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A groundbreaking research project, supported by the European Research Infrastructures Consortium CERIC-ERIC, has shed new light on one of the most unusual and little-known chapters of human history: how human skin used to be tattooed – and then preserved – centuries ago. The study, recently published in the journal Heritage Science, combines history, chemistry, anthropology, and conservation science to better understand and protect rare tattooed skin fragments, many over a century old, held in the historic “Luigi Cattaneo” Anatomical Wax Collection at the University of Bologna. The research, which involved a multidisciplinary team from CERIC-ERIC, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, the University of Bologna, the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), offers a unique window into past tattooing practices, cultural traditions, and the ways museums once collected and studied the human body. Tattooing is an ancient human practice found across cultures and eras, from the 5,000-year-old tattooed “Ötzi” mummy discovered in the Alps to medieval Christian pilgrims who marked their bodies as signs of faith. But alongside this rich history lies a darker legacy: the collection of tattooed human skin by early scientists, criminologists, and museums, particularly during the 19th century. At that time, tattoos were mistakenly viewed as signs of criminality or “primitive” behavior, ideas promoted by influential but now-discredited figures such as Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso. This led to the preservation of tattooed skin in museums and research institutions across Europe. The tattooed fragments studied in this research primarily represent the Loreto tattooing tradition – a devotional practice geographically confined to central Italy and intimately connected to pilgrimages to the Holy House of Loreto, a major Catholic sanctuary in the Marche region. “These tattoos – explains Monia Vadrucci, researcher at ASI and first author of the study – reveal intimate stories of individuals who lived in central Italy between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. Religious subjects – Madonnas of Loreto, monstrances, Sacred Hearts – testify to pilgrimages made to the Sanctuary of the Holy House, a journey that for peasants and people of humble origins represented a difficult undertaking, often accomplished on foot through the countryside. The date “1881” inscribed next to a Madonna, for example, immortalizes not only the year of the pilgrimage but probably a crucial moment in that person’s life: a grace received, a promise kept, or an act of thanksgiving”. The tattoo, performed with rudimentary three-pointed iron tools, became a permanent ex-voto, a physical bond with the divine imprinted on the skin – primarily on the wrists – recalling the stigmata of Christ and Saint Francis. Alongside sacred symbols, profane and erotic tattoos also emerge, evidence of a popular culture that mixed devotion and carnality without apparent contradiction. “The differences observed among the specimens, which suggest individuals of varying ages,” adds Stefano Ratti, Professor of Human Anatomy at the University of Bologna and scientific expert of the “Luigi Cattaneo” Anatomical Wax Collection, “indicate that these people carried their tattoos throughout their lives-indelible marks of moments that defined their spiritual and social identity in an era when the body itself became a book of memory”. The tattooed skin pieces were rediscovered only recently in museum storage. With little documentation surviving about their origins, researchers saw an opportunity to study them with modern, non-invasive investigation methods that would protect the extremely fragile specimens while revealing their secrets: “Through advanced spectroscopic analyses conducted at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste – explains Chiaramaria Stani, former CERIC researcher who is now beamline scientist at Elettra – we identified traditional pigments such as plant-based carbon black for black tattoos, natural earth pigments for browns, and a mixture of cinnabar and minium for reds. But we also discovered traces of zinc and lime compounds, possibly suggesting the museum conservation methods of the time. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to document a nearly extinct cultural practice and develop specific conservation protocols for these unique materials”. This research offers valuable insights into the moral, social, and religious dimensions of tattooing in 19th century Italy, contributing to the understanding of tattooing evolution from a devotional and identity-based practice to a contemporary art form. It also establishes a framework for museums worldwide that care for similar materials – many of which also lack documentation or face conservation challenges. Future investigations aim to expand the scientific techniques used and explore archival sources to better understand who these individuals were and how their tattooed skin came to be preserved. The research team also emphasizes the importance of addressing the ethical dimensions of studying and exhibiting human remains, recognizing them as sensitive materials that require respectful treatment while acknowledging their cultural and scientific value.

The results of an important study published in the scientific journal Cell Reports describe the development of a new model capable of reconstructing key physiological features of the human liver, allowing the pathological processes that drive liver degeneration to be closely observed in the laboratory. The study, supported by AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research, has been coordinated by Giovanni Sorrentino, Group Leader, Advanced Disease Models at ICGEB, and Associate Professor of Histology at the University of Trieste, and comprises a multidisciplinary team including biotechnologists, physicists, and clinicians, to integrate cellular biology, genomics, tissue engineering, and direct clinical observations to develop the unique research platform. “The new system makes it possible to recreate the pathological activation of liver stem cells in the laboratory,” says Sorrentino, an expert in in vitro tissue engineering based on stem cell technologies and three-dimensional organoids. “In the early stages of chronic liver disease, this process has regenerative purposes. However, when it persists, it becomes one of the main factors in inflammation, tissue scarring, and progression toward advanced liver disease, including liver cancer.” For the first time, the model developed by researchers allows the observation of the pathological processes that drive liver tissue degeneration in chronic diseases and tumour progression in a three-dimensional environment that faithfully reproduces the complexity of the human liver, preserving the interactions between different cell populations. The researchers have discovered that reactive stem cell populations are critically dependent on their ability to synthesise cholesterol. Drugs widely used in clinical practice to lower cholesterol (such as statins) can halt the process of blocking abnormal stem cell activation, reducing inflammation and significantly slowing disease progression in chronic liver diseases. “In recent years,” comments Sorrentino, “clinical data from large patient populations have shown that people taking statins for the treatment of cardiovascular disease also show a slowdown in the progression of chronic liver diseases and a reduced risk of developing liver tumours such as cholangiocarcinoma, which results from prolonged abnormal activation of stem cells.” This study could reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying this connection, explaining why statins exert a protective effect. Beatrice Anfuso, Suresh Velnati, and Davide Selvestrel, the study’s lead authors, confirm that these results represent a decisive step forward. Thanks to the diverse expertise of team members, it has been possible to develop a platform that clarifies how the disease manifests itself and also reveals its initial vulnerabilities. The fact that one of these vulnerabilities can be treated with already approved drugs makes the discovery promising for early therapeutic intervention and disease prevention.

The ICGEB and the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) have launched a Technology Transfer Training Programme with the aim of equipping low- and middle-income countries with the necessary knowledge and skills to accelerate the production of vaccines that can protect against emerging infectious diseases. The training course includes the participation of ten delegates from nine DCVMN member companies from countries such as Argentina, Ghana, India, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Vietnam. The training programme includes a five-week online component and a one-week laboratory training session. The first part covers the theoretical foundations of technology transfer, including Intellectual Property (IP) and licensing, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and regulatory considerations, different vaccine process platforms, and a roadmap for successful execution. The second phase takes place at the ICGEB’s Biotechnology Development Unit in Trieste and offers a practical and immersive experience in a GMP-like environment, allowing participants to put the learned concepts into practice. At the conclusion of the course, participants will return to their organizations with the necessary know-how to share the knowledge, amplify the impact of the training, and translate the learnings into concrete actions for vaccine development and production in their countries.

An international group of researchers from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, led by Gianluca Petris — now Principal Investigator of the Genome Engineering & Biotechnology Unit at the Fondazione Italiana Fegato and lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the University of Udine – has achieved an unprecedented result: transferring, modifying, and replacing entire human chromosomes while keeping their structure intact. The study, published in Science, represents a decisive breakthrough for synthetic and generative biology and for future advanced genetic therapies. The researchers developed a technology that makes it possible to move entire human chromosomes from one cell to another without damaging their DNA, to modify them in special “factory cells” made from mouse embryonic stem cells, and then to reintroduce them into final human cells. In these factory cells, the telomeres of human chromosomes – structures whose shortening is critical in aging processes and genomic stability – lengthen up to tenfold, then spontaneously return to typical human lengths once the chromosomes are transferred back into the recipient cells. It was also possible to eliminate the original chromosome from human cells and replace it with the engineered one, completing for the first time a full cycle of chromosome transplantation with unprecedented genomic fidelity. This approach allows scientists to address biological questions that have so far remained beyond the reach of traditional genome-editing tools (such as CRISPR-Cas). The new technology makes it possible to modify and causally analyze the human genome as an integrated system rather than gene by gene. It therefore becomes easier to evaluate the contribution of large regulatory regions, the role of so-called “dark DNA”, and the three-dimensional organization of DNA in the cell. Moreover, it offers a unique model for studying the chromosomal alterations typical of cancer, as well as the mechanisms underlying aging, including the dynamic behavior of telomeres. Looking ahead, this work paves the way for building synthetic chromosomes and genomes, designing cells with entirely new functions, generating cells and tissues with greater immunological compatibility and intrinsic resistance to viruses, and developing a new generation of gene therapies capable of addressing even complex and rare diseases. The experimental part of the research was conducted entirely in the United Kingdom thanks to the support of the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Wellcome Trust, and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Dr. Petris during his time abroad. The continuation and expansion of this line of research in Italy is now being carried out by Dr. Petris at the Fondazione Italiana Fegato and the University of Udine, thanks to competitive funding such as the My First AIRC Grant (AIRC) and the PNRR (Next Gen EU) – Young Researchers program. As Gianluca Petris emphasizes, “this is a result that only a few years ago would have been considered unattainable, and today it opens the door to a new generation of knowledge and technologies destined to have a major scientific, medical, economic, and social impact”.

The Interreg COHERENCE project – Cross Border Health Regulatory Alliance for Advanced Therapies – has launched a digital platform that supports researchers and clinicians in regulatory compliance for cell-based Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products. COHERENCE promotes a collaborative approach to research and development processes by capitalising on the experience gained by interregional partners in Italy and Slovenia. ICGEB, as the lead partner in the project, is pleased to announce the launch of a digital platform that supports researchers and clinicians in regulatory compliance for cell-based Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). The web platform is available in three languages (Italian, Slovenian, and English). It offers a clear map of national (Italian and Slovenian) and European regulations, provides templates and checklists of the necessary forms for both countries (including the CTIS guide), and includes experimental protocols, publications, and conference information. Through a pilot action, the project aims to develop an open platform to guide researchers in regulatory compliance. It involves the design and conduct of a clinical trial to treat difficult wounds. In addition to advancing the development of an effective treatment for difficult wounds, the trial will test the platform, which will then be opened and expanded to encourage the participation of other research groups at the European level. The platform has been designed as an open, modular, and scalable tool to accelerate the transition from preclinical to clinical safely and ethically and to incorporate and integrate regulatory updates and new content.

A new study, supported by the research infrastructure consortium CERIC-ERIC, has found that microplastics – tiny fragments of plastic less than 5 mm in size – have begun to infiltrate even the most remote terrestrial ecosystems on Earth: the uninhabited lands of Antarctica. The research, conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Kentucky, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, reveals that while microplastics can be ingested by the Antarctic midge Belgica antarctica, immediate physiological harm appears limited. However, the findings underscore the need for expanded monitoring as human activity and plastic pollution continue to rise globally, even at the most unexpected locations. Plastic pollution has become a defining environmental issue worldwide. Although Antarctica is geographically isolated, previous research has already shown that microplastics can reach the continent through marine transport, atmospheric deposition, tourism, and even scientific operations. However, until now, little was known about how these pollutants affect the tiny soil-dwelling invertebrates that form the foundation of Antarctic land ecosystems. “In our study – explains Nicholas Teets, entomologist at the University of Kentucky and coordinator of the research – we examined both lab-exposed and wild-collected midge larvae, offering the first comprehensive assessment of microplastic ingestion and its physiological impacts in B. antarctica, the continent’s only endemic insect and one of its most abundant terrestrial animals”. In fact, despite their size, Antarctic midges play a crucial role in nutrient recycling and soil ecosystem health: with only a handful of terrestrial animal species inhabiting the continent, any pollutant that threatens these invertebrates could affect the entire food chain. “Thanks to the use of advanced imaging techniques, such as micro–Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy – adds Elisa Bergami, ecologist at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – we detected for the first time microplastic fragments inside the digestive tracts of wild midge larvae. Although ingestion was rare and detected in fewer than 7% of field-collected individuals, these findings confirm that plastics are reaching Antarctic soils”. Interestingly, when larvae were experimentally exposed to varying concentrations of microplastic beads for 10 days, researchers found neither effect on survival (even at doses far exceeding expected environmental levels) nor detectable change in metabolic rate, suggesting that short-term exposure does not disrupt core physiological processes. “However, we observed a decrease in lipid reserves at high doses, indicating possible impacts on energy metabolism that could have consequences during harsh Antarctic winters” points out Jack Devlin, researcher at the University of Kentucky and first author of the study. “Besides highlighting the advantages to use, in modern entomology, a multidisciplinary approach based on advanced, complementary analytical techniques (as the ones available in Elettra and in the CERIC Consortium) – comments Lisa Vaccari, senior scientist at SISSI-Bio facility of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste – this work also shows the importance of minimizing contamination from scientific activities themselves, recommending non-invasive techniques such as μ-FTIR imaging as the most reliable method for future assessments”. While the immediate physiological effects on Belgica antarctica appear minimal, the long-term consequences – especially under increasing environmental stress – remain unknown. More in-depth studies are then urgently needed, also to examine possible tissue damage or molecular responses within insects exposed to plastics.   CERIC-ERIC is a European research infrastructure consortium established by the European Commission and the Government of eight Countries in 2014. It offers researchers and industry access to more than 60 experimental analytical and synthesis techniques in advanced research facilities in eight Central and Eastern European countries, and associated institutions. This supports multidisciplinary research down to the micro- and nano-level in the fields of advanced materials, biomaterials and nanotechnology. In CERIC’s facilities, materials can be analysed and their structure investigated by combining techniques based on the use of electrons, ions, neutrons and photons. Access to CERIC’s research services is through international calls for proposals that allow free access to multiple techniques and reward the best projects, provided their results are open and published. In addition, there is commercial access for proprietary research open to companies, and support for technology transfer.

The creation of a more efficient entrepreneurial ecosystem, a network of business acceleration programs, and new support services for enterprises and startups. These are some of the objectives achieved by the EU4EG – “EU for Economic Growth”,project, started in 2021 to relaunch North Macedonia’s economy and strengthen its competitiveness in the context of the country’s accession to the EU. Area Science Park was among its partners. In particular, the organisation contributed to the capacity building of Macedonian companies by creating an online training platform and offering specialist support to companies and start-ups. EU4EG officially concluded on November 26 in Skopje with an exhibition that brought together all the project’s partners, key institutions, and other stakeholders. Among the speakers was Luca Mercatelli of Area Science Park (Institutional Relations Office), who presented three successful cases of research-industry cooperation: a training grant model for companies located in the Science and Technology Park, the Deep Tech Revolution call to support innovative businesses, and support for participation in EU funding programs. The protagonists of the exhibition were 24 startups and 25 micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises that benefited from funding provided by the project. They presented the results achieved over the past four years in terms of innovation, from the purchase of new machinery to the development of new production methods. Coordinated by the German Federal Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), EU4EG involved Area Science Park, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate, and the Central European Initiative (CEI). For more information, visit: EU4EG – EU for Economic Growth – Area Science Park.   

The InterLynk project, funded by the EU and lasting four years, achieved significant milestones in regenerative medicine by developing an integrated platform for the repair of complex tissues, such as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The platform combines advanced biomaterials, computational modelling, and an innovative 3D bioprinting system to create customised scaffolds capable of supporting the regeneration of both hard and soft tissues within a single structure. The project’s main innovations include: New Biomaterials: development of hydrogels and bone inks based on human-derived platelet lysates, rich in growth factors and protected by a patent, which serve as building blocks for the scaffolds Manufacturing Technology: a 3D printing system featuring a new “Print and Cure” printhead and an integrated electrospinning module, enabling real-time material solidification and adding ultrafine fibres to mimic the texture of natural tissues Clinical Approach: the work involved co-creation with surgeons and nearly 200 patients to ensure that the solutions aligned with clinical needs, aiming to bridge the gap in regenerative options that combine hard and soft tissues.   Impact and Future Perspectives InterLynk demonstrates the feasibility of more integrated repair strategies for complex defects, offering the potential for future alternatives to prosthetics, especially in cases such as severe damage to the temporomandibular joint. The work lays the foundations for personalised and clinically relevant solutions with potential applications across a wide range of musculoskeletal defects. Promoscience’s Contribution Among the eight European partners in the project, Promoscience played an important role in enhancing and disseminating the project’s scientific results, drawing on its long-standing experience in communication and digital innovation. As part of the scientific communication activities, it also organised workshops at the International School Trieste to introduce middle-school students to biotechnology and to the outcomes of the InterLynk project.

On October 16, 2025, a delegation from Ljubljana Technology Park visited Area Science Park. The visit aimed to deepen insight into the structure and operations of the science and technology park managed by the national research organization, with the goal of identifying areas of potential partnership and joint initiatives. The Slovenian delegation was welcomed by Andrea Zelco, Director of the Science and Technology Park Management and Development Department at Area Science Park. In his remarks, Zelco provided an overview of the institution’s history—founded in 1978—and its mission to contribute to the knowledge society by building bridges between research and industry while supporting both digital and green transformation. He also shared the park’s vision: to further develop and strengthen its research and technological infrastructures to promote deep-tech innovation rooted in cutting-edge scientific research. The meeting covered a wide range of topics that sparked strong interest among the guests. Following a general introduction to Area Science Park and its main lines of activity, the program included in-depth sessions on several key areas: life sciences initiatives, with a focus on the PRP@Ceric research infrastructure and the Genomics and Epidemiology Laboratory (LAGE); support for the growth of innovative start-ups; the IP4FVG European Digital Innovation Hub; the management and enhancement of services provided to companies located within the park.

Learning about the organization’s research activities and the management of its science and technology park, sharing best practices and creating opportunities for future collaboration were the primary objectives of the visit by a delegation from the Kosovo-based Innovation & Training Park Prizren (ITP Prizren), which took place on October 23. The delegation from ITP Prizren, an organization established in 2019 through a joint initiative between the German federal government and the government of Kosovo, with the direct involvement of the German Federal Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), was composed of the Kosovo park’s top management, GIZ officials for the Balkans, ITP board members representing the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Industry and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kosovo government, and the Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Pristina. Welcoming the guests was Salvatore La Rosa, Director of the Research and Innovation Division at Area Science Park, along with a large representation of the organization’s members active in various fields, from the science and technology park to start-up development. Topics covered included management practices for campus facilities and operational sustainability, strategies for attracting new tenants and the design of value-added services for tenant companies. Two tenant companies, Idrostudi and Promoscience, also participated in the meeting, sharing their experience at Area Science Park and the opportunities arising from their collaboration with the organization. The meeting was a lively exchange of ideas and experiences, a discussion of the strategies and challenges facing science and technology parks.  

Area Science Park has significantly upgraded the hardware infrastructure and computing power of ORFEO, the Data Center that serves as a cornerstone of the organisation’s research and innovation ecosystem. Supported by the PNRR – Mission 4 “Education and Research”, the Data Center expansion marks a major step forward in computing performance and in the delivery of advanced storage and data management services for scientific applications in numerical simulation and artificial intelligence.   A more powerful and sustainable Data Center The €3 million investment through PNRR funds has enabled the creation of a new 125 kW server room equipped with high-efficiency cooling systems, reducing both the carbon footprint and operational costs. Computing capacity has been enhanced with new servers for simulations and predictive modelling, supported by three AI nodes, each with eight state-of-the-art GPU accelerators. These resources make it possible to train large language models, run computer vision applications, and analyse complex datasets in a fraction of the time. Internal interconnections have been upgraded with ultra-low-latency, high-speed links to ensure smooth data flow even under heavy workloads. Storage capacity has been increased by several petabytes, with the addition of an ultra-fast solid-state memory layer for “hot” datasets, further improving performance and efficiency. “ORFEO represents a strategic investment for Area Science Park, enabling the full operation of the organisation’s research and technological infrastructures,” explained President Caterina Petrillo. “It manages the entire data lifecycle from our genomics and virology research laboratories, materials microscopy, and soon, from the green energy production demonstrator. ORFEO also provides AI and HPC access and services to companies, driving digital transformation and business competitiveness in coordination with the regional data center network. To sustain excellence and the quality of our data science investments, Area Science Park has developed an advanced training programme for young researchers and technologists”.   A key infrastructure for scientific research As the digital core of Area Science Park’s research activities, ORFEO supports advanced projects in artificial intelligence, materials science, computational biology, and genomics. Thanks to its high-performance architecture, the Data Center enables researchers to run complex simulations, train large-scale machine learning models, and analyse massive amounts of scientific data in a reproducible and traceable way. The infrastructure also powers a broad research ecosystem focused on AI model interpretability and the energy sustainability of computational processes. ORFEO hosts automated pipelines integrating high-performance and cloud computing, ensuring data interoperability and faster analysis. Its evolution strengthens collaborations with universities, research institutions, and national and European infrastructures, consolidating Area Science Park’s role as a hub for computational research and digital innovation.   An ally for digital business transformation Beyond supporting scientific research, ORFEO is a strategic asset for enterprises seeking to innovate through high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. Area Science Park provides consulting services, feasibility studies, and Proof of Concept projects to facilitate the adoption of advanced digital solutions—from numerical simulation to data science—within a secure, high-performance environment.   ORFEO is Area Science Park’s high-performance computing and artificial intelligence Data Center, designed to support scientific research and industrial innovation. Established in 2020 to serve the life sciences, it now functions as a cross-sector platform integrating HPC, AI, and big data management. It enables the training of advanced models, digital twin simulations, and FAIR-compliant data repositories linked to the organisation’s experimental laboratories. The infrastructure provides services in Infrastructure, Platform, and Software as a Service (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) modes, with ready-to-use environments and tools for data science and HPC. The cluster delivers millions of computing hours annually, is connected to national research backbones (LightNet, GARR), and follows open standards to ensure interoperability and security. Technical management is entrusted to the Data Engineering Laboratory (LADE), which brings together expertise in AI, data engineering, and high-performance computing.

A joint research project carried out by the Institute of Materials Workshop of the National Research Council in Trieste (Cnr-Iom), the Universities of Trieste and Innsbruck, and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste has synthesised a new crystalline form of diboron trioxide, entirely composed of structural units previously observed only in its vitreous form. Boron oxide is commonly used as a key component in the manufacture of highly resistant glasses such as Pyrex and in enamels: in such industrial processes, it has been demonstrated that the addition of boron oxide significantly improves the glass’s ability to withstand thermal shock and chemical reactions, making it ideal for the most demanding applications. However, the vitrification process of boron oxide is still little understood, and presents anomalies not found in other oxides, such as silica, which exist in both crystalline and amorphous form. “The key distinction between a crystal and a glass lies in the ordered arrangement of atoms in the former, which is absent in the latter,” explains Alessandro Sala, a Cnr-Iom researcher who conceived the project. “Both systems are normally made up of the same structural unit composed of a few atoms, repeated in space. In crystals this ‘building block’ repeats periodically in a geometrically ordered manner, whereas in glass it repeats in a disordered way. Boron is an exception to this rule, since its vitreous phase contains elementary units composed of a ring of three boron atoms and three oxygen atoms, which are not present in the crystal. Today, for the first time, we have succeeded in obtaining a two-dimensional crystalline phase composed exclusively of the ‘building blocks’ present in the vitreous phase”. The research was based on the use of platinum as the base material to obtain this compound and to characterise its main physical properties in detail. The scientific team was able not only to develop the “recipe” for obtaining this material, but also to study its principal physical properties in depth. Maria Peressi, Full Professor at the University of Trieste, comments: “Our numerical simulations indicate that this material, porous by construction, consists of a mesh of boron and oxygen atoms that is extremely flexible, to the point of being the most elastic monoatomic-thickness material ever reported – ten times more so than graphene! This peculiar characteristic is due to the fact that the rigid ‘building blocks’ of which it is made are linked by an oxygen atom that acts as a hinge, around which they can rotate within the plane. Experimental evidence and results from numerical simulations also indicate that this material interacts only very weakly with the platinum substrate on which it is produced, suggesting the possibility of using conventional methods to separate it in order to employ it in innovative devices”. The crystalline structure of the two-dimensional material obtained was then analysed through scanning tunnelling microscopy: “The complementary measurements carried out in Trieste and Innsbruck enabled us to observe the material down to its most fundamental components,” continues Laerte Patera, Professor at the University of Innsbruck. “With the spatial resolution achieved, we are now able to determine the position of each atom within the two-dimensional mesh: in the future we will be able to observe how the atoms rearrange as the material passes from the crystalline form to the disordered form characteristic of glass”. Andrea Locatelli, head of the Nanospectroscopy beamline at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, concludes: “The use of synchrotron light was crucial to precisely determine the relative abundance of the constituent elements, the absence of contaminants, and the crystallinity of the new material produced. We are already capable of producing homogeneous crystals of this material measuring tens of square microns. The complementarity of the experimental techniques and theoretical simulations employed in this study proved decisive for the success of the entire scientific project. The distinctive characteristics of this new material – a wide band-gap semiconductor, extremely flexible and porous – encourage exploration of its potential use in applications across very different sectors, from electronics to catalysis to quantum technologies”. The first authors of this important work, Teresa Zio and Marco Dirindin, are two PhD students at the University of Trieste, who are brilliantly crowning a path of excellence in advanced training and introduction to research.