Daniele Di Marino (1982–2024) was an Italian molecular and computational biologist who dedicated his career to studying the relationship between protein structure and function with applications to human conditions, including cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. Daniele was an associate professor in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy. Daniele tragically passed away at the age of 42, leaving an unfathomable void for the many people who loved him.
Born in Rome, Daniele’s research career started at the intersection of computational biology, biophysics, molecular biology, neuroscience, and drug discovery across four countries (Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, and the United States). Daniele received his PhD in cellular and molecular biology from the Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata” in Italy, where he trained in computational biology and biophysics under the mentorship of Alessandro Desideri. During his doctoral studies, Daniele used molecular dynamics approaches to study the kinetics of the ADP/ATP mitochondrial carrier and understand the functional impact of genetic mutations associated with mitochondrial myopathies.
Eager to integrate his computational background with experimental experiences in neuroscience, Daniele joined the laboratory of Claudia Bagni at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. As a postdoctoral fellow, Daniele studied the structural mechanisms that govern regulatory complexes altered in a neurodevelopmental disorder called Fragile X syndrome. Daniele discovered that a conformational change in one such regulatory protein, CYFIP1, defines its transition between molecular complexes that coordinate protein synthesis and actin cytoskeleton remodeling in neurons.
Daniele then moved back to Rome for a second postdoctoral training in the laboratory of the late Anna Tramontano at the Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza.” While in the Tramontano lab, Daniele characterized the structural properties of an antimalarial drug target, the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump (SERCA). Daniele identified differences in the ability of a potent SERCA inhibitor to bind the plasmodium or the mammalian Ca2+ pump, with important repercussions on the design of plasmodium-specific drug derivatives.
After his residence in the Tramontano group, Daniele joined the laboratory of Emilio Gallicchio at the Brooklyn College of the City University of New York as a visiting scholar. While there, he used molecular dynamics simulations, parallel conformational sampling, and alchemical computational techniques to design a library of CYFIP1-mimic peptides as potential therapeutic tools for Fragile X syndrome.
Daniele then joined Vittorio Limongelli’s laboratory at the University of Italian Switzerland in Lugano, Switzerland, as a research associate. Using coarse-grained metadynamics, he studied the structural properties of G protein-coupled receptors to aid drug design. His work provides the structural basis for designing selective ligands with therapeutic potential against HIV, cancer, and inflammatory conditions.
In 2019, Daniele joined the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences faculty at the Polytechnic University of Marche, where he established a successful interdisciplinary research group with competencies ranging from molecular biology and biochemistry to computational biology, biophysics, and protein engineering. The Di Marino lab focuses on understanding protein-protein interactions that regulate protein synthesis and translating structural inferences emerging from these studies to the design of novel drugs for applications in cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. Inspired by his tireless work as a Red Cross ambulance volunteer during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at the epicenter of the outbreak, Daniele also initiated a new line of research that led to the development of a graphene field-effect transistor biosensor design for the detection of all SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Daniele irradiated a bright light that extended beyond his talent as a scientist. He will be forever remembered for his contagious enthusiasm for science, charisma, and generous heart.