Bivalve mollusc shells are made mainly of CaCO₃ (ca 95%), with a small fraction of organic material. If from these shells this mineral is retrieved, they could become a renewable and sustainable “mine” of a “blue” CaCO₃. Bivalve mollusc shells, also after the removal of the animal flesh, maintain a certain quantity of organic substances, part in the muscle and part in the shell.

Organotypic models of ovarian cancer are 3D models containing defined extracellular matrices, such as collagen and fibronectin, ovarian cancer cells with specific genetic/molecular characteristics, and one or more cancer-associated stromal cell types (fibroblasts, mesothelial cells, endothelial cells) to mimic specific metastatic niches of ovarian cancer (omentum, peritoneum, interstitial stroma) and the complex interactions within tumor tissues.

A biosensor based on magnetic microspheres functionalized with a DNA-aptamer was developed for the specific biomonitoring of biological contaminants (mycotoxins) in urine.

The Proof-of-Concept A.L.I.C.E. or "Actuators based on Light sensitive CompositE" aims at the development of innovative materials through 3D/4D printing processes and uses them as actuators in the fields of photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, thermodynamic solar, and other applications such as optical deflectors, optical microvalves, and optical switches.

Current standard SPECTs, in order to achieve high resolutions, use a multi-pinholes technology that requires numerous data processing to limit the effects of image distortion. The proposed SSR-SPECT scanner, uses a parallel-hole collimator and therefore does not require numerical reprocessing of the data to obtain correct information on the images, while assuring spatial resolutions close to those of the pinholes through the acquisition of sequences of images shifted from one to another.

AIDD is an integrated tool and a radically new way to discovery new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, Ageing, etc.).

Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis caused by the protozoan of the genus Leishmania, which affects both humans and animals through a phlebotomist. After malaria and lymphatic filariasis, leishmaniasis is the third most common disease on a global scale. Leishmania infantum is the species spread in the European continent and the Mediterranean basin. In Italy, from the hilly coastal areas and major islands, the infection has spread to many pre-Alpine areas and northern Italy.

Aliophen-XP is a highly concentrated polyphenolic composition derived from Aliophen®, a patented formulation based on malt and hops (Patent No. 102017000096298). Developed to enhance the original formulation, Aliophen-XP is produced through a specialized process that removes components potentially interfering with the biological activity of the bioactive compounds naturally extracted from malt and hops.

This innovative technology involves the use of a high-affinity, highly specific antibody that targets extracellular domains of connexin hemichannels (Cx26, Cx30, and Cx32). The antibody has been designed to reduce or inhibit the growth of brain tumors, particularly glioblastoma (GBM), and to alleviate the associated epilepsy. By blocking connexin hemichannels, the antibody interferes with pathological ATP release and other signaling mechanisms that contribute to tumor progression and neural hyperexcitability.

The development of genome editing tools has revolutionized the way we think and deal with genetics. The use of Cas9 or its variants allows modifications of specific sites in the human genome by inducing deletions and insertions in a more or less controlled way. In recent years, a new class of tools for genome editing has emerged: the base editors (BE), which result from the fusion of a modified Cas9, which serves to direct the BE to the target, and an active deaminase acting on the DNA, which mediates the C> T or A> G editing.

The technology we participate to develop, called "Zinc-Finger Artificial Transcription Factors (ZF-ATFs)", allows to design, realize and select artificial genes coding for proteins capable of recognizing and binding "potentially" any DNA sequence. We used ZF-ATF technology to reprogram the expression of "beneficial" genes capable of efficiently counteracting the negative effect of mutated genes related to rare diseases.

Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) is regarded as the “gold-standard” method for fluorescence lifetime measurements. However, TCSPC requires using highly sensitive detectors, not suitable for measurements under bright light conditions, thereby making the use impractical in clinical settings. The invention described here solves this problem by synchronizing the fluorescence detection with an external light source.

C-ImmSim is one of the most advanced computational models of the immune system. The software resorts to (bit or amino acid) strings to represent the “binding site” of cells and molecules. C-ImmSim is an agent-based model that includes the major classes of immune cells of the lymphoid lineage and some of the myeloid lineage. Helper T cells are divided into five phenotypes. B cells and plasma B are also divided into two phenotypes.

Nowadays, to properly design and develop advanced materials capable to preserve for long times their performance under aggressive environments such as power generation plants, renewables, nuclear reactors and electronics of new generation, transport on ground and on space, aeronautics, catalysis, biomedical implants, the optimization of metallurgical processes involved is crucial.

The dramatic global health emergency due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic requires new diagnostic devices capable of identifying the presence of virus particles in patient biological samples. In this direction, the development of an innovative low-cost test, which provides the result within a few minutes, which is reproducible and which can reveal the direct presence of even a few viral particles, would be of fundamental importance for the monitoring and containment of the pandemic.