DrAntonio Di Maio

Antonio is a chemist by training who, as he often jokes, was gradually drawn to the “dark side” of biochemistry and glycobiology.

He obtained his BSc in Chemistry and Chemical Technologies from the University of Napoli Federico II in 2011, working on amino acid-based organocatalysts for aldol reactions. He later completed an MSc in Chemical Sciences in 2014, focusing on the synthesis and biological evaluation of antiviral integrase inhibitors based on cytosine and guanine scaffolds.

In 2015, Antonio was awarded a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship to undertake his PhD at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Seville. Under the supervision of Prof Javier Rojo and within the IMMUNOSHAPE European Training Network, his research focused on the development of multivalent carbohydrate systems, including glycan arrays and neoglycoproteins, to investigate the recognition mechanisms of C-type lectins, a major family of immune pattern-recognition receptors.

Antonio joined Prof Ten Feizi’s Glycosciences Laboratory at Imperial College London in 2019 as a BBSRC-funded postdoctoral researcher. His work centred on the development of glycan microarray platforms to study the recognition of chemoenzymatically synthesised and fluorinated glycans by antibodies, innate immune receptors and pathogen adhesion proteins, combining his expertise in carbohydrate click chemistry and advanced microarray technologies.

In 2020, he was appointed Project Manager of the Carbohydrate Microarray Facility under the leadership of Prof Yan Liu and subsequently became Manager of the entire Facility. In this role, he leads scientific projects from initial consultation and experimental strategy through execution, complex data analysis, interpretation and presentation of results.

He oversees a diverse portfolio of internal and external collaborations with academic institutions and private organisations worldwide, coordinating scientific priorities, resources and multidisciplinary partnerships. With nearly a decade of experience in glycan microarray technologies, more than 150 collaborative projects managed and specialist expertise in the chemical modification of glycan probes, Antonio approaches each project with a strong sense of ownership, passion and commitment, ensuring that every collaboration is supported with scientific rigour, strategic insight and careful attention to detail.

In recent years, he has placed particular emphasis on fostering a highly collaborative environment, working closely with collaborators worldwide to understand their specific needs and tailor experimental strategies accordingly. He is always (like a ""young"" PhD student) deeply motivated by helping collaborators achieve the best possible outcomes, guiding projects from concept to completion with dedication, flexibility and a genuine desire to support impactful and successful research.