Sabrina Pacor

Sabrina Pacor is an Associate Professor in Applied Biology (BIO/13) at the University of Trieste, where she teaches Pharmacology in the Pharmacy LM and STB BSc programs. With over 30 years of research experience in experimental oncology and host defense peptides, she has made significant contributions to studying antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their interactions with bacterial membranes.

Her research focuses on:

• Direct antimicrobial activity of AMPs against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
• Indirect immunomodulatory effects of host defense peptides
• Development of drug delivery systems using nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles)
• Mechanistic studies of ruthenium-based antimetastatic drugs

She leads extensive cytofluorimetry research using flow cytometry platforms, particularly for evaluating:

• Cytotoxicity (necrosis/apoptosis, proliferation index)
• Modulation of host biological responses (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, ROS production)
• Peptide-bacterial membrane interactions through fluorescent labeling

Her recent work demonstrates trends in:

• Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides against ESKAPE pathogens
• Hybrid antibiotic design (peptide-aminoglycoside conjugates)
• Structure-activity relationships in membranolytic peptides
• Evolutionary insights into defensin and cathelicidin families

Prof. Pacor has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and actively mentors students, having supervised:

• 70 experimental/thesis reviews for Pharmacy/CTF Master's students
• 20 Bachelor's degree theses