Technologies

Quartz tuning forks are employed in scanning atomic force microscopy (AFM), as well as in some derived techniques, as high sensitivity detectors of interactions, of both conservative and dissipative kind, between the AFM nanometric probe and the investigated surface. However, the contributions of the two kinds of interaction result as convoluted in the sensor response, preventing fully quantitative measurements of the quantities of interest.

Plants can compete favorably with traditional expression systems (mammalian cells, yeasts or bacteria) to produce recombinant proteins/peptides of pharmaceutical/industrial/agrifood interest. This technology names “Plant Molecular Farming”. The CNR-IBBA research team offers the study of new strategies for the expression and optimization of recombinant proteins/peptides in plant-based systems (plant tissues, transgenic plants, plant cell culture). Our pipeline is based on the following modules:

The environment as well as the food production provide a number of both natural and synthetic compounds whose effects on human being as an organism have not yet been determined nor investigated.

The proposed technology deals with the development of active SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering) substrates ad hoc designed for diagnostics of cultural heritage. The substrates are prepared starting from common commercial 'polishing film' sheets (lapping optical fibers) showing an intrinsic roughness (48- 1000 nm) that favors the SERS effect. A pattern of silver or gold nanoparticles are deposited on these films through Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD).

Recently, it has been demonstrated that Raman spectroscopy can play a fundamental role in assisting the work of the anatomopathologist by allowing classification of oncological samples with practically 100% accuracy in oncological diagnosis.

The development of an innovative screening platform of natural marine extracts guided by biological assays represents one of the main products developed within the Antitumor Drugs and Vaccines from the SEA (ADViSE) project which aims to provide a new vision in Drug Discovery processes.

The proposed system is based on a high-resolution electrocardiograph in which the electrodes are positioned on maternal abdomen. The acquired signals are processed using a completely unsupervised software for fetal ECG extraction based on independent component analysis, maternal ECG canceling and a quality index optimization. The electrocardiograph is constituted by a light-weight and light-dimension portable unit, which acquires the signals and transmit them to a computer where the analysis software runs.

The present technology deals with jewels based on shape memory alloys and fabricated through additive manufacturing. In ICMATE-Lecco laboratories, several NiTi-based rings have been fabricated through a powder bed fusion technology (selective laser melting technique).

Network structures that require the use of a common database are affected by the risk of processing identification data that are necessary for sharing information and updating and processing data with equal access level between the network nodes. However, this sharing could lead risks of vulnerability when identification data are exchanged between the nodes of the network. The proposed information system involves the exchange of information by encrypting the identification data with an MD5 Hashing procedure (RFC1321).

TNBC affects around 170,000 patients worldwide each year and accounts for 15-20% of breast cancer; compared to other types of breast cancer, TNBC is more aggressive and precocious. Its diagnosis, made difficult by the existence of subtypes with different characteristics, is fundamental to establish prognosis and personalized therapy. Nucleic acid aptamers are highly selective low-molecular-weight molecules, synthesizable at low cost and easily modifiable, capable of binding and detecting tissue markers ("aptahistochemistry”). Our team has iden

Wine is one of the economically most important beverages and may be subject to fraud and mislabelling, although that there are specific and strict rules protecting its authenticity in Europe. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), recently identified and characterized thanks to advances in genomics, are considered the newest type of molecular marker for grapevine identification.

Environmental contamination is a prominent topic. Where the exposure to contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs) or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is greater, the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases, such as oncologic, is increased. Scientific evidence reports that some phytochemicals are able to interact with HMs and PAHs by interfering with their cellular metabolism, inhibiting their cytotoxic mechanisms or helping to reduce tissue concentrations.

This technology is based on an algorithm able to provide the probability of being asthmatic with high accuracy. This probability is based on the evaluation of respiratory function and, specifically, of forced expiratory vital capacity in the first second (FEV₁), in resting conditions, and 20 minutes after administration of a bronchodilator drug.

Polymer development is approaching to a new stage of advancement in which new functionalities especially in combination with conductive polymers and nanomaterials are more effective. In this context the study of new composites is the key to enable the development of disruptive technologies as additive manufacturing. Increasing electrical conductivity open the way to a new class of objects to be prototyped rapidly at low cost with a high level of customization.

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.