Pier Carlo Montecucchi

Certified Professional Consultant and Chartered Consultant

in the field of Biochemistry

Pier Carlo Montecucchi was educated at the Department of Biochemistry - University of Turin (Italy), Naval Military Academy (Livorno, Italy), Department of Pharmacology - University of Rome (Italy), Department of Genetics - University of Pavia (Italy),  Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry (Martinsried, Germany), Department of Biological Sciences - Florida State University (Tallahassee,FL, USA), Business School at The Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) and The Consultants Institute (Sarasota, FL, U.S.A now at Princess Anne, MD, U.S.A.).

Academic credentials: Pier Carlo Montecucchi earned a doctorate summa cum laude in Biology at the University of Turin, a diploma in Business Management and Administration at the Bocconi University, a diploma as Certified Professional Consultant (C.P.C.) at The Consultants Institute.  He successfully completed all requirements and he was declared a Chartered Consultant (C.C.) by the American Consultants League. He was the recipient of a Meyerhoff professorship at The Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel). As visiting scientist, he has worked at the Max Planck Instutute for Biochemistry [(Martinsried, Germany) Department of Protein Chemistry], University of Pavia [(Italy), Genetic Institute], University of Rome [(Italy), Department of Pharmacology], Italian National Council for Research (CNR) in Rome [(Italy), Department of Cell Biology], and at the Florida State University in Tallahassee[(FL, U.S.A.), Biological Science Department].

He is the author of referred  research papers, chapters in books and patents.

Pier Carlo Montecucchi, as certified professional consultant, is working in the area of technology consultation (proteomics, bioprocessing), product development and commercialization, intelligence analysis tools for government and industry clients. He is also involved in some basic research programs.

Pier Carlo Montecucchi is the founder of MONTEGEN, a Bureau for Biotechnology, (Italy - U.S.A.), and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer.  He acts as a consultant for the company INTELLIGENCE-NET OFFICE (U.S.A.).

Pier Carlo Montecucchi has been involved in basic research (peptide / protein chemistry), in biotechnology business and in managing technology as a strategic resource.

 The  elucidation of the covalent structure of peptides / proteins as a prerequisite for the understanding of their biological functions: the primary structures, post-translational modifications, and structure-function relationships of several biologically and medically important peptides &  proteins have been studied:

dermorphin / [Hyp⁶]-dermorphin (the first examples of a Vertebrate peptide with a D-aminoacid in its sequence)  

AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF DERMORPHIN:

Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly-Tyr-Pro-Ser-NH₂

 

AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF  [Hyp 6 ] - DERMORPHIN:

Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly-Tyr-Hyp-Ser-NH₂

[Hyp = 4-trans- hydroxyproline]

 

sauvagine [an amphibian polypeptide analogue to the corticotropin-releasing factor (= CRF); the structure elucidation of sauvagine has anticipated that of CRF]

"It is suggested that the long-searched corticotropin releasing factor and PRL release-inhibiting factor may be a sauvagine-like peptide" (1981)

 

AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF SAUVAGINE I ( SAU I ): pGlu-Gly-Pro-Pro-Ile-Ser-Ile-Asp-Leu-Ser-Leu-Glu-Leu-Leu- Arg-Lys-Met-Ile-Glu-Ile-Glu-Lys-Gln-Glu-Lys-Glu-Lys-Gln-Gln-Ala-Ala-Asn- Asn-Arg-Leu-Leu-Leu-Asp-Thr-Ile-NH₂

 

AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF SAUVAGINE II [Glu ²³ ]SAU I: pGlu-Gly-Pro-Pro-Ile-Ser-Ile-Asp-Leu-Ser-Leu-Glu-Leu-Leu- Arg-Lys-Met-Ile-Glu-Ile-Glu-Lys-Glu-Glu-Lys-Glu-Lys-Gln-Gln-Ala-Ala-Asn- Asn-Arg-Leu-Leu-Leu-Asp-Thr-Ile-NH₂

kassinin (a tachykinin peptide)

hylambatin (a caerulein like peptide)

[Glu-O-Me] ² - litorin (a bombesin-like peptide)

tryptophyllins

inhibitors of protein synthesis (ribosome-inactivating proteins)

a dimeric myoglobin

a sperm protamine

a new beta galactosidase archeobacterial gene

low-molecular weight neuroimmunoregulatory molecules

Luteinizing hormone release-inhibiting factor (LH RIF) from rat hypothalamus

dsRNA isolation from a virus present in Penicillium iriense

characterization of the components of cellulase produced by Penicillium iriense

 He has been involved

in peptide synthesis:

caerulein

tryptophyllin

thymosin alpha-1 (bulk)

in the isolation and production of:

enzymes (cellulases, penicillin acylase, phosphatases)

low-molecular weight heparin

hemoglogin derivatives

ds-RNA

differentiation factors

in pharmacological studies of preclinical and clinical compounds

in biochemical studies on glycogen synthesis "in vitro" and "in vivo"

in biochemical studies on the X-rays effects on protein structure

in biochemical studies on enzyme immobilization: penicillin acylase, 7-Glutaryl-ACA-acylase [7-(4-Carboxybutanamido) Cephalosporanic acid acylase]

in the preparation of supports for affinity chromatography

heparin-Sepharose

in electrophysiology (determination of mammalian ventricular potential action: membrane potential, overshoot)

  He has solved bio-analytical problems:

identification of post - translation modification in peptides / proteins

identification and isolation of alpha- and beta-aspartyl peptides (as products of peptide synthesis)

RP-HPLC separation of conformational isomers (temperature sensitive) in a proline-rich tryptophyllin ( TPH - 13)

Pyr-Glu-Lys-Pro-Trp-Pro-Pro-Pro-Ile-Tyr-Pro-Met-OH

Diastereoisomers separation on thin-layer chromatography and on the column for amino acid analysis

c-AMP isolation and determination

"in vitro" evaluation of the biological activity of ATP derivatives using bioluminescence produced by the action of luciferase on its substrate luciferin

Evaluation of the ⁶⁵Zn levels in Ulva lactuca

separation of protein analogues using isoelectric focusing and 2D-gel electrophoresis ("pseudo - titration curves")

parallel bioassays, to distinguish similar peptides: Glu(OME) ² -litorin (the second bombesin-like peptide occurring in methanol extracts of the skin of the Australian frog Litoria aurea ) possesses a spectrum of biological activity similar to that of litorin; however, the two peptides may easily be distinguished from each other by parallel bioassays

litorin                             Pyr-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Phe-Met-NH₂

Glu(OME) ² -litorin          Pyr- Glu(OME)-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Phe-Met-NH₂

  He has made improvements in a commercial protein sequencing apparatus.

   He has been involved

in the silk production (selection of Bombyx mori cocoons)

in the commercialization of stagnant technologies

Heparin derivatives

in the development / commercialization of biomedical instruments & software

Multicompartment Immobilized Enzyme Reactor (M.I.E.R.)

SuperPro Designer

in the preparation of marker reports and "ad hoc" business investigation

A new instrument for the synthesis of peptides and oligonucleotides

The production of morpholine

Gene therapy in orthopaedic medicine

A study for the construction of a facility for large-scale (Kg level) peptide synthesis

Bioproducts for the naval industry

Internet can open new avenues to your business

Prolactin as an immunoregulatory factor

Intelligence Techniques and Procedures

The commercialization of stagnant technologies

Kinetics of chemical reactions and kinetics of enzymatic reactions

in technology scouting and its integration into the core business of the client

 

References:

• "The world of peptides" by T. Wieland and M. Bodanszky - Springer-Verlag (Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona) - Capter 10, p 237 - 238
• HPLC in der Biochemie" - LaborPraxis in der Medizin - Marz 1981 p 14 - 15

• "Dermorphins are most potent opiod peptides known say Italian scientist" - SCRIP:  606,  13, July 8th, 1981

Many thanks to Angela Sabella who has contributed to the success of my business,  with enthusiam and tolerance

and to my father Vincenzo. He has helped me through his verbal and financial support. Both of them have given me much more than I could ever provide in return.

Pier Carlo"