Université Paris-Saclay hosts prestigious scientists as part of its "Chaires d'Alembert". These laureates give an "inaugural lesson": this seminar intended for all audiences will be given by the laureate of the Chaire, including a presentation by the host team.

Roberto Improta is a senior research scientist at the Italian National Research Council at IBB in Naples. His main research interest is the development, validation, and application of theoretical models and computational methods to study the photophysics and the photochemistry of large-sized molecules in the condensed phase.

His current research is focused on the theoretical study of the excited state dynamics of nucleic acids. He holds a Paris-Saclay «Jean d’Alembert» Chair.

Summary

Light provides energy and information. Light can transform the matter by inducing chemical reaction but light is also a powerful tool: analytical/diagnostic/therapeutic. Shortly, the interaction between light and matter is fundamental to our life and to our society.

This variety of functions relies on the same basic dynamical processes, whose description is extremely challenging. After providing a simple description of the processes triggered by UV-light in DNA, which have afundamental biological impact, we shall highlight the benefits of a combined computational – experimental approach. To this aim, we shall discuss some selected examples, taken from the 15 years long collaboration between IBB-CNR and LIDYL. We shall start from the photophysics of isolated pyrimidines in the condensed phase, describe the photochemistry of longer sequences, and end with the most recent results on oxidative processes in Guanine-rich Quadruple helices.

Location

Amphithêatre Claude Bloch bâtiment 772-74

CEA Orme de Merisiers

91191 Gif-sur-Yvette