Dr. Chiara Gamberi, Ph. D.

The Gamberi laboratory studies the spatio-temporal regulation of messenger (m) RNA translation and its effects on cell and organismal polarization in normal homeostasis and disease employing the genetically tractable model of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. 75% of human disease-related pathways are conserved in flies, yet the complexity of the human and vertebrate anatomy and physiology often hinders studies of the underpinning genetics and molecular biology, which limits our ability to design effective therapeutics. While using fruit flies to study human physiology may seem unlikely at first glance, the extensive evolutionary conservation can be leveraged to design highly informative studies. In fact, many fundamental and complex biological processes have been first discovered in flies (e.g., chromosomes are the base of inheritance, X-rays mutagenicity, circadian rhythms, stem cells etc.).

Our interdisciplinary research in molecular developmental biology utilizes genetic, molecular and chemical screens to advance mechanistic knowledge of pathological states (e.g., cystic kidneys) and longevity-promoting pathways to identify novel therapeutic approaches. Moreover, we pioneer novel strategies to rapidly advance knowledge of biological processes. Small-molecule chemical probing and tailored "fly pharmacology" in the whole animal in vivo are employed to refine our mechanistic knowledge of the pathways and discover effective points of intervention that may be translated into clinical practice.

* Students under my research supervision.

# Students under my editorial supervision.

31-   Millet-Boureima,C.*, Chingle R, Lubell W. D. and Gamberi C. “Cyst reduction in a polycystic kidney disease fly model using Smac mimics”. Biomedicines, 2019, 7(4),82; doi:10.3390/biomedicines7040082.

30-   Selber-Hnatiw S.*#, Sultana T.# , Tse W.# ,…. Paul-Cole K.*…Porras Marroquin J.*….93 authors, and Gamberi C. Metabolic networks of the human microbiota. 2019. Microbiology, in press.

·  Concordia University press release, upcoming.

·  Microbiology journal feature, upcoming.

29-   Yang E., Gamberi C., Chaurand P. Lipidomics of the wild type Drosophila melanogaster Malpighian tubule. 2019. J Mass Spectrom, 54(6):557-566. doi: 10.1002/jms.4366.

28-   Gamberi C. Drosophila for drug discovery: useful tool or wishful thinking? 2018. Dros Inf Serv 101, 108-110.

27-  Gamberi C. (corresponding author), Hall K. 2018. Undergraduates canpublish too! A case of scientific team writing assignment leading to publication. Intern J Sci Educ. 41: 48-63, 2019.

26-   Millet-Boureima,C.*,Porras-Marroquin J.* and Gamberi C. 2018.Modeling human renal disease ”on the fly”. Special issue on Drosophila models of disease, Daniela Grifoni, Louise Cheng, Antonio Baonza Editors. BioMed Research International, Article ID 569743631. 31 May 2018 |

·  Featured in La Presse .

·  Concordia University press release.

·  Featured A. Prokop’s Drosophila research reference website.

·  Review of 154 years of research on the fly renal system with a comparative perspective.

25-  Selber-Hnatiw S.*#, Rukundo B.#, … Ben Soussan H.,* ……. et al. (103 authors), and Gamberi C.. 2017. Human gut microbiota: toward an ecology of disease. Front. Microbiol., 8:1265-84. 17 July 2017.

·  Top 2% article overall. Top 5% article for the first quarter since publication, top 6% for citations.

·  Featured in Eurekalert.org and Phys.org.

·  Concordia University press release.

·  First-in-kind active learning pedagogy leading to publication of a review article.

24-  Gamberi C.(first and corresponding author), Hipfner D. R.,Trudel M., Lubell W. D. 2017. Bicaudal C mutation causes myc and TOR pathway up-regulation and Polycystic Kidney Disease-like phenotypes. PLOS Genetics, 2017Apr 13;13(4):e1006694. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006694.

·  Burdine R: F1000Prime Recommendation of [GamberiC et al., PLoS Genet 2017, 13(4):e1006694]. In F1000Prime, 04 Aug 2017; DOI: 10.3410/f.727503862.793535164.F1000Prime.com/727503862#eval793535164

·  Concordia University press release.

·  Featured A. Prokop’s Manchester University Drosophila research reference website.

· Featured S. Mohr’s Harvard University Drosophila models of disease website.

·  First-in-kindfruit fly model of polycystic kidney disease.

23-  Valzania L.,Ono H., Ignesti M., Cavaliere V., Bernardi F.,Gamberi C (co-corresponding author), Lasko^, P. and Gargiulo G. Drosophila 4EHP is essential for the larval-pupal transition and required in the prothoracic gland for ecdysone biosynthesis. 2016. Dev Biol, 410(1):14-23. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.12.021.

22-   Gamberi C.2015. Efficient high-throughput cuticle preparations from fly lines yielding both viable and unviable embryos Dros Inf Serv 98, 147-9.                   

21-   Gamberi C., Hipfner D. R., Trudel M. 2014. Dissecting Renal Tubule Physiology in a Drosophila Model System. 2014 Kidney Week, Philadelphia, PA, USA J Am Soc Nephrol 25:539A,2014.

20-  Solana J.,Gamberi C., Mihaylova Y., Grossvendt Grossvendt S., Chen C., Lasko P., Rajewsky N. and Aboobaker A. 2013. CCR4-NOT complex-mediated stem cell specific deadenylation and degradation of mRNAs promotes planarian stem cell differentiation. PLOS Genetics 9(12):e1004003. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004003.

19-  Gamberi C. (corresponding author), Lasko P.2012. The Bic-C family of developmental translational regulators. Comparative and Functional Genomics, special issue “Translational Control Across Eukaryotes”, Volume 2012, Article ID 141386, doi:10.1155/2012/141386.

20-  Maurizii M. G., Cavaliere V., Gamberi C.,Gargiulo G., Lasko P., Taddei C. Vasa protein is localized in the germ cells and in the oocyte-associated pyriform follicle cells during early oogenesis in the lizard Podarcis sicula.2009.Development GenesEvolution219(7): 361-7.

18-   Chicoine J., Benoit P., Gamberi C., Paliouras M., Simonelig M., Lasko, P. 2007.Bicaudal C recruits CCR4-NOT deadenylase to target mRNAs and regulates oogenesis, cytoskeletal organization and its own expression. Dev Cell 13: 691-704.

17-  Cho P. F., Gamberi C., Cho-Park Y. A., Cho-Park I. B., Lasko P., Sonenberg N 2006.Cap-dependent translational inhibition establishes two opposing morphogen gradients in Drosophila embryos. Curr Biol16: 2035-41.

16-   Gamberi C., Johnstone O., Lasko P. 2006. Drosophila RNA binding proteins. Int Rev Cytol 248:43-139.

15-  Lin S-Y., Choi E-Y., Johnson S.M., Abraham M., Pasquinelli A., Gamberi C., Gottlieb E., Slack F. 2003. The C.elegans hunchback homolog hbl-1controls temporal patterning and is a probable micro RNA target. Dev. Cell 4: 639-50.

14-  Gamberi C., Gottlieb E. 2002. Internally controlled Poly(A) Tail Assays to study gene regulation. BioTechniques, 33 (3): 476-480.

13-   Gamberi C., Peterson D. S., He L., Gottlieb E. 2002. An anterior function for the Drosophila posterior determinant Pumilio. Development, 129 (11):2699-2710.

·  Featured by Tadros and Lipshitz Dev. Dynam. 232: 593-608.

12-   Gamberi C., Izaurralde, E., Beisel, C., Mattaj, I.W. Interaction between the human nuclear cap-binding complex and hnRNP F. 1997. Mol CellBiol 17: 2587-2597.

·  The first “three-hybrid” screen for studying interactions within protein complexes and first indication for hnRNPF roles in splicing.

11-   Izaurralde E., Lewis J., Gamberi C., Jarmolowski A., McGuigan C., Mattaj I.W. 1995. A cap-binding protein complex mediating U snRNA export. Nature 376: 709-712.

10-  Raimondi E., Romanelli M.G., Moralli D., Gamberi C., Russo M.P., Morandi C. 1995. Assignment of the human gene encoding heterogeneous nuclear RNA nucleoprotein I to chromosome 14q23-q24.1. Genomics 27: 553-555.

9-    Gamberi C., Contreas G., Romanelli M.G., Morandi C. 1994. Analysis of the yeast NSR1gene and protein domain comparison between Nsr1 and human hnRNP type A1. Gene 148:59-66.

8-     De Checchi M.C., Rolfini R., Tamanini A., Gamberi C., Berton G., Cabrini G. 1992. Effect of modulation of protein kinase C on the cAMP-dependent chloride conductance inT84 cells. FEBS Lett. 311 (1): 25-8.

7-     Riva S., Cobianchi F., Buvoli M., Gamberi C., Romanelli M.G., Morandi C 1992.hnRNP proteins. Minerva Biotecnologica 4 (3): 141-152.

6-     Ferretti L., Raimondi E., Gamberi C., Young B. D., De Carli L., Sgaramella V.1991. Molecular cloning of a human sorted minichromosome. Gene 99: 229-234.

·  Thefirst successful isolation and characterization of a minichromosome “too small for sorting”. Ferretti and Sgaramella are the discoverers of T4 DNA ligase.

5-    De Checchi C., Rolfini R., Tamanini A., Gamberi C., Berton G., Cabrini G. 1991. Effect of modulation of protein kinase C on the cAMP-dependent chloride conductance in T84 cells Pediatric Pulmonology suppl. 6 (1991). p. 259 Wiley & Liss Editions.

4-    Ghetti A.,Padovani C.,Gamberi C.,Bestagno M.,Morandi C.1990. Identification of a 55 kDa nuclear protein sharing homology with hnRNP type L. Molecular Biology Reports 14: 89-90.

3-     Raimondi E., Ferretti, L. Gamberi C., Decarli L., Sgaramella V. 1989. Isolation and chromosomal localization of probes derived from a sorted human minichromosome. Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics 51 (1-4), 1063.

2-     Damiani G., Ferretti L., Gamberi C., Sgaramella V. 1989. Molecular bases of breeding (Italian). Reda L’Italia Agricola 3: 23-33.

1-     Sgaramella V., Ferretti L., Gamberi C., Damiani G., Panzeri L., Sora S. 1989. CABIOS.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

1- Gamberi C. 2018. Commentary of The Science Café “Perspectives on PKD”. PKD Foundation, Montreal Chapter site.

2- Gamberi C. 2007. Postdocket 5 (1):7.

3- Gamberi C.  National Postdoctoral Association, International Postdoctoral Committee, Survival Guide for Postdocs (conception, design and several chapters).

·        Featured in Science. (2007). 315: 695-9.