Technologies

4Ts Game was born in ITD in 2017 to indicate a board game for teacher training, which aims to develop skills in designing collaborative learning activities. The game was originally conceived as a 'tangible' game, consisting of a board and 4 decks of paper cards which contain inputs that guide the teachers/players' design process. Subsequently the game evolved and was developed in its digital version. In this version, developed in Unity and with an underlying knowledge base in Prolog, the game is able to provide feedback to teachers regarding the design/game choices made.

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

Ageing characterization of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (BVM) and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (TBVM) by the combined use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and multivariate statistical analysis. Our database allows to differentiate BVM from TBVM samples. Moreover, within BVMs, samples with ageing <3/>3 years can be discriminated and within TBVM, samples with ageing between 12 and 25 years as well as >25 years can be discriminated.

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.

Direct quantification of the percentage of arabica in roasted and ground coffee blends of arabica/robusta by High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR), in solution and multivariate statistical analysis. Particularly, the metabolites content present in water extracts of coffee is analyzed and compared with NMR data of our database.

This proposal focuses on the preparation of biocoatings enriched with varying percentages of mint essential oil nanoparticles, followed by their application to potato tubers to limit sprouting and control the development of alkaloids, particularly solanine, a toxic substance for the body.

The proposed technology consists of a portable device for monitoring the freshness of fish, based on its smell. The device is based on a gas sensor and pattern recognition software to correlate the sensor signal to the freshness of the food. The technology is designed for its integration into domestic or industrial refrigerators.

Combined use of High-Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and multivariate statistical analysis for the differentiation of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano samples according to ripening and for the differentiation of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano from “Grana type” products available on the market.

The compact-GC platform is a MEMS-based analytical module for the purge&trap pre-concentration and (gas)-chromatographic separation of a sample. The two analytical MEMS (pre-concentrator and GC column) are interconnected by means of a MEMS microfluidic manifold. The microfluidic manifold interconnects the analytical MEMS, but it also acts as injector through the integrated micro-valves.

The proposed technology is based on the micro-fabrication of electrodes in order to generate surface acoustic waves (SAW) with well-defined frequencies, on piezoelectric substrates. The operating principle of a surface acoustic wave sensor is linked to the variation of the characteristics of the acoustic wave that propagates on the device (e.g. wave velocity on the substrate, etc.) caused by the interaction with the environment (e.g. interaction of an analyte on the surface of the device, deformation of the substrate, etc.).

Digital Eye is an innovative, rapid and high-precision intelligent computer vision system for the non-destructive and contactless evaluation of quality and shelf-life of whole or fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. It integrates advanced vision and artificial intelligence technologies to estimate parameters useful to evaluate the quality of fruit and vegetables, during both the harvesting phase and the cold chain.

The insertion of executable programs within QR codes is a new enabling technology for many application contexts in everyday life. Every time Internet access is unavailable, QR code usage is limited to reading the data it contains without any possibility of interaction.

The constant demand for more powerful and energy-efficient electronic devices than existing ones is challenging scientists and companies to develop innovative solutions that can address such primary technological needs. Based on a recent scientific discovery made by our team we have developed a technology for superfast and extremely scalable logic and computing circuits with minimal energy losses, which has the potential to become the leading technology in the future world of largescale computing and telecommunication infrastructures.

Combined use of High-Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solution and multivariate statistical analysis for the geographical differentiation of Italian and Chinese concentrated tomato paste. Particularly the metabolites content of acqueos exctrats of concentrated tomato paste is evaluated.

Anthocyanins are antioxidant polyphenolic pigments produced by plants that are widely used in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The technology allows to obtain in a short time potato cell lines in which the production of highly acetylated and highly complex anthocyanins is increased in addition to other antioxidant polyphenolic compounds. The obtained cellular lines have a high production efficiency, comparable to the extraction of berries, but with the advantage of having an on-demand production which is not limited to seasonality.