereed journals: ca. 150
  • Number of communications to scientific meetings: ca. 80
  • Number of books: 3 chapters of books
  • Number of patents: 3
    S. Aime, M. Botta, "Insoluble salts of lanthanides for the visual display, using nuclear magnetic resonance, of the gastro-intestinal tract" WO 91/16079;
    S. Aime, M. Botta, L. Calabi, L. Paleari, "Paramagnetic diagnostic formulations and their method of use" WO 95/17910;
    E. Terreno, S. Aime, M. Botta, "Enhanced substrate imaging by reversible binding to a paramagnetic complex" WO 03/033479)