Simona Polo Lab

Simona Polo

Dr. Simona Polo, an expert in molecular and cell biology, is the director of the Molecular Machines in Signaling Pathways research program at IFOM since 2005.

Dr. Polo was born in Milan in 1968 and studied biological sciences at the University of Milan under the supervision of Prof. Daniela Ghisotti, graduating cum laude in 1991 and honorable mention. Her thesis on bacteriophage P4 received the price for the best thesis in genetics in 1991 from the AGI association.

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Molecular Machines in Signalling Pathways

Signaling networks are complex and robust, and they are based on macromolecular complexes with fine-grained structure-function modularity. At the cellular level, signaling networks are spatiotemporally regulated by post-translational modifications that render the systems highly dynamic. Our main research interest is focus on the characterization of protein complexes that are modulated by ubiquitination at the physiological and pathological levels.

Laboratory location: Milan, Italy

Recent publications

Gahlot P, Kravic B, Rota G, van den Boom J, Levantovsky S, Schulze N, Maspero E, Polo S, Behrends C, Meyer H.
Lysosomal damage sensing and lysophagy initiation by SPG20-ITCH.
Mol Cell. 2024 Apr 18;84(8):1556-1569.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.02.029. Epub 2024 Mar 18.PMID: 38503285

Barroso-Gomila O, Merino-Cacho L, Muratore V, Perez C, Taibi V, Maspero E, Azkargorta M, Iloro I, Trulsson F, Vertegaal ACO, Mayor U, Elortza F, Polo S, Barrio R, Sutherland JD.
BioE3 identifies specific substrates of ubiquitin E3 ligases.
Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 23;14(1):7656. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43326-8.PMID: 37996419

Menin L, Weber J, Villa S, Martini E, Maspero E, Niño CA, Cancila V, Poli A, Maiuri P, Palamidessi A, Frittoli E, Bianchi F, Tripodo C, Walters KJ, Giavazzi F, Scita G, Polo S.
A planar polarized MYO6-DOCK7-RAC1 axis promotes tissue fluidification in mammary epithelia.
Cell Rep. 2023 Aug 29;42(8):113001. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113001. Epub 2023 Aug 16.PMID: 37590133

complete list PubMed Google Scholar

Group members

Staff Scientist

Maspero Elena
Niño Suarez Carlos Alberto

Post Doc

Maestrini Giorgia
Taibi Vincenzo

PhD Student

Corbellini Margherita
Sacchi Chiara
Dahe Shakti Virendra

Former Lab members

Luca Menin (Post-doc, Lazzaro lab, University of Milan, Milan)
Rossella Scotto di Perrotolo (Medical Affair Specialist, Johnson & Johnson, Milan)
Daria Sicari (Medical Affairs Specialist, Pharma Line srl, Milan)
Magistrati Elisa (Post-doc, Turco lab, FMI, Basel)
Valentina Fajner (Research Scientist, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego)
Francesca Oltrabella (Medical Scientific Liaison, Astellas, Milan)
Matteo Biancospino (Medical Science Liaison, Janssen, Milan)
Eleonora Valentini (Quality Assurance FDF associate, Selectchemie AG, Zürich)
Michol Savio (Medical Science Manager, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Turin)
Hans-Peter Wollscheid (Project Leader, Prof. Krishnaraj Rajalingam, University of Mainz)
Nadine Wossner Wollscheid (Clinical Project Manager, IZKS, Mainz)
Sara Mari (Medical Affair Manager, Johnson & Johnson, Milan)
Wessen Maruwge (Freelance editor and writer, Milan)
Filippo Acconcia (Associate Professor, Università Roma Tre, Rome)
Lorenza Penengo (Associate Professor, University of Zurich)
Elisabetta Argenzio (Scientific Officer, Director's Office, Human Technopole)
Barbara Oldrini (Scientific Project Manager, AstraZeneca, Cambridge)
Tanja Woelk Bange (Project Leader, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Munich)
Sara Sigismund (Associate Professor, Università degli Studi, Milan)

(update: Jul 2024)