Salute e Benessere

Description of activities:
In AdR RM1 a number of research groups conduct activities related to Health and Wellbeing applications. The integration of researchers belonging to different Institutes creates a vibrant environment from which new opportunities and frontier research themes, that increase the skills and potential for medical applications, are continuously generated.

In particular :

  • The 3D.Bio.Mag Group (composed of IBCN and ISM researchers) is oriented toward the study of magnetic nano-particles for regenerative medicine applications, which can improve cell differentiation and growth, useful for the development of organs or autocton tissues. (3D.Bio.Mag project presented to the Lazio Region in 2017).
  • At the International Monterotondo Campus (IBCN) there are advanced animal-model based activities, where advanced research on neurological diseases and biology is conducted.
  • In the next future, the activation of an innovative start-up for the production of special portable gamma chambers is planned, to be exploited for diagnostics and radio-guided surgery.

Other activities carried out by AdR RM1 researchers are devoted to:

  • Development of special detectors for radiotherapy dose control (ISM), with prototypes testing performed at Aviano’s Oncological Center (PN).
  • Development of competences and research oriented to the development of new molecules of industrial and bio-pharmaceutical interest, as well as development of biosensors in the medical field.
  • Post-process processing and automation of ROC (Receiving Operator Characteristic) analysis and image modeling of anatomic areas by tomographic techniques (RMN, TC, etc.) in oncology and transplant surgery.
  • Reconstruction of volumes, fabrication of prototypes with 3D printers and useful models for simulating and evaluating the effectiveness of planned treatment.
  • Development of SPECT and PET devices for industrial and research facilities for pre-clinical imaging (agreement with the University of Beijing).

Keywords: health, wellbeing, bio-pharmaceutical, biosensors, radio-guided surgery, regenerative medicine, neurological diseases, biology, nanoparticles.

INSTITUTES

EXPERTISE

FACILITIES

(IBCN)

  • Small mechanical workshop equipped with CNC numeric control milling machine, column drill;
  • Electronics workshop with workbenches and welding stations; instrumentation for electrical measurements.
  • Range of small field chambers for diagnostics; transportable tool for imaging with small animals.
  • Infrafrontier / Emma stabular
  • Mouse Clinic
  • Transgenic Animal Facility

(IC)

  • Access to the main European synchrotron radiation facilities for single crystal XR diffraction (ESRF Grenoble; Elettra Trieste);
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance (Pioneer AE);
  • Protein expression and purification (FPLC);
  • Access to the facility of Roma1 University – La Sapienza for the automatized crystallization of proteins (Phoenix Liquid Handling Robot).
  • Laboratory equipped for the cultivation of microalgae.
  • Chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology laboratories .
  • Laboratory for the study of photosynthesis.
  • Biosensors laboratory.

(IRSA)

  • Atomic absorption with graphite furnaces (THGA-AAS, Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 800) for the determination of heavy metals and metalloids even in trace;
  • Atomic absorption coupled with hydride generation system for the specificization of compounds such as arsenic, selenium as fractions of ppb graphite (FIAS.HG-AAS, Fias400 coupled to Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 800);
  • Inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for multi-element trace element detection (Agilet 7500);
  • ICPMS coupled column separation system (LC-ICPMS) for specificization of metals and metallorganics.
  • Microwave digester for high temperature and pressure acid digestion of solid materials.

(ISB)

  • 600 MHz Bruker Spectrometer – high resolution – for liquid and semi-solid state (HR-MAS)
  • 400 MHz Bruker spectrometer – solid state
  • 300 MHz Bruker Spectrometer – high resolution – liquid state
  • Counter relaxation meter
  • Portable relaxation meter for field measurements
  • HPLC-MS
  • GC e GC-MS
  • Nano HPLC
  • CE (capillary electrophoresis)
  • Horiba Jobin-Yvon Spectrofluorometer FLUOROMAX 4 (static and time-resolved fluorescence)
  • FT-IR Spectrometer Thermo Fisher Scientific, Nicolet iS10
  • Thermogravimetry: Mettler Toledo, TGA / DSC2
  • Fritch Pulvirusette 9 Mechanochemistry Mill
  • 60Co Nordion GC 220 gamma Irradiator
  • Angelantoni Climate Room, Challenge 340
  • AFM Park Systems XE-100
  • KSV MiniTrough 2 (Study of Langmuir film, measurement of single layer potential, Langmuir-Blodgett Film deposition)
  • Microtox test for the assessment of the ecotoxicity of liquid and solid samples

(ISM)

    • Deposition systems:
    • MWCVD system customized from an ASTEX S-1500 CVD system (2 kW power, 2.45 GHz frequency) with a programmable automation controller National Instrument Compact RIO for 24/7 deposition.
    • Hot-Filament CVD custom system, up to 4” wafers.
    • PLD system, ArF or KrF (193 or 248 nm) pulsed laser source (Lambda Physik COMPex) (Fig 3.5, right). High Vacuum chamber, Temperature up to 700°C.
    • Fs-laser PLD system, Ti:Sapphire pulsed laser source (Spectra Physics Spitfire Pro XP, 800 nm, 3 mJ, 100 fs) having variable repetition rate, in the range 1-1000 Hz. High Vacuum chamber, Temperature up to 400 °C.
      • Material characterization techniques:
        • SEM Cambridge Stereoscan 360 with EDS.
        • AFM Quesant Resolver 250.
        • VTEC Spectral Photoconductivity (200-1300 nm range)
        • RAMAN SPEX-Triplemate in back-scattering geometry (laser wavelength 5 nm)
      • Technological processing:
        • Leybold Z400 RF and DC Sputtering deposition technique for device
        • Mask Aligner Karl Suss MA6 + Spin-coater Suss Microtech Lab. Equip.
        • Delta 10 TT/BM for photoresist deposition
        • Wire Bonder Kulicke & Soffa mod. 4123
      • Device characterization.
        • VTEC (Vacuum & Temperature Electronic Characterization), P≈10-9 torr, 77 K<T<1300 K, with Picoammeter HP4140B, dual-voltage-source (±100 V), Keithley 6517A (Electrometer), 487 (Picoammeter), 2440 (Sourcemeter), 6220 (DC Current Source), 2182 (Nanovoltmeter), 617 (Electrometer), 3390 (Arbitrary Waveform Generator), Solartron 1255, 1260 Impedance/Gain-Phase Analyzers (10 μHz – 32 MHz), HP4192A Impedance Analyzer (5 Hz – 13 MHz)
        • Optical bench with  Newport 180 – 1400 nm monocromator and Xe and deuterium lamps.
        • Angelantoni climatic chamber ACS Challenge 250, -40°C<T<+180°C, 10%<Humidity<98%
        • Yokogawa DLM2052 oscilloscope (2,5 GS/500 MHz)
    • Uv-Vis Spettroscopies (transmission and reflection),
    • FTIr,
    • XRD,
    • GloveBox,
    • Electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammetry etc)
    • High vacuum film deposition.
    • Spin-coating film deposition.
    • Langmuir-Blodgett.
    • Spray coating.
    • Chemical synthesis laboratory (hydrothermal synthesis, soft chemical synthesis, high temperature solid state synthesis, Schlenk techniques), UV-vis, FT-IR-ATR characterization,
    • Chemical Laboratory equipped with the main spectroscopic characterizations (FTIR, UV-ViS).
    • Thin film deposition apparatuses (evaporator, LB, Spin coating)
      • Management and use of the following experimental apparatuses:
        • Hysteresigraph (AMH-300 Electrophysical Laboratory; Hmax = 2 T, RT <T <500 K) for measurements complying with IEC 60404-5, ASTM A977, IEC / TR 61807
        • VSM Vector Magnetometer (MicroSense) for measurements as a function of temperature (77K -770K), magnetic field (Hmax = 2T) and angle (0- 360 °, polar 0-90 °) on specimens with different geometry ( discoid for thin films; cylindrical for powders and liquids); option for 4-point resistance resistances (range from 1 to 10k with a variable current of 0 to ± 20 mA.
        • Quantum Design SQUID magnetometer for measurements as a function of temperature (4K -400 K) and magnetic field (Hmax = 5.5T)
    • Raman Spectroscopy and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) providing complementary information on the composition of the artifacts and that can be applied directly to the sample without pretreatment. It is possible to obtain a superficial or stratigraphical analysis or of a section of the sample.
    • X-ray diffraction for structural characterization.
    • Optical microscopy for morphological characterization of the surface of the cultural
    • Chemical laboratories
    • PLD deposition system (Lambda Physik, KrF, = 248 nm; pulse width = 17 ns) capable of operating under UHV condition and controlled atmosphere (O2, N2, Ar).
    • Oscillator Vitara-T 500mW 80MHz with pulse width 20 fs (FWHM)
    • Legend Elite Amplifier, 4 mJ, 1kHz, 35 fs
    • OPA Opera-only, 240-20000 nm, 40 fs, 5 to 380 microJ
    • Transient Absorption Spectrometer, IB Photonics, FemtoFrame II
    • Up-conversion Fluorescence Spectrometer, Halcyone, Ultrafast Systems (in use by UN Tor Vergata)
    • Line of generation of higher harmonics (up to 90 eV, 35 fs) (in commmissioning)
    • Flight Time Mass Spectrometry (TOF) with VUV source of gas-phase systems and liquids or volatile solids
    • PES, XPS , NEXAFS, Mass Spectrometry with Synchrotron Radiation (Gas Phase Photoemission beamline to Elettra)
    • Non-commercial set-up for the study of biological interest systems (proteins, enzymes etc) in gas phase with electro-spray source and possibility of Electro Spray Deposition in air or deposition in UHV through soft-landing technique (under construction).

(SPP)

  • Sound Level Meter;
  • Environmental samplers;
  • Contaminameter;
  • Microclimate assessment instrumentation (BABUC)