Massimo Caputi, Ph.D.

Biography

Massimo Caputi, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biomedical Science at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University. In 1992, he received his B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Trieste (Italy) and in 1996 his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from the International School for Advanced Science, Trieste (Italy). His doctoral and post-doctoral work focused on the mechanisms that control the splicing of eukaryotic genes. His doctoral work led to the discovery of splicing silencing elements within the transcripts of human messengers utilizing the fibronectin gene as a model. This was followed-up in his post-doctoral research at UC Santa Cruz (1996-2001) where he was awarded the prestigious Human Frontier Science Program fellowship and published breakthrough work characterizing the key RNA sequences and the cellular proteins that modulate the alternative splicing of the HIV-1 messenger RNA (mRNA). In 2001, Dr. Caputi moved to Johns Hopkins University, where he held a position of Research Scientist and continued his work on HIV-1 splicing regulation securing his first NIH R01 grant. Furthermore, he characterized the molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic disease Marfan Syndrome. In 2003, Dr. Caputi was hired as an Assistant Professor at FAU where he continued his work on the molecular biology of HIV-1 and the mechanisms regulating cellular and viral splicing. In 2007, he obtained tenure and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor and in 2017 to Full Professor. During his tenure at FAU, Dr. Caputi has developed novel techniques to study RNA – RNA binding proteins interactions and made important contributions to our understanding of how cellular proteins modulate the replication of the HIV-1 genome. His research expanded to the mechanism regulating the transcription of cellular and viral genes and characterized the protein SRSF1 as a strong inhibitor of HIV-1 replication. His work on RNA binding proteins and SRSF1 has been continuously funded by the NIH and has recently expanded to the study of the role played by multiple RNA binding proteins on cellular gene transcription and T cell development and functions. More recently, Dr. Caputi’s research has expanded through collaborative research grants to the development of microfluidic diagnostic devices for the detection of multiple viral species from blood and other bodily fluids.

Education

• 1996: Ph.D., Molecular Genetics, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
• 1992: Degree in Biological Science (magna cum laude), University of Trieste, Italy

Work History

• 2017-Present: Professor, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2010-2017: Associate Professor, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2005-Present: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2007-2010: Associate Professor, College of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2004-2011: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Microbiology Department, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL
• 2003-2007: Assistant Professor, College of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2001-2003: Associate Research Scientist, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
• 1996-2001: Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of Santa Cruz, CA

Scholarly Activity

For the past two decades, our research at the Caputi Research Lab has focused on the study of the complex mechanisms that lead to the expression of cellular and viral genomes. We have characterized several key cellular factors and viral sequences required for efficient HIV-1 splicing and developed novel methodologies and reduced systems to study the transcription and regulation of the viral transcripts. At the same time, we have pioneered novel technologies to study RNA-RNA binding proteins interactions and worked at the characterization of key cellular RNA-RNA binding protein complexes. Currently, we are working on multiple projects, which aim at the understanding of how cellular and viral genes are expressed focusing on the role that RNA binding proteins have on transcription and splicing. We utilize a combination of genomic, cellular and biochemical approaches to characterize functions and pathways regulated by members of multiple families of RNA binding proteins. Other projects in our lab aim at the characterization of the mechanisms regulating the functions of T cells in response to viral infection. More recently, we have begun working on multiple collaborative projects to develop diagnostic microfluidic chips for the detection of multiple viruses in bodily fluids. Other projects in the lab aim at the characterization of host-pathogen interactions in tropical and subtropical viruses such as Dengue, Zika, West Nile and Rift Valley Fever.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Amy Makler-Disatham, Massimo Caputi and Waseem Asghar. Development of a LAMP-Based Diagnostic for the Detection of Multiple HIV-1 Strains. Biosensors. 2024; 14(4):157
• Sandhya Sharma, Emmanuel Thomas, Massimo Caputi and Waseem Asghar. RT-LAMP based molecular diagnostic set-up for rapid Hepatitis C virus testing. (2022). Biosensors. 5;12(5):298.
• Farhang Alem, Adeyemi A. Olanrewaju, Samson Omole, Heather E. Hobbs, Noor Ahsan, Graham Matulis, Christine A. Brantner, Weidong Zhou, Emanuel F. Petricoin, Lance A. Liotta, Massimo Caputi, Sina Bavari, Yuntao Wu, Fatah Kashanchi and Ramin M. Hakami. Exosomes originating from infection with the cytoplasmic single‑stranded RNA virus Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) protect recipient cells by inducing RIG‑I mediated IFN‑B response that leads to activation of autophagy. (2021). Cell & Bioscience. 11:220.
• Mazhar Sher, Benjamin Coleman, Massimo Caputi and Waseem Asghar. Development of a point-of-care assay for HIV-1 viral load using higher refractive index antibody-coated microbeads. (2021) Sensors. 21:1819.
• Sean Paz, Anastasia Ritchie, Christopher Mauer, Massimo Caputi. The RNA binding protein SRSF1 is a master switch of gene expression and regulation in the immune system. (2021). Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 57:19-26
• Sean Paz, Christopher Mauer, Anastasia Ritchie, Janet D. Robishaw, Massimo Caputi. (2020). A simplified SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol for research laboratories. PLoS One.15(12).
• Md Alamgir Kabir, Ruben Soto-Acosta, Sandhya Sharma, Shelton Bradrick, Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco Massimo Caputi^‡  and  Waseem Asghar ^‡ . (2020). An antibody panel for highly specific detection and differentiation of Zika virus. Scientific Reports. 10, 11906 ^‡ Corresponding author
• Md Alamgir Kabira, Hussein Zilouchian, Massimo Caputi and Waseem Asghar. Advances in HIV diagnosis and monitoring. (2020) Critical Rev. Biotechnology. 40(5):623-638.
• Yi-Fan Xu, Xiaohui Xu, Amy Gin, Jean D. Nshimiyimana, Blaine H.M. Mooers, Massimo Caputi, Bethany N. Hannafon, Wei-Qun Ding. (2020). SRSF1 Regulates Exosome microRNA Enrichment in Human Cancer Cells. Cell Commun. Signal. 18(1):130
• Catherine DeMarino, Michelle L. Pleet, Maria Cowen, Robert A. Barclay, Yao Akpamagbo, James Erickson, Nicaise Ndembe, Manhattan Charurat, Jibreel Jumare, Sunday Bwala, Peter Alabi, Max Hogan, Archana Gupta, Nicole Noren Hooten, Michele K. Evans, Benjamin Lepene, Weidong Zhou, Massimo Caputi, Fabio Romerio, Walter Royal 3rd, Nazira El-Hage, Lance A. Liotta & Fatah Kashanchi. (2018) Antiretroviral Drugs Alter the Content of Extracellular Vesicles from HIV-1-Infected Cells. Scientific Reports. 8, 7653.
• Evan Clark, Brenda Nava and Massimo Caputi. (2017) Tat is a multifunctional viral protein that modulates cellular gene expression and functions. Oncotarget. 8(16):27569-27581.
• Sean Paz and Massimo Caputi. (2015) SRSF1 inhibition of HIV-1 gene expression. Oncotarget. 6(23):19362-63.
• Sean Paz, Michael L. Lu, Hiroshi Takata, Lydie Trautmann and Massimo Caputi. (2015) The SRSF1 RNA Recognition Motifs of are strong inhibitors of HIV-1 replication. J. Virology. 89(12):6275-86.
• Sean Paz, Adrian R. Krainer and Massimo Caputi. (2014) HIV-1 transcription is regulated by splicing factor SRSF1. Nucleic Acids Res. 42:13812-13823

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