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About

Silvia Spinelli is a structural biologist whose work bridges fundamental molecular biology and applied industrial microbiology. Her research centers on the structural characterization of proteins involved in host-pathogen interactions, with a particular focus on bacteriophages that infect *Lactococcus lactis*, a bacterium critical to dairy fermentation. Spinelli’s most influential contribution, cited over 110 times, is her elucidation of the modular structure of receptor-binding proteins in *L. lactis* phages, revealing how these viral particles recognize and attach to their bacterial hosts. This work has deep implications for understanding phage-host specificity and for developing phage-resistant starter cultures used in cheese and yogurt production. Beyond phages, Spinelli has made important methodological contributions to structural biology. She was instrumental in pioneering a medium-throughput crystallization approach that combines robotic screening with manual optimization—a strategy that has accelerated protein structure determination and is cited nearly 80 times. Her structural studies also extend to insect chemosensation, including the crystallization of a pheromone-binding protein from the honeybee *Apis mellifera*. Through her integrated use of X-ray crystallography and biophysical methods, Spinelli has provided key insights into protein function and molecular recognition, establishing herself as a versatile and impactful researcher in structural biology.