Technologies

This invention comprises an interrogation and readout differential method for chemical sensors based on Surface Plasmon Resonances (SPR). The integration of the SPR sensing unit (chip or other), as intermediate reflecting element of a Fabry-Perot (FP) optical resonator, is the starting point for the application of this method.

The object of the technology is the development of a transferable methodology from the laboratory scale to the pilot scale to be validated in the industrial setting for the treatment of basic waste of natural polymers of agro-food or manufacturing industry.

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.

"Transitional Wearable Companions'' (TWC) are interactive, multisensory, animal-shaped soft toys, developed as a support tool for early intervention in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), with particular reference to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Thanks to internal electronics, TWC can emit coloured lights, nice sounds and mild vibrations when touched on the paws. Such stimulations are usually very reinforcing to children and attract their attention.

Therapeutic strategies targeting cell cycle in cancer have in general failed in the clinic since the drugs have lacked the therapeutic index required to achieve a robust response against cancer cells with little or no cytotoxic effect on normal cells. NEK6 kinase, which is implicated in cell cycle control, has recently emerged as an attractive target for the development of novel anticancer drugs with enhanced therapeutic index.

With the advent of senolytic agents, capable of selectively removing senescent cells in “aged” tissues, the perception of age-associated diseases has changed from being an inevitable to a preventable phenomenon of human life. The present invention is part of this research topic with the identification of molecules with potential pro-apoptotic activity, specifically with senolytic activity. The computational approach adopted, is based on combining ligand-base and structure-based virtual screening.

Design and testing of neoproteins with optimized nutritional value, according to needs, avoiding their degradation - thus maintaining a high production yield - and aggregation (which could make them indigestible). Neoproteins are produced and characterized in plant systems as bioreactors. We have already created zeolin, formed by the fusion of a bean seed protein with a portion of a maize seed protein.

The  invention relates to the water purification sector; it refers to a phytodepuration module and to a plant including this module. The objective is decontamination and recovery of drinking water from contaminated springs and wells, thermal, rainwater, wastewater and industrial wastewater. Phytodepuration tanks are known which use ferns to decontaminate water, but have the limits of requiring large surfaces and / or long treatment times.

The invention is a synthetic method to prepare colloidal nanomaterials of V-VI-VII semiconductors that do not contain toxic elements. This is the first method for the synthesis of mixed anion nanomaterials without toxic elements at large, which permitted to obtain, among others, bismuth chalcohalide nanocrystals that are arguably considered as one of main candidates to be the next big thing for light energy conversion.

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.

This is a high-throughput sequencing based method to map euchromatin and heterochromatin accessibility. The method is based on the sequential extraction of distinct nuclear fractions containing: soluble proteins (S1 fraction); the surnatant obtained after DNase treatment (S2 fraction); DNase-resistant chromatin extracted with high salt buffer (S3 fraction); and the most condensed and insoluble portion of chromatin, extracted with urea buffer that solubilizes the remaining proteins and membranes (S4 fraction).

The proposing team that works at CNR ISTEC has recently patented a technology for the production of the Smart Polycrystals (SP), i.e. transparent YAG-based ceramic polycrystals (Y₃Al₅O₁₂) variably doped with rare earths ions and transition metals ions. The SPs solve the problem of the reduction of the efficiency in the solid state laser systems caused by the inhomogeneous heating of the single crystals during the emission process.

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.

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.

The proposed technology is about the development of an innovative sunscreen obtained from cod fish bones, according to the principles of the circular economy. The sunscreen is a reddish powder, which is constituted of hydroxyapatite (a calcium phosphate main component of human bones) modified with iron. It is prepared with a simple and easily scalable process (treatment of the bones in Fe solution and successively at T = 700 oC) and could be adapted for bones of other fishes.