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An international research team led by Milan’s Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnologies – part of the National Research Council (Cnr-lfn) – has used an innovative approach to investigate the chirality of molecules, an essential property to develop technologically innovative solutions in the fields of materials science, pharmaceutics, and catalysis processes. The study was conducted at the laboratories of the Elettra Synchrotron Research Centre in Trieste, home to the FERMI free-electron laser. This is a last generation instrument that has enabled chirality at the level of individual atoms to be “photographed” during an ultrafast process. The results of the study have been published in the scientific journal Physical Review X. “A chiral molecule is not superimposable on its mirror image: in other words, it is a molecule that does not have mirror symmetry, and that exists in two different forms, called enantiomers, which cannot be superimposed by rotation or translation”, explained Caterina Vozzi, director of Cnr-lfn. “Understanding this property is important to many aspects of chemistry, biology and physics: the chemical reactivity and biological and pharmacological activity of chiral molecules can vary significantly depending on the configuration of the enantiomers. In applications with these complex molecules, it is therefore important to understand how each atom contributes to total chirality, especially during chemical reactions”. In the study, the variation of the chiral properties of a molecule were analysed over time using the radiation produced by a free electron laser (FEL), a cutting-edge technology that produces extremely intense and short pulses of light, lasting a few femtoseconds (1 femtosecond corresponds to a millionth of a billionth of a second). “The FERMI free electron laser is the only one in the world capable of producing pulses of circularly polarized light capable of exploring these phenomena. This type of light is able to provide detailed information on the structure and dynamics of molecules, opening up new perspectives in basic and applied research ”, added Oksana Plekan, researcher at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, co-author of the study. “In this study, we have shown how the chirality of a molecule changes during an ultrafast process when we observe it from the perspective of the atoms forming it. This ability to observe chirality from multiple points of view is similar to stereoscopic vision in humans, thanks to which we can perceive the depth and three-dimensionality of the world around us”, stated Davide Faccialà, researcher at Cnr-Ifn and first author of the study. “The technique we have demonstrated enables us to observe in real time how the chirality of a molecule changes at an unprecedented level of detail, opening up new avenues for understanding the chemical and physical properties of chiral molecules in chemical reactions”. The study demonstrated the importance of combining expertise in different scientific fields to achieve innovative results in research. ———– The Italian Institute for the Structure of Matter (Istituto di struttura della materia — Ism) of the National Research Council (Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche — Cnr), the French National Centre of Scientific Research (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) and the University of Bordeaux (France), the University of Nottingham (UK), the German Electron Synchrotron (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron) and the University of Hamburg (Germany), the Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano) (Italy), the University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia), the Sincrotrone Soleil (France) and the University of Tokyo (Japan) contributed to the research.

A close collaboration between scientific institutes and companies in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region has produced promising results in the treatment of difficult wounds. A new advanced therapy for the effective resolution of difficult wounds has been published in the Nature group journal npj Regenerative Medicine. The study has shown how certain fat cells, named Stromal Vascular Fraction or SVF, are able to promote the formation of new blood vessels at the wound level, with important acceleration of healing time. Difficult wounds are extremely painful skin lesions that do not heal, and in fact worsen over time. This is caused by the coexistence of underlying chronic diseases, primarily diabetes and peripheral arterial disease, which do not allow adequate vascularization of the wound, which is necessary to ensure sufficient oxygen and nutrient supply, and thus healing. This is a common condition in people over 60, at least as common as heart failure, with major limitations in daily activities. The economic implications are important. About 3 percent of the global health budget is spent on the care of difficult wounds, which require specialized and expensive therapies: in Italy, more than 3 billion euros per year. Added to this is the reduction in the patient’s ability to work and the sometimes constant need for health care. This research, led by Serena Zacchigna, head of the Cardiovascular Biology Laboratory at the ICGEB and professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Trieste, was made possible by the PREFER project-Development of a Biocompatible PRoduct for the tErapy of Difficult FERites, funded by the 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund Operational Program of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In addition to ICGEB and UniTS, two regional companies, Zeta Research and Vivabiocell, led the project. “Currently available therapies are based on the application of skin substitutes to promote wound healing,” Zacchigna explains, “However, their effectiveness is limited by the inadequate vascularization that usually underlies this disease. How does this new therapy work? We took cells derived from the patients’ adipose tissue and applied them to the wound bed. After a few days, we observed the formation of a new vascular network, functional and connected with the pre-existing vessels.” “Restoring adequate blood supply to the wound is critical to support healing of the skin lesion,” continues Giovanni Papa, UniTS professor and Director of the Plastic Surgery Unit of the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), which provided the cells and enabled validation of the efficacy. Collaboration between academia and business enabled this first milestone toward better care and quality of life for people with difficult wounds. Crucial to this journey was the participation of VivaBioCell, a leading manufacturer of bioreactors for cell therapies, which brought its industrial expertise and ability to transform research results into implementable solutions in a clinical reality. “The joint work between us academic researchers, hospital clinicians and the industrial research and development department was essential to define concrete goals that were compatible with the needs of the industrial scaling-up process,” says Roman Vuerich, first author of the paper and a doctoral student at UniTS and ICGEB. “This project was an example of how the synergy between academia and business can lead to concrete solutions to public health challenges.” “We are confident that this collaboration can continue in the future to bring an advanced therapy product to patients and serve as a beacon to promote other collaborative projects between research centers, hospitals and industry. Only through funding that supports the synergy between these entities will we be able to ensure that research results reach patients and that this can also happen in Italy,” Zacchigna and Papa concluded in unison. Link to the paper.

Alzheimer’s disease is not the same for men and women: certain molecular mechanisms in fact differ between the two sexes, particularly in terms of metabolism of an amino acid that has recently been proposed as an early marker of this disease and which would therefore not be equally reliable for men and women. These are the findings of an Italian study published in “Cell Reports” in September and led by the University of Milan, with collaboration of the Insubria University, University of Milano-Bicocca, Rome’s Tor Vergata University and the Area Science Park Genomics and Epigenomics Laboratory (LAGE). The research paves the way for distinct and personalised treatment based on gender. Researchers analysed post-mortem samples from the brains of men and women with normal ageing and from patients of Alzheimer’s disease. Area Science Park’s contribution, explains Danilo Licastro, Head of LAGE, was focused on genomic and epigenomic analysis. The greatest challenge was to define and implement an analysis protocol that was compatible with the RNA tissue samples sent by the University of Tor Vergata and previously provided by biobanks, because this post-mortem tissue did not present the same quality as fresh tissue. Analysis highlighted marked differences in terms of the metabolic pathways altered. Two examples are insulin response and metabolism of the amino acid serine (which generates an important regulator of cerebral function, D-Serine). This is of particular interest because D-Serine modulates neurotransmission and also because its levels in the blood have been proposed as an early marker of this disease. “These results demonstrate how Alzheimer’s changes and, in certain aspects, inverts some features in the two sexes”, commented Elisa Maffioli, from the University of Milan, “highlighting how different mechanisms are active or not based on gender and opening the possibility of treatment with innovative approaches that differ for men and women”.   Read the whole article: Insulin and serine metabolism as sex-specific hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in the human hippocampus

Area Science Park is backing the Ernesto Illy joint Master’s degree programme in Coffee Economics and Science as a partner, encouraged by the course’s unique programme. It takes both a scientific and managerial approach, with a strong emphasis being made on collaboration between the public and private sectors. The course offers specific academic training on the biological, agronomic, technological and economic aspects of going from coffee plant to end product. One of our tasks as an institution is to promote industry training activities, involving the world of business. Area Science Park is a firm believer in universities and research institutes being one of the driving forces behind national scientific research. Their role is to process and convey scientific knowledge, including by encouraging cooperation between the public and private sectors. The other partners in the programme are: the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, the International School for Advanced Studies Trieste (SISSA), illycaffè S.p.A and the Ernesto Illy Foundation. The Master’s course is inspired by Ernesto Illy’s approach, ethics and values, and incorporates his cultural heritage. The aim is to study and pass on his work and ideas, and the moral legacy of his extraordinary innovative spirit. The course is open to graduates from all over the world with a degree in a scientific or technological field, or in the social sciences and humanities. For more general information: master@fondazioneilly.org For more information about the Master’s course: Master’s degree in Coffee Economics and Science – Ernesto Illy Foundation (fondazionernestoilly.org) For more information about the specific programme: MCES-Ernesto Illy – 2021 programme (ENG-ITA) (fondazionernestoilly.org)    

From 16th to 20th May, Danish artist Sissel Marie Tonn has been guest at Area Science Park’s labs to work on her art residency project “The Sentinel Immune Self”. She is the winner of the “Preserving co-evolution” challenge organised as part of the European S+T+ARTS programme. S+T+ARTS (Science + Technology + Arts) is a European Commission initiative launched under the Horizon 2020 programme which encourages hybrid collaboration between science, technology and art. The art residency is organised as part of the research work carried out by the institution and some of the centres in the system. Organised in collaboration with Milan’s MEET Digital Cultural Center, it is one of 21 fellowships funded across Europe by the programme. The theme for the challenge was Preserving sustainability and inclusiveness in the co-evolution, that is: “How can we preserve the evolution of species by improving the ability of communities to be resilient?”. The greatest challenges of our time – issues such as mass extinctions, viral pandemics and climate change – serve as a reminder that we are intrinsically connected to our ecosystems. In her arts research, Sissel Marie Tonn has been exploring the relationship between our immune system and our constantly changing environment for some years, including with the help of immunologists and toxicologists. She has been talking to a number of researchers from Trieste’s research hub since March of this year. Among them are Alessio Ansuini and the research team working on data science and computing infrastructures at Area Science Park; Jacopo Grilli, a researcher at the ICTP working on theoretical and mathematical models to define the factors impacting terrestrial biodiversity; and Lisa Vaccari, an experimental scientist at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste who uses various techniques in her research, from spectroscopy to microscopy, applying them to different study topics, from materials science to biology. Through the lens of an immersive, interactive animation, the artist will use the information gleaned from researchers and her upcoming visit to the labs at Area Science Park, to reconstruct a science-fiction universe in which humans share their immune response with all other species affected by microplastic pollution. As an allegory of the process of evolution, the project is intended to warn us against the profound consequences pollutants have on us and our ecosystem. The artist’s works will be on display to the public from October 2022 at the Maxxi Museum in Rome, the MEET Digital Culture Center in Milan, Ars Electronica in Linz (Austria) and ZKM, Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe (Germany). “Researchers today have to be able to explain their research findings in a clear and understandable way to reach as many people as possible,” says Area Science Park President Professor Caterina Petrillo. “This requires exploring new languages, stimulating contamination between different disciplines – one of which is, without doubt, art, which has the same creative path as science. Bringing together these two seemingly disparate worlds stimulates new ideas and thought processes on both sides, which leads to new forms of innovation.”