Michele Cianci
Papers
3
Total Citations
365
H-Index
3
About
Michele Cianci is a leading figure in macromolecular crystallography, whose work has fundamentally advanced both the tools and the biological insights of structural biology. His primary research focuses on developing innovative X-ray data-collection techniques and applying them to solve complex biological structures. Cianci’s most impactful contribution is the design and commissioning of the P13 beamline at the PETRA III synchrotron, a flagship facility of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. This tunable, variable-focus beamline, detailed in his highly cited 2016 paper (229 citations), has become a workhorse for high- and low-energy phasing, enabling researchers worldwide to determine challenging protein structures. He is also renowned for his pioneering work on the structural chemistry of the lobster shell, a multi-technique study (98 citations) that unravelled the molecular basis of its colouration mechanism. Furthermore, Cianci developed the S-SWAT (softer single-wavelength anomalous technique) method, a streamlined, high-throughput approach for protein crystallography that reduces data-collection time. Through these achievements—from building world-class beamlines to decoding complex biological pigments—Cianci has significantly accelerated the pace and scope of structural discovery.
Research Focus
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