Peter Faller

Professor (University of Strasbourg)
Group leader at “Institut de Chimie” UMR 7177

Email: pfaller@unistra.fr

Phone: +33 (0)3 68 85 69 49


Educational record and positions:

2021-26          Senior member of the “Institut Universitaire de France” (IUF)

Since 2018      Vice-director of the Institute of Chemistry (UMR 7177)

Since 2015      Professor of Chemistry (University of Strasbourg) and group leader at the Institute of Chemistry (UMR 7177) (CNU 32).

2003-2015       Professor of Chemistry at the University of Toulouse and group leader at the “Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination” of the CNRS (UPR 8241).

Main Topic: Bioinorganic chemistry of copper- and zinc-amyloid-β peptide complexes:  Coordination, chemical reactivity, self-assembly into amyloids and metal-transfer reactions.

2001-2002       Postdoctoral studies at the University of Freiburg (Germany) with PD A. Liszkay.

Topic: photosystem 2, electron and proton transfer, tyrosine radical, and Cd-toxicity

1998-2001       Postdoctoral studies at the CEA Saclay (France) with Dr. A. William Rutherford.

Topic: photosystem 2, electron and proton transfer, tyrosine and carotenoid radicals

July 1998        PhD in Biochemistry, University of Zürich (CH), Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Vašák.

Topic: structure/function relationships of Zn- and Cu-metallothionein-3

July 1994        Diploma in Biochemistry, University of Zürich (CH).


 Research Interest:

First row d-block metals: copper, zinc, iron, …: Structure of metal-peptide/protein complexes; Metal transfer between peptides/proteins and between metal-drugs and proteins; Chemical reactivity of copper-proteins and –complexes/drugs, particular in dioxygen activation and production of reactive oxygen species; Self-assembly of peptides and amyloids; Luminescent molecules and techniques to monitor metal-binding; Chemistry of metals related to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, antimicrobials, etc.


Selected publications:

Falcone E, Ritacca AG, Hager S, Schueffl H, Vileno B, El Khoury Y, Hellwig P, Kowol CR, Heffeter P*, Sicilia E*, Faller P.*
Copper-Catalyzed Glutathione Oxidation is Accelerated by the Anticancer Thiosemicarbazone Dp44mT and Further Boosted at Lower pH
J Am Chem Soc. 144, 14758-14768 (2022)

Santoro A, Calvo, J.S., Peris-Díaz MD, Krężel A, Meloni, G., Faller P.*The glutathione/metallothionein system challenges the design of efficient O2-activating Copper-complexes
Angew.Chem., Int. Ed. 59, 7830-7835 (2020)

Reybier, K.*, Ayala, S., Alies, B. Rodrigues, J.V., Bustos Rodriguez,S., La Penna, G., Collin, F.,  Gomes, C.M., Hureau, C.  Faller, P.*
Free superoxide is an intermediate in the production of H2O2by Cu(I)-Aβpeptide and O2
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55, 1085-1089 (2016).

Cassagnes, L.-E., Hervé, V., Nepveu, P., Hureau, C.,Faller, P.*, Collin, F.*
The catalytically active Cu-Amyloid-b state: coordination site responsible for reactive oxygen species production
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.52, 11110-11113 (2013)

Hureau C*, Coppel Y, Dorlet P, Solari PL, Sayen S, Guillon E, Sabater L, & Faller P.*
Deprotonation of the Asp1–Ala2 Peptide Bond Induces Modification of the Dynamic Copper(II) Environment in the Amyloid-beta Peptide near Physiological pH.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed 48, 9522-9525 (2009)

Meloni, G. Sonois, V., Delaine, T., Guilloreau, L., Gillet, A., Teissié, J.,Faller P.*, &   Vašák, M.*
Metal swap between Zn7metallothionein-3 and amyloid-β-Cu(II) abolishes copper-mediated amyloid-βtoxicity
Nature Chemical Biology 4, 366-372 (2008)


Selected Reviews:

Falcone, E.*, Okafor, M. Vitale, N., Raibaut L., Sour, A, Faller P.*
Extracellular Cu2+ pools and their detection: from current knowledge to next-generation probes
Coord. Chem. Rev. 433, 213727 (2021)

Ayala S, Genevaux P, Hureau C, Faller P.*
(Bio)Chemical strategies to modulate amyloid-βself-assembly.
ACS Chem Neurosci. 10, 3366-3374 (2019)

Gonzalez P, Bossak K, Stefaniak E, Hureau C, Raibaut L, Bal W.*, Faller, P.*
N-terminal Cu Binding Motifs Xxx-Zzz-His (ATCUN) and Xxx-His and their derivatives: Chemistry, Biology and Medicinal Applications
Chem. Eur. J.  24, 8029-8041 (2018) 

Atrián-Blasco E, Santoro A, Pountney DL, Meloni G, Hureau C, Faller P.*
Chemistry of Mammalian Metallothioneins and their Interaction with Amyloidogenic Peptides and Proteins
Chem. Soc. Rev., 46, 7683-7693 (2017)

Faller, P.,*  Hureau, C., La Penna G.
Metal ions and intrinsically disordered proteins and peptides:  from Cu/Zn amyloid-βto general principles
Acc. Chem. Res., 47, 2252-9 (2014)