Technologies

"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.

We have identified the presence of the poorly characterized precursor proNGF-A in human tissues, deposited its coding nucleotide sequence (GenBank MH358394) and demonstrated its neuroprotective and neurotrophic activity in vitro and in vivo. We inserted mutations into the native molecule, identified through computational analysis, which allow proNGF-A production by eukaryotic expression systems, through a method currently validated on a laboratory scale.

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.

We have identified compounds that show a neuroprotective action in vivo, in models of neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. SMA, Parkinson, Alzheimer, Huntington) in the model organism C. elegans. These compounds consist of: mixtures of 22 natural extracts, 15 natural molecules and 11 synthetic molecules.

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 metasurface optomechanical modulator is a device designed to modulate the amplitude, phase and polarization of a beam of electromagnetic radiation, independently, or simultaneously, according to prescribed paths in the parameter space (for example, as regards polarization, paths on the Poincaré sphere). The concept of our device can be applied to the entire spectrum of electromagnetic waves: from radio frequency, to microwaves (GHz), to millimeter waves (THz), to far and near infrared radiation, and to visible light.

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 technology concerns planar optical antennas composed of thin metal films and dielectric materials for the efficient direction of the light emitted by light sources, such as fluorescent molecules and bio-markers. They consist of a reflector layer, adjacent to the substrate, and a director, semi-reflective, between which the emitter is positioned, integrated into a homogeneous dielectric layer.

This technology describe the synthesis of cross-linked polymeric materials in the form of macroporous gels based on poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), capable of sequestering the anticoagulant heparin from aqueous solutions, physiological solutions and biological fluids. They are morphologically elastic and mechanically stable materials, and show high specificity and selectivity for heparin as demonstrated by the negligible adsorption of specific blood proteins such as antithrombin III, albumin and total proteins.

The instrument which is under development is a non-conventional portable Raman spectrometer. Raman spectrometers provide the molecular composition of the material surfaces, essential for their identification. The instrument peculiarity relies in the simultaneous acquisition of Raman spectra at imaged position and at different micrometric distances (offset) from the laser illumination area.

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).

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