Simone Ciofi Baffoni

Simone Ciofi Baffoni is an Associate Professor at the University of Florence, affiliated with the Magnetic Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry. His research focuses on structural biology, particularly copper trafficking, iron-sulfur protein biogenesis, and mitochondrial protein import. He employs advanced NMR spectroscopy techniques to study metalloprotein interactions and cellular mechanisms underlying human diseases. Key projects include elucidating copper distribution pathways, oxidative protein folding in mitochondria, and Fe/S cluster assembly defects.

His work integrates structural biology with biochemical and biophysical methods, contributing to understanding diseases linked to metal homeostasis and mitochondrial dysfunction. He co-authored over 79 peer-reviewed publications, including high-impact journals like Nature and Nature Chemical Biology. Ciofi Baffoni is actively involved in Instruct-ERIC, a European structural biology infrastructure.

Research highlights include discoveries on MIA40-mediated oxidative folding, CuA assembly mechanisms, and the role of anamorsin in Fe/S cluster biosynthesis. His lab investigates mitochondrial disorders caused by protein misfolding and cluster assembly failures, with implications for neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.

Publications emphasize structural insights into proteins like Cox17, Sco2, and NFU1, using techniques like in-cell NMR and paramagnetic spectroscopy. He has pioneered studies on [2Fe-2S] and [4Fe-4S] clusters, their transfer pathways, and disease mutations affecting these systems.