Technologies

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.

Geopolymers are synthetic inorganic polymers obtained from an aluminosilicate powder and an aqueous solution of alkaline hydroxides or silicates. The material is mesoporous and a multidimensional and functional porosity can be generated through the addition of fillers or the use of specific techniques.

The mix-design of the mixture, pure or composite, allows to change the chemical-physical properties of the final material, also thanks to the nucleation of zeolitic phases. Geopolymers also possess ion exchange and electrostatic interaction capabilities.

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.

The technology based on cell or tissue cultures is very useful for the production of bioactive compounds. These molecules, depending on the class they belong to, can be used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. In particular, the developed technology is addressed to the optimization of bioactive compounds in plant cell/tissue cultures having the biosynthetic pathway of the compound of interest.

We propose a compact innovative spectroscopy system operating in the UV range. In the actual version, designed for gas, it exhibits: an aluminium tubular optical chamber (length can be adjusted; currently is 20 cm); a cheap commercial UV LED; a SiC visible blind UV detector designed and manufactured at the CNR-IMM facilities. The team developed also the electronic chain for wireless remote real time read out; while able to deal with pA current levels, it uses very cheap components and construction technology.

Portable robotic device for bilateral neuromotor rehabilitation. An appropriate mechanical structure and a series of interchangeable accessories suitably designed allow the execution of various motor gestures of the upper limbs, involving different articulations and muscles. The possibility of being used with both limbs contributes to the recovery of motor coordination and facilitates the mechanism of brain plasticity. Some rotary axes the device is equipped with are motorized and sensorized.

The platform allows the deployment of a sensor network with peripheral nodes spread on the crop fields or on the environment for the monitoring of crop parameters/environmental parameters. The network architecture integrated LoRa peripheral nodes for short-medium range communication and star-center NB-IoT based for long range communication. It includes a web server and MySQL database for data storage and visualization. The network architecture is scalable to adapt to the area to monitor.

The prototype uses soil moisture sensors which, through a measurement of dielectric permittivity, estimate the soil moisture based on which irrigation is started through relay-controlled solenoid valve. The system was developed using Open Source technologies. Specifically, for the hardware components, a small sized board computer Raspberry PI 3B + was used together with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi router and a Modbus rs485 / USB converter.

The study of proteins is typically limited to notions, sometimes with the aid of virtual 3D models, obtained from visualization programs. A knowledge of this type, although useful, limits the ability to acquire a more direct knowledge, almost never leads to awareness of dimensions, and is particularly difficult for those who do not have a strong capacity for three-dimensional imagination.

Electrochromism is an optoelectronic characteristic of particular interest because it can be exploited in the creation of technologies such as smart windows (Smart Windows) to promote energy efficiency, automotive, sensor or visualization devices. Electrochromic materials change their optoelectronic characteristics, showing different colors depending on the applied electric field.

Our team can develop low-cost ultra-flexible sensors integrated on plastic substrate for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and gas detection. These devices combine scalable fabrication technologies, implementing active materials such as nanostructured metal oxides or stack of nanostructures decorated with metal nanoparticles, thus enabling a high sensitivity (in the range of hundreds of ppb). These devices can be applied to numerous industrial and commercial sectors and they can be embedded in systems that are more sophisticated.

VOLIS is an online platform that contains various tests for assessing Italian Sign Language (LIS) comprehension skills in signing children, from 4 to 11 years of age. The consequences of some difficulties such as deafness, cognitive impairments and autism spectrum disorder may affect learning, social interaction and broad communicative skills. The use of LIS may support children that have difficulties in acquiring and using a using spoken languages.