Stefania Casula

I began my experience at the CNR-IRTAM of Cagliari in 1991 with a scholarship for the project “Expression of the human δ globin gene through the study of RNA”. I learned the techniques in sequencing analysis of globin gene, in vitro mutagenesis and cloning, maintenance of erythropoietic cell lines for expression study by transient and stable transfection. This expertise has been used for activation of the δ globin gene by the CACCC b-globin gene motif. 

Since 1998 I have been working at the IRGB (formerly IGP) focusing research on population studies and multifactorial diseases, such Uric Acid Nephrolithiasis and Asthma, by techniques of Genomic Analysis (DNA extraction, PCR amplification, microsatellite and sequencing analysis), and Expression Studies (determination of protein levels on serum and plasma by Immune-enzymatic Method (ELISA), immune-histochemical techniques and Western blot) 

Currently my research activity is focused on comparison of DNA/RNA molecular alterations observed in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, with and without development of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, and those observed in SARS-CoV2-induced pulmonary fibrosis. DNA/RNA is extracted from biopsies of FFPE tissues from both patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and autopsies of patients died of COVID-19.  NGS mutational analysis is performed using an Oncomine Focus multi-gene panel on Ion Chef and Ion GeneStudio S5 platform